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September 30, 2007
The 25-year-old man shot and killed by police Friday evening had a troubled history with the law and an official review of the shooting by the NYPD concluded that its officers acted properly. Plainclothes police approached Ronald Battle Friday night around 11 p.m., while responding to a complaint that two armed men were outside the Rangel Houses development on Harlem River Drive. Battle ran when he saw the police and attempted to enter one of... [continue]
| September 30, 2007
Wall Street trader Greg Calvino wrote out a $100,000 check to his girlfriend as a testament to his commitment to not straying, saying she could cash it if she ever found out he was partying with strippers. Well, one thing led to another while he was out with co-workers one night in 2005, and girlfriend Elisa Kwon cashed his check after he admitted to partying with strippers and doing cocaine, although the latter was against... [continue]
Manhattan resident Carol Ann Gotbaum, who is married to the stepson of Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, died in a Phoenix airport holding cell while in police custody. Phoenix authorities believe she may have died while trying to get out of her handcuffs. Carol Ann Gotbaum, 45, was trying to board a flight to Tucson at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, but arrived too late and was booked on another flight. A US Airways spokesman, Derek... [continue]
Monday will mark the entrance of a new taxi logo on New York cabs, in a move to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the iconic yellow cab. Cars that appear for their annual inspection will be required to sport the new logo, so the sooner you see a cab with the new look, the more recently they've presumably been inspected. The redesigned graphics feature a checked motif that is supposed to be reminiscent of... [continue]
September 29, 2007
Well, Assemblyman Michael Benjamin of the Bronx thinks they do. He wants to make cupcakes the official NY State snack, as a way to foil various school districts' cupcake bans. Many schools have restricted the sugary delights of cupcakes over concerns about childhood obesity and diabetes. The Huntington School District in Long Island even banned sweets from bake sales. From the Huntington School District website, via Fox News:"It is the policy of the district that... [continue]
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September 29, 2007
There appears to be another license plate problem for New York, but unlike the problem of people and groups getting official license plates without being eligible, this situation wasn't created by the DMV. A Missouri-based charity that provides bicycle helmets to children and sells old license plates as a fund-raiser, the American Children’s Safety Network (ASCN), is selling what appears to be a new design of a New York optional license plate in both car... [continue]
Sen. Clinton proposed awarding every newborn American with a $5,000 bond that could be invested and allowed to grow to a sum that could be redeemed for educational or home buying needs when they reached adulthood. It became a point of widespread criticism for the Senator for New York, even among those who are politically sympathetic. The Daily News quotes a professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University saying "Oh, what a... [continue]
A federal U.S. district judge decided not to block the City of New York from requiring the installation of GPS and credit card equipment in taxis. The Taxi Workers Alliance went to the courts after a strike by its members earlier this month had a less than dramatic impact and failed to sway public and political opinions. Some drivers are opposed to the installation of the equipment because they say GPS tracking invades their privacy... [continue]
With the U.N. General Assembly in session, the city has been hopping with dignitaries. On Wednesday, Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein were praised by President Bush at P.S. 76 in the Bronx. The President noted, "The city tackled the challenges of underperforming schools in such a way that it's become a model for urban schools. This achievement is a hopeful sign for other school districts across America. New York City can do... [continue]
A police officer has filed a lawsuit against the police department, accusing the NYPD of discrimination and harassment because he is openly gay. Five-year veteran Michael Harrington said that his career had stalled after coming out to a coworker in 2003. He listed a number of grievances in his court papers:He was repeatedly called "faggot" at the 75th Precinct in Brooklyn and received a note that said "Die, you c---" During a domestic disturbance call,... [continue]
The 22-year-old St. John's University student who brought a loaded .50 caliber rifle to the Queens campus on Wednesday was arraigned in his hospital room at Bellevue yesterday. Communicating via a video link to the Queens Criminal Court, Omesh Hiraman appeared "frail in his blue pajamas" (NY Times), while he "hands shook and he "rocked back and forth" (Daily News), but seemed lucid during the proceedings. Judge Deborah Stevens Modica ordered that he be given... [continue]
September 28, 2007
