32 The Courier sun • may 21, 2015 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com Photo courtesy of Facebook/Team Valentina Valentina Marie Allen touched the lives of her Howard Beach community. Howard Beach girl’s death inspires fundraising campaign BY ANGELA MATUA [email protected] @AngelaMatua Valentina Marie Allen touched the lives of her Howard Beach community, and the town has started a #paintthetownred campaign in the 2-yearold’s memory. Allen suffered from hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a heart defect that leaves the left ventricle severely underdeveloped; heterotaxy, a defect where organs are misplaced in the body; and asplenia, the absence of the spleen. Just 2 years and 2 months old, Valentina died on Tuesday, May 12, her family announced on Facebook. “She passed away very peacefully in our arms,” according to the post. “She put up a battle every single day, and she touched more lives and inspired more people than she will ever know. All of the prayers helped her to persevere this long, and now she will be a beautiful baby among the angels in heaven, forever watching over us all.” According to Howard Beach resident Graziella Zerilli, the community has started to place red bows on trees and poles in Howard Beach and also place red heart balloons on their property to support the family. Restaurants Russo’s on the Bay and Vetro have placed red lights on their property in her memory. “The entire community has come together to remember this beautiful little girl and support her family in this terrible time,” Zerilli said. Gold’s Gym on Cross Bay Boulevard is selling items like bows and key chains and all proceeds will go to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) where Allen was treated for two years. As of press time, the community had raised $61,960 for CHOP. The money will be used to name an area of the hospital after Valentina. To donate to this cause, search for “Team Valentina” on http://chop. donordrive.com/. T I C K E T S S T A R T A T $ 2 0 *Limited availability. Offer good on select seats and shows. Other conditions apply. Children under 3 are free on the lap of a paid adult, one child per lap. Legally Speaking By: Scott Baron, Attorney at Law CAREFUL WITH MY BROOM Q: I am employed by a roofing contractor. As a preliminary to applying the roofing felt and the shingles, I must identify the rotted areas and patch them. For a patch, the homeowner told me to use her own plywood. After I had done this on one side of the roof, the plywood ran out. The owner wanted to pay for no more. She told me to use pieces of the old roof-decking material, instead. After I had applied the roofing felt, but before I could begin the shingling, it began to snow. “Finish it right away,” said the owner, “or I won’t be paying you!” She gave me a broom, for sweeping away the snow. “Be careful, it means a lot to me!” I went back up and was doing my best to sweep away the snow. Eventually, I stepped on a piece of the old wood decking. It gave way, causing me to fall. Permit me to add that, before I began the actual roof work, the owner took me aside and asked me to seal her gutters, first. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.” She was insistent, so I did. A: In a roofing accident, although the Labor Law makes many owners liable for your damages, it grants an exception for owners of one- and two-family dwellings who do not direct or control the work. In your case, the homeowner’s activities went well beyond those of a normal interested homeowner. She did far more than simply present ideas, make mild observations and casually inspect the work. The owner’s direction to reuse her old planking rather than install new plywood was a material contributing factor in your injury. In general, she interfered with the manner of your performance. The owner’s intermeddling constituted direction and control that is sufficient to remove the homeowner’s exemption that otherwise exists under the Labor Law. Advertorial The law responds to changed conditions; exceptions and variations abound. Here, the information is general; always seek out competent counsel This article shall not be construed as legal advice. Copyright © 2014 Scott Baron & Associates, P.C. All rights reserved. 159-49 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach, New York 11414 1750 Central Park Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10710(718) 738-9800, (914) 337-9800, 1-866-927-4878
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