Peter’s Fine Greek Food tents at the fair this summer has Aplication denied by NY,

Posted by admin on May 15, 2011 | 2 comments

A vendor accused of keeping workers in conditions close to slavery at last year’s New York State Fair will not be back this year.

Peter Karageorgis’ application to sell gyros from his Peter’s Fine Greek Food tents at the fair this summer has been denied, said Phil Giltner, executive assistant to the commissioner of stateDepartment of Agriculture and Markets.

Giltner said the denial was based on the U.S. Department of Labor case against Karageorgis for mistreating his workers.

State officials also said the case has led them to expand their review of applications to make sure vendors comply with labor laws.

The labor department fined Karageorgis $50,000 for forcing his employees to work 12 hours or more daily at the state fair selling food without many breaks or meals for barely any pay. The department ordered Karageorgis to pay $115,000 in withheld wages. Karageorgis is appealing the decision. The criminal case against him was dropped when he paid $85,000 to 10 workers.

Karageorgis’ workers were from Mexico, and were working for him under a visa program. They traveled with his business from fair to fair for the summer. According to documents filed in criminal and civil cases against Karageorgis, he worked them so hard they became ill. They were paid so little, they didn’t have enough money to buy food, and they slept in a crowded, bug-infested trailer.

Karageorgis’ attorney, William Hughes, said his client is being taken advantage of by the workers, who are making up their claims.

“They’re buying into the hype,” Hughes said of the state’s decision to keep Karageorgis out of the fair. The workers saw an opportunity to make more money by accusing Karageorgis of treating them poorly, he said.

“They want to live the American dream through litigation,” Hughes said.

Local workers’ rights advocates Pat Rector and Rebecca Fuentes saw the workers’ conditions during the fair and helped them get the attention of federal authorities.

Earlier this month, the women met with Alphonso David, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s deputy secretary for civil rights, and representatives of the state Department of Labor, to talk about what could be done differently at the fair to keep that type of worker abuse from happening again.

Jessica Ziehm, of the state department of Agriculture and Markets, which oversees the state fair, said the Karageorgis case led the state to include the DOL in the review of vendor applications, and to create the new policy that requires vendors to comply with labor laws.

Fuentes said she’s also been told that workers with the DOL will be getting additional training on the signs of human trafficking.

Contact Marnie Eisenstadt at meisenstadt@syracuse.com .

State Fair Meadowlands Inaugurates New, Larger Fairgrounds

Posted by admin on May 15, 2011 | 0 comments

Fairgrounds, Next to New Meadowlands Stadium, is 25 Percent Larger; Will Feature Better Traffic Flow, Covered Event Areas and New Comfort Stations

State Fair Meadowlands will inaugurate larger new fairgrounds for its 25th anniversary event this summer, running daily from June 24 thru July 10 next to the New Meadowlands Stadium, formerly Giants Stadium. This year’s fair will offer simplified traffic flow, improved wheelchair and stroller accessibility, additional comfort stations, and pedicabs to transport fairgoers to and from the parking lot.

“With the larger fairgrounds, we are offering local residents a bigger and better reason to keep fun close to home this summer. With 25 percent extra space, we are pleased to be offering dazzling new entertainment that is free with entry ticket, including The Big Cat Show, Kachunga & The Alligator Show, Circus Maximus and the Human Slinky, a hilarious stage act that kids and adults will love,” said Al Dorso, president of State Fair Meadowlands. “Old favorites – the Racing Pigs, hypnotist Steve Bayner and magic shows – will also be free with fair admission.”

The fairgrounds and parking area occupy 35 acres, making the fair the largest in the New York metro area. Now that construction in the Meadowlands complex is finished, fairgoers will be pleased at the improved traffic flow from surrounding highways. For special events, State Fair is providing new, covered spaces to protect audiences from the hot sun and inclement weather.

Fairgoers will also have greater access to comfort stations: The fair is introducingnew, climate-controlled bathrooms this year. Fairgoers can also pamper themselves by travelling from the parking lot via pedicab.

The fair will have rides for everyone, from tots to thrill-seeking daredevils, games, shows, live concerts and shopping. With the larger fairgrounds, the Skyride – a family favorite – will be back. Also at the fair will be the original BATCOPTER, which will provide rides offering panoramic views of the fair and nearby New York City. Spectacular annual fireworks displays will be held on July 3 and July 4.

A wide array of food choices will also be available including Italian, Greek, Asian and Mexican – as well as not-to-be-missed funnel cakes, corn dogs, candied apples, curly fries, deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies, ice cream, and of course, cotton candy.

Fair hours are Monday through Thursday, 6:00 p.m. to midnight; Fridays from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Saturdays from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., and Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to midnight. Special hours on July 3 and 4 are from 2:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. On June 24, opening night, gates open at 4 p.m.

Advance tickets are on sale now through June 22 and can be bought online atwww.njfair.com or by calling 973-450-1073. Season tickets and special group packages are also available. Check www.njfair.com for updates on promotions and more about this year’s fair.

