She’s 10 feet tall, not wearing much at all, and as of Tuesday night, despite the combined efforts of community activists, government officials, and local lawmakers to apply pressure (reported HERE), apparently not going anywhere.
‘She’ is the billboard that for the past month or so has been heralding a Club on Rockaway Turnpike. It has not been taken town and immediate plans to have it removed have stalled.
“The more first amendment research I do the less optimistic I get,” said Legislator Jeff Toback. His original hope was that the billboard, which is on the Rosedale, Queens side of the border, had been put up without permission from the New York City Department of Buildings and could therefore be ordered to be taken down.
Toback has since learned that the Building Dept. only regulates the size of billboards, and not their content. So far as the city is concerned the billboard is permissible. Toback’s next option, a legal battle against the club on the grounds of freedom of commercial speech, is a process he is not excited about, though he has assembled a team of lawyers to work on it, he said.
In addition to the billboard itself, two signs with similar images are posted alongside Rockaway Turnpike.
Sheila Selig, a Lawrence resident who said that she has looked into the matter on behalf of a group of women who found the sign offensive, said that she had spoken with the owner of the building, whom she described as “a very fine individual,” and whose attorney she said was attempting to find a resolution with the owner of the club. However, she said, the owner cautioned that if the billboard and the signs are legal, which they appear to be, there is not much that can be done to force their removal.
Genaro Morales, who identified himself to The Nassau Herald as a spokesperson for Dominica O’Neill, the owner of the Club, said that the billboard was protected speech and would not be taken down.
O’Neill, of Yonkers, was identified in the Westchester County Business Journal as a vice president of Casanova Entertainment, which was sued in 2006 by the city of New Rochelle for having a club, in violation of that city’s zoning ordinances. The club, which was located opposite a Planned Parenthood day care center, lost the lawsuit and was forced to close.
Morales is a former New York City police officer, and a partner in real estate properties in Massachusetts with Selim “Sam” Zherka, according to The Journal News, a Westchester daily newspaper.
Zherka, according to the New York Post on Nov. 5, is the owner of two clubs in New York City. He is also the publisher of a weekly newspaper, The Westchester Guardian.
Five Towns residents seem to be adapting and dealing with the billboard’s unwanted presence. Earlier this month the sewer construction on Rockaway Turnpike shifted to an evening schedule as planned, so drivers won’t necessarily be stuck at the Rockaway Turnpike and Brookville Boulevard intersection near the billboard. Some residents say they have taken to using a different route to bypass the sign completely when practical.
Rabbi Hershel Billet of the Young Israel of Woodmere calls the billboard offensive to a morally healthy society.
“But just removing the poster is not the solution,” he told The Jewish Star. “There are other posters all over the place. Censorship is never a solution. Our kids are exposed all the time when they walk in the street or surf the Internet. The challenge for parents and educators is how to strengthen our kids internally so that they are not affected emotionally or morally by what they see. Parents must set a good personal example in the way they dress and in the way they spend their leisure time. There should be parental controls over Internet use. We must provide each child with the strength and knowledge of how to resist the temptations of our very open society.”
(LINK to The Jewish Star)
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18 Responses
Deleted.
men tur zich nisht luzin fin zei
KEEP UP THE PRESSURE UNTIL THEY GIVE IN!!
Use the connection by the politicians. They know if they dont help out with this issue they will suffer by the elections.
MI K’Amcha YISROEL
“‘Morals’ is [indeed] a FORMER … polic(e)”y and values.
this is most likely a test by Hashem Yisboruch to see who will continue traveling past this ugly billboard and Chas V’Sholom be Over a Luv in the Torah, and who will be STRONG and careful control them selves and stay away.
Our children are being taught by example, dont think for one minute if a parent continues driving by this Toavah it wont effect the Noeshomas of your family. So many kids are at risk and whenthey know that their parents are not OK the are Morah Heter.
The Yatzer Hora is being horrible to us, he is testing us much to much, his final day is almost here, when Moshiach arrives his mission will be over, Klall yisroel hold on a little bit longer, dont give in to the Yatzer Hora, and you will be saved together with your family. Amen
I GUESS THE ONLY CENSORSHIP THAT LIBERALS, LIKE CHARLES SCHUMER, PERMIT, IN THIS INCREASINGLY-SODOMITE SOCIETY IS CENSORING CONSERVATIVE TALK-SHOW HOSTS, LIKE RUSH LIMBAUGH AND MICHAEL SAVAGE.
so work together with others (such as christians and feminists) who find such advertisements offensive (really, you don’t have to be a hasid to wear clothes) to boycott the firm that is paying for billboard – according to the above, it includes a newspaper which is very vulnerable to a secondary boycott.
Stop whining, and start building a coalition to do something.
Video and photograph the customers as they enter and leave this ”club” (its legal to photograph people on a public street), and post them on YouTube.
Advise the establishment of your activities, and that you will stop when they drop the ad.
Otherwise there ”customer base” will soon begin to dwindle.
bloomburg wants your toll money over the marine pkway bridge…. all joking aside this is a real disgrace tell us who to call to put pressure fax email snail mail .
#7 good thinking the owner wants money and does not care . Untill it hurts his pocket
There are lots of fancy homes, fancy cars and fancy designer clothes sporting around the Five Towns. Why not use some of the money to pay the billboard guy to take it down. After all, what is more important?
I think Rabbi Billet said it very well ..censorship is not the answer. Teach your children right from wrong and that will make a stronger statement for the future. The orthodox Jewish community cannot and should not dictate their morals(which are fine within the community) to the rest of society..should they succeed where will it end?
Without trying to be rude, it would probably be greatly appreciated if those who do not know the area stop suggesting “go other way”. Is there an alternate route that can be taken? Yes – for those who have upwards of an hour to waste. As someone who travels to/from Far Rockaway and Queens virtually every day, THERE IS NO OTHER LOGICAL WAY TO GO!!
But the stoppage of sewer construction (no pun intended!) is appreciated.
where are all our jewish “freinds” in the council
Just to let everyone know,
\Its not a regular “billboard”.Its a huge billboard sized sign on top of the building.It is owned by the club owner and therefore “all the rich people in lawrence” cant “pay to have it taken down”
To: imfrumerthanyou
Do you mean that there is absolutely no amount of money the club owner would accept to take it down? I find that hard to belive. If people are truly bothered by it and want it taken down, then they would pay the club owner to take it down, just like they pay for everything else they want.
to mr. y2k I’m sorry I did not know the whole world lives in queens I was referring to brooklyn instead of the belt from 5towns I don’t think far rockaway is part of the 5towns
onlyfortheboss – contary to popular belief, the whole world does not live in flatbush either.
This article itself begins with shameful obscenity; it certainly doesn’t belong on a frum site.