Long Island Contractor Arrested For Underpaying Wages On Port Authority Project

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Inspector General Robert E. Van Etten Thursday announced the arraignment of a Long Island construction contractor on two felony and two misdemeanor charges stemming from the underpayment of wages to 13 laborers in excess of $25,000 on a public construction project.

Gerard Ippolito, president of Liberty Tree Service, Inc., and his corporation face numerous charges, including Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree the a Class E felony – and Failing to Pay Wages, a misdemeanor. The defendants entered not guilty pleas today in Queens County Criminal Court.

According to court papers, between October 18, 2004 and December 31, 2005, employees of Liberty Tree Services, Inc. worked on a Port Authority project involving landscaping for the John F. Kennedy International Airport Van Wyck Corridor Beautification Program, which followed the path of the AirTrain.  The contract was subject to the state’s prevailing wage law, which dictates the hourly rates that must be paid to employees on public work projects.

The weekly certified payroll records submitted by the defendants in the case showed the workers being paid the legal hourly prevailing wage rates of $51.11 per hour.  However, the contractors’ employees were actually paid hourly wages much less then the prescribed hourly rate.  The defendants are charged with filing false certified payroll records in an effort to conceal underpayments of $27,484.72 to 13 employees.

The case was investigated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Inspector General’s Office and then referred to the New York State Attorney General’s Office for prosecution.

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Friday, June 20th, 2008

Landscaping Rock No Comments

Southlander leading RNZAF at Warbirds

Squadron Leader Shaun Clark, who spent his youth in Dipton before leaving to join the air force at the age of 18, seemed excited at the prospect of leading the Red Checkers in a 13 minute display in front of tens of thousands of spectators.
%26quot;Its one of the best airshows in the southern hemisphere, if not the world. To come and display here to such a huge crowd is an awesome opportunity and one the whole team certainly appreciates.%26quot;
That Mr Clark has the position of team leader in only his first season as a Red Checker was down to his rank, he said.
As a squadron leader and the officer in com mand of central flight school, it follows with tradition that Mr Clark take the role of flight leader.
The five-man teams aircraft of choice are CT-4E Airtrainers, which run off 300hp, 6 cylinder Lycoming engines.
The planes have 20lt diesel engines attached to them, which when triggered, feed into the exhaust creating white plumes behind the air craft.
Mr Clark said the display team spend about 10 weeks a year gracing the skies over national events and shows.
%26quot;Our season is from mid-January to about mid-April this year. We started training in August and in October we sat down and worked out a routine.%26quot;
This summer has seen the team perform everywhere from the A-1 Grand Prix in Taupo to the Art Deco weekend in Napier, from a Wigram Museum open day to the finish line of Speights Coast to Coast.
Despite the variety of shows the Red Checkers attend, Mr Clark is firm in his assertion that Warbirds over Wanaka is something special.
%26quot;Its certainly the pinnacle of a Red Checkers season, theres no doubt about it. Its only once every two years, its got a massive crowd and its world renowned.%26quot;
The Red Checkers take to the air at 1.15pm today.

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Friday, March 21st, 2008

Garden Landscaping No Comments


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