Open House New York weekend is coming up in 7 days and NewYorkology has a handy guide to which places you'll need reservations for this (the 5th) year, check it out here. Touted as America's largest architect and design event, OHNY opens usually locked doors throughout New York City each October (and sometimes Spring). Discover new nooks in each of the five boroughs through special talks, tours, performances and workshops. The weekend is free and... [continue]
Why leave all the disaster scenarios to Hollywood or non-fiction TV programming (like the scary East Coast Tsunami program on the History Channel)? New York City, along with the Rockefeller Foundation and Architecture for Humanity New York has created a design competition for "Post-Disaster Provisional Housing." According to the What If NYC website, the Big Apple is considered among the top three cities in the United States vulnerable to the destructive effects of storm... [continue]
Governor Spitzer's plan to allow illegal residents of U.S. to get New York State drivers licenses by producing a valid foreign passport is generating widespread opposition. More than 80% of New York's DMV offices are supervised by county clerks and The New York Times reports that many oppose Spitzer's license plan and will resist processing applications that don't include proof of legal residence. Clerks in NYC, Westchester, and Long Island are agents of New York... [continue]
The Brooklyn Paper has a sad tale of some Prospect Heights kittens. The ferals wandered into the back yard of the Pond family, who immediately fell in love, had them spayed/neutered, called them their own and named them Inky, Blinky, Mookie and Clyde.The Ponds grew so attached to their backyard kitties that they began treating them as if they were their own. They had the cats spayed and neutered. They fed them daily. When the... [continue]
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September 28, 2007
The intersection of Lexington Avenue and East 41st Street has reopened after two months of clean-up and repair work. In July 18, an over-100 years old steam pipe exploded, killing one person and seriously injuring two others, while causing millions in damages. Described by the Mayor as a failure of infrastructure, Con Ed has been under criticism for failing to recognize a problem could occur. The utility said last month that an investigation could... [continue]
September 27, 2007
The NY Times has a Section A, Page 1 article about a woman whose identity since the WTC attacks has been defined as a September 11 survivor but her September 11 story doesn't quite add up. Tania Head said she had been on the 78th floor of the north tower, still bearing some burns, and gave tours at the Tribute 9/11 Visitor Center. She also acted as president of the Survivors’ Network and said her... [continue]
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's civilian life got a jolt: His company, Bloomberg L.P., was sued by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission for "a pattern or practice of demoting and reducing the pay of female employees after they announced their pregnancies and after they took maternity leave." Mayor Bloomberg had previously settled a lawsuit with a former Bloomberg L.P. employee, Sekiko Garrison. From a 2001 Village Voice story by Wayne Barrett:Garrison alleged that Bloomberg told her twice... [continue]
Ever wonder what keeps the street musicians that play for change going back to the subway and sidewalk everyday? Well, it's not the music. In fact, when we asked the Naked Cowboy "Who do you 'owe it all to' and is it all about the music?" He replied, "I owe it all to myself, and it's all about me!" Whether or not it's to hone their craft, some of these folks are pulling in some... [continue]
Bill O'Reilly continued to claim that he wasn't being racist when expressing his surprise that a dinner at Harlem soul food restaurant Sylvia's was extremely pleasant. Media watchdog group Media Matters distributed text and clips of O'Reilly's radio show where the conservative talking head explained, "I couldn't get over the fact that there was no difference between Sylvia's restaurant and any other restaurant in New York City. I mean, it was exactly the same, even... [continue]
In the shadows of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, residents of Greenpoint will soon be able to go on a nature walk. The Department of Environmental Protection, which operates the sewage plant, is officially opening the Newtown Creek Nature Walk this Saturday. The 800-foot nature walk along Newtown Creek, which took 9-years and $3.2 million to complete, is landscaped and features access points to the polluted creek. The Times even observed a school... [continue]
Yesterday morning, a dump truck and Toyota Camry going west on Atlantic Avenue had a deadly accident. The truck, which was filled with debris, jackknifed and overturned, crushing the Camry and its two passengers. Police suspect the Camry may have attempted to cut off the truck. The accident occurred at Atlantic Avenue near Washington Avenue, and a resident complained to the Post, "This intersection is insane. It's like they get the devil inside of them... [continue]
September 26, 2007
City Council members Jessica Lappin and Alan Gerson have introduced a bill that would pass tickets received by food deliverycyclists and bike messengers on to their employers. The fines, which range from $100 to $300, are supposed to encourage restaurants and delivery firms to firmly encourage employees to cycle safely in the city, aside from being killed themselves. Council member Lappin says that reckless riders received 1,800 citations in her Upper East Side district alone... [continue]
You may recall that Reverend Billy Talen was arrested in June for reciting the First Amendment in Union Square during a Critical Mass night protesting the proposed photography laws. We posted video of the arrest at the time, and Talen spent 20 hours in the Tombs charged with two counts of second-degree harassment. Yesterday the Rev faced the judge and The NY Times reports that in court "the prosecutor told Judge Tanya Kennedy that Mr.... [continue]
Bill O'Reilly is making people wonder "Oh, really?" after the conservative talk show host shared some thoughts about famous Harlem soul food restaurant Sylvia's. O'Reilly told radio listeners that he treated the Reverend Al Sharpton (because Sharpton frequently appears on The O'Reilly Factor) to dinner at Sylvia's the other night. He said he had a great time, but couldn't leave it at that, noting "all the people up there are tremendously respectful." And then:I couldn't... [continue]
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September 26, 2007
A self-appointed soldier in the war against aging and natural shortcomings, plastic surgeon Brad Jacobs reportedly tossed a few malpractice and neglect-filled grenades into the trenches of the Upper East Side over the years. And this week, the New York Department of Health had had enough of his friendly fire. According to the Village Voice, after collecting a record 26 malpractice judgments or settlements over an eight year period, the doctor finally handed over his... [continue]
No, seriously-- check this photo I'm Not Saying just sent in: This is the Northside Piers project at Kent and 5th. DEVELOPING. Update: BNN reports-- "164 KENT AVE & NORTH 5TH ST| ALL FIRE HAS BEEN XTGH'ED, PRIMARY SEARCH ON THE TOP FLOOR(S) IS (-)" That's good news-- especially if you bought an apartment in the building! Update: Mihow has another angle-- check out that billowing smoke! Update: I'm Not Saying has put up a... [continue]
Former President Bill Clinton may love to eat foods like osso bucco, but he's not so happy with the restaurant Osso Buco. Clinton's lawyer sent owner Nino Selimaj a letter demanding that a photograph of Selimaj and Chelsea Clinton, which had been featured in the University Place location's window, be taken down. The AP reported that lawyer Douglas J. Band (apparently using letterhead from "the office of William Jefferson Clinton") noted the young Clinton's status... [continue]
Were safety concerns about the Deutsche Bank's demolition ignored by aides to Governors Pataki and Spitzer and Mayor Bloomberg? That's what the NY Post is reporting, as the investigation into the August fire that claimed two firefighters lives continues. Apparently Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (the government agency overseeing the dismantling) head Charlie Maikish sent a memo to LMDC chairman Avi Schick on May 25, 2007, noting that the LMCC was not prepared to manage... [continue]
September 25, 2007
When you care enough to send the very best: Yesterday, it was revealed that former Knicks marketing intern Kathleen Decker sent a Hallmark card saying that having sex with NY Knick Stephon Marbury in his car was a terrible mistake. Decker testified on behalf of Madison Square Garden, who, along with Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas, is being sued by Decker's former boss, Anucha Browne Sanders. Browne Sanders claims that she was the victim... [continue]
There's an interesting tale of how a ticket turned into a 44-hour stay on this Park Slope message board. Seems a girl filed a complaint against her ex-boyfriend and even though it was deemed ridiculous he still had to face it, which resulted in nearly two days at central booking. Turns out he had a warrant out for an old ticket given to him for riding his bike on the sidewalk. We're guessing this sort... [continue]
Columbia University has weathered storm of criticism for inviting Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak at its World Leader Forum yesterday. Columbia president Lee Bollinger had said that critical questions would be posed, and he wasn't kidding: Before Ahmadinejad spoke, Bollinger gave a lengthy speech that attacked the leader's positions and intelligence, said he exhibited "all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator," and called him ridiculous. You can read Bollinger's speech here, but... [continue]
This morning, President Bush is addressing the 62nd United Nations General Assembly. He is expected to discuss "global fight against terrorism, tyranny and poverty," as well as sanctions against Myanmar in support of the protest organized by Buddhist monks. However, he will only mention Iran briefly, and will opt to cover "broad themes." A White House spokesman said, "The president wanted this speech to focus on many other issues that are facing the world... [continue]
Yesterday morning, a fire in a Flatbush home on East 19th Street claimed the lives of three people, a 76-year-old, 50-year-old, and a 12-year-old, and now authorities say that the 12-year-old, Bengino Dodard, died while trying to help others. Dodard and his 15-year-old cousin had been on the third floor when a fire broke out, apparently from faulty wiring. He called 911 from the second floor, but then returned to the third floor to get... [continue]
When you're 85-years-old and a World War II veteran, dying by way of parallel parking is not the way to go. And luckily, John Tyrrell is no worse for wear after driving his car off a cliff in the Bronx. WNBC reported that Tyrrell had been parallel parking in the Silver Beach neighborhood. "He said he angled his car too sharply and reversed into grass and plunged 20 to 30 feet over a cliff and... [continue]
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September 24, 2007
New York University is urging students who are feeling overwhelmed to contact the school's mental health facilities, a few days after one of its incoming freshman killed himself by jumping from the 15th-floor roof of his Union Square dorm on East 14th St. Eighteen-year-old "Trey" Allan Oakley Hunter III leapt to his death minutes after texting a goodbye message to his parents and brother. In an email sent out to students, university president John Sexton... [continue]
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke today, giving a speech and sort of answers some of questions posed by Columbia University President Lee Bollinger and School of International and Public Affairs Dean John Coatsworth. We're sure video and transcripts will come shortly, but in the meant time, The Bwog, New York, and City Room have been liveblogging the speech. Here's a sample of questions posed, via the City Room:In response to a question about the treatment... [continue]
It's been six years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and Chinatown residents are getting frustrated that a security measure to protect New York City's police headquarters has tied traffic in their neighborhood in knots. One Police Plaza is located on Park Row in Chinatown, a street that links the financial district with one of the oldest ethnic neighborhoods in the city. Park Row has historically been a major four-lane artery linking the financial district to... [continue]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is visiting Columbia University today to give a speech for the World Leaders Forum. And he continued to get a big New York-style welcome: The Daily News has its "The Evil Has Landed" cover while Assemblyman Dov Hikind told protesters outside Columbia's gates yesterday, “He should be arrested when he comes to Columbia University, not speak at the university, for God’s sake. I call on New Yorkers to make the... [continue]
Mayor Bloomberg visited the Shanksville, Pennsylvania site where Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 2001. The Mayor has headed the National September 11 Memorial & Museum foundation (formerly the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation) ever since last October, and had been traveling across the country to raise money for the memorial. And his effect on the foundation has been noticeable: The memorial is close to its $350 million goal, with $325 million raised so... [continue]
Edward Cardinal Egan, the archbishop of the New York Archdiocese, had no patience of protesters or reporters covering the protests outside a Midtown church yesterday. Some people have been upset their local churches have been closed by the Catholic Church, most notably parishioners Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, who have been protesting the February closing every weekend since February. And yesterday, outside of St. John the Baptist on West 31st Street, Our... [continue]
A two-alarm fire in the Kensington section of Brooklyn Three people died while another was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition. The house on East 19th Street near Beverly Road is described as a two-and-a-half story house. The fire started in the attic and moved very quickly. Two adult women, ages 76 and 50 years old, were pronounced dead at the scene, and a 12-year-old boy died at New York Community Hospital.... [continue]
September 23, 2007
The midtown traffic snarl in the interest of diplomatic security begins tonight. Take the following information into account if you are planning on catching a cab, bus, or ride of any sort during the next several days. 1st Ave. is closed to vehicle traffic as of right now and will remain so for several days. 44th - 46th Sts. are closed between 1st and 2nd Aves. Full breakdown of the day-by-day street closings are outlined... [continue]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad headed to New York today, but not telling Iranian state-run TV, "The United States is a big and important country with a population of 300 million. Due to certain issues, the American people in the past years have been denied correct and clear information about global developments and are eager to hear different opinions." He added that the U.N. General Assembly was an "important podium" for Iran's views to be... [continue]
Even as Astroland is on the verge of losing its lease, City officials are looking to collect $200 million from various sources to overhaul the Coney Island boardwalk. The New York Post reports that funds are being sought from New York State, the federal government, and even Brooklyn real estate owners who will benefit from a refurbished seaside walkway. The sought-after $200 million will be used to replace a three mile stretch of boardwalk