Court to hear fairgrounds sale; Plan B brewing

Posted by admin on May 12, 2011 | 0 comments

COSTA MESA The sale of the Orange County fairgrounds is back on the agenda, with a hearing Friday before the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

The appeals court will decide whether to lift a stay blocking the state’s sale of the property to Facilities Management West, a private company. With a favorable ruling, the state Department of General Services would be free to complete the sale to FMW, but the department is not expected to act without direction from Gov. Jerry Brown.

“We have not received and would not expect to receive direction from the governor prior to the Court of Appeal hearing the case,” said Eric Lamoreux, the department’s acting deputy director.

Meanwhile, another plan for the fairgrounds is taking shape: put commercial developments on the corners of the property and split the proceeds between the state and the fair board.

The fair board proposed that plan in January and Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana, has introduced a bill along those lines.

Solorio’s bill is written in general terms to allow the governor to agree to a revenue-sharing plan instead of completing the sale if the plan promised revenues of more than $100 million.

The problem with the bill is that the Orange County Fair and Events Center doesn’t have $100 million to share. The fair board had a profit of $882,000 in 2010, and the revenue it gets from a weekend swap meet has been falling steadily.

According to fair board records, annual payments from the O.C. Market Place (a privately owned swap meet on the property) have dropped from $4 million-plus in 2001 to roughly $2 million last year.

Annual revenue from the equestrian center has dropped from $730,000 to $74,000 over the last decade.

To generate $100 million to share with the state, the fair board dusted off master plans from 1977 and 1989 that called for commercial development at several corners of the 150-acre site, and even included a site for a hotel.

Some of the board’s ideas on generating revenue – commercial development, fast food sites, even a hotel – conflict with development restrictions approved by voters last summer, but those restrictions don’t apply to the property as long as it belongs to the state.

The bill is scheduled for a committee hearing next week. Costa Mesa Mayor Gary Monahan wrote the committee’s chairman Tuesday, blasting both the bill and Solorio.

‘I must confess some irritation that we find ourselves at this point threatened by a half-baked, economically questionable and pie-in-the-sky alternative that potentially makes things worse for our city,” he wrote.

He also wrote of his “deep disappointment” in Solorio, who “abandoned” the city after fashioning a sale to Costa Mesa and FMW.

The court hearing Friday will cover a range of arguments as to why the sale should be blocked, all of which were rejected by the trial court.

There is one legal argument against the sale that has some outside support.

The non-partisan Office of Legislative Counsel has written that there may be a problem with the legislation authorizing the sale. That issue comes down to the word surplus. If the court finds that the property is technically surplus, the sale is likely dead.

If the court allows the sale to proceed, then it’s up to the governor.

Ind. fairgrounds coliseum could get upgrades

Posted by admin on Apr 24, 2011 | 0 comments

Spectators and event participants can mingle too easily. Floors are damaged, there are sewer issues and ice-production equipment keeps failing.

That’s part of the case officials with the Indiana State Fair Commission could make as they solicit donations to pay for a renovation to the fairgrounds’ centerpiece, the 72-year-old Pepsi Coliseum.

How well they sell the project, which is being studied right now, could determine the scope of the renovations, commission Executive Director Cindy Hoye told The Indianapolis Business Journal. But lawmakers who passed a bill creating a State Fair Foundation think there will be plenty of sentiment for the project.

“Our state fair and the people who run it are a great story,” said Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, who authored the bill creating the foundation. The coliseum was built in 1939 and during its prime attracted events ranging from concerts by the Beatles and Rolling Stones to performances by Perry Como and Red Skelton.

It also was the scene of one of the state’s biggest disasters, a gas explosion during an Oct. 31, 1963, ice show that killed 74 people.

Its popularity as a venue began waning when Market Square Arena opened downtown in 1974, and it became more synonymous with minor-league hockey, public ice skating and car shows than rock and roll. It’s out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Hoye said the inability to separate spectators from event participants at the 8,200-seat facility is problematic.

“In the coliseum, you can be at the concession stand buying a hot dog and a hockey player walks by-or a draft horse,” Hoye said. “That’s a snapshot of the types of issues we’re facing.”

But Hoye said Hoosiers still have a love for the facility.

“This structure is an iconic Indiana treasure, and I think people here have a great affinity for it,” she said. “Does that equate into giving a donation? That’s what we’re testing.”

Officials are weighing support for a proposal that would reconfigure the main floor, create a larger backstage area and a new main entrance and enclose an adjacent 14,000-square-foot open-air arena to add the capability for a second ice rink.

The cost and scope of the project would depend on how much private support fairgrounds officials receive. Merritt said there’s been no discussion of using tax dollars.

But he thinks there will be wide support for renovating the facility.

“A lot of state fairs have really struggled over the years. The Michigan State Fair ceased operations due to financial difficulty. The management of our fair and the fairground facilities has been very successful,” he said.

Those familiar with the project said it could begin as soon as 2012 if the State Fair Commission approves it. Hoye said work would not affect plans to use the site as a transportation hub for buses and shuttles during the 2012 Super Bowl.

Ind. fairgrounds coliseum could get upgrades – chicagotribune.com

Clear skies help Florida State Fair set a new gross revenue record in 2011 106 rides make up midway

Posted by admin on Apr 20, 2011 | 0 comments

Weather was kind to the Florida State Fair this year, Feb. 10-21, and officials were very pleased with the results.

“We had a great 2011 fair as the weather was our friend this year,” said Charles Pesano, executive director. “Our entire fair team worked extremely hard to provide wonderful entertainment and programming to please just about everyone and all at an outstanding value.”

Preliminary and unaudited attendance this year was just under 487,000, approximately 132,000 more than 2010 when the fair suffered from unusual cold temperatures and rain.

“We had a little rain on the first day of the fair, but then after that, the weather was great,” said Fred Brown, director of operations. “We had a very good year.”

Pesano said total combined gross admission revenue and gross midway revenue was approximately $7,775,000, which set a new all-time record beating the previous record by $780,000. Gross midway revenue alone was just under $4.5 million, setting a new record.

Brown said there were 106 rides on the midway this year. Two of the more significant changes to the midway were the expansion of the family area and the reduction of games and foods.

“We expanded our family area with more rides and a stage,” Brown said. “It was new last year and really successful so we made it bigger.”

The number of games was reduced from between 68 to 70 in 2010 to 60 this year. There were 21 food stands on the midway this year. That is down about six. There were a total of 200 food stands on the fairgrounds.

“Having fewer games and food on the midway allowed us to really open it more,” Brown said. “It looked very nice and I think people could tell. I think we will do the same thing next year and put in a few more rest areas.”

Brown also said the 106 rides this year is down one from last year’s 107.

“But, I think we are finding the magic number,” he said. “It looked really nice out there.”

The fair wasn’t without new attractions this year. For the first time there was Nock Helicopter Trapeze Thrill Show performing a show daily 300 feet above the fairgrounds.

“Also new was the Corn Dogs & Country concert,” Pesano said.

“We really needed this one this year,” Brown said.

Close to Slavery: Who was watching out for Mexican workers at New york State fair?

Posted by admin on Apr 19, 2011 | 0 comments

The recruiter’s offer glowed with promise: Come to America. Travel in comfort from carnivals to fairs. Earn $10.71 an hour selling food to patrons.

That last number would have captured the attention of Samuel Rosales Rios, 23 and other young Mexicans who might earn half that much for a day’s work — if they could find work. Rios imagined sending home money to support his wife, young son, parents and younger brothers.

So last August, Rosales Rios signed on in Durango, Mexico. Soon he and others were working at the Erie County Fair, near Buffalo, then on to Syracuse and Peter’s Fine Greek Foods tent at the New York State Fair, in Geddes.

But things weren’t going according to the recruiter’s plan. As staff writer Marnie Eisenstadt reported Sunday, the men were working in conditions close to slavery. The men worked 16- to 18-hour shifts, with only 15 minutes off for a break. The last day of the fair it was a 24-hour shift. They lived in a bug-infested trailer packed with nine or 10 men. They didn’t have enough to eat.

When they asked to be paid, their boss, Peter Karageorgis of Queens, handed out $100 bills — a generous gesture, apparently, since he said the first days were unpaid training time.

Rosales Rios and his fellow workers were trapped. They had H-2B temporary visas, but were required to work for their sponsor. They didn’t know anyone, spoke little English and if they did complain or quit, they faced deportation.

Their ordeal might have gone undetected, had Rosales Rios and a co-worker not sought medical attention for infected bug bites and other ills.

Rebecca Fuentes of the Workers’ Center of CNY got a call that two men needed a ride from the hospital. She called Pat Rector, a workers’ rights activist with the Central New York Labor Religion Coalition. It was Labor Day weekend, and government offices were closed. The women organized a meeting that Monday, Sept. 6, at the fairgrounds, where more workers shared their plight. On Sept. 7, Rector’s employer, the Central New York Occupational Health Clinic, examined eight workers. On Sept. 9, federal authorities arrested Karageorgis on human trafficking and fraud charges.

He agreed to pay $85,000 to 10 workers, including Rosales Rios, to settle the criminal complaint. He also was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay workers $115,000 in wages. Paradoxically, Karageorgis’ lawyer claims it’s the workers who are trying to cheat his client.

Back in Durango, expecting his second child, Rosales Rios has been living off $5,000 from the settlement. He can’t find enough work to support his family. He wants to come back to the United States.

If he does, he should not be allowed to fall into the same trap. State fair managers — so far silent on this case — must be more vigilant about working conditions for contract employees. State and federal authorities must be more proactive in uncovering wrongdoing. As for Karageorgis, he should not be back as a vendor at this year’s state fair, where his application apparently is still pending. It should not require the continuing diligence of activists like Fuentes and Rector to prevent future abuses.
Related topics: editorial, editorial board, state fair

http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2011/04/close_to_slavery_who_was_watch.html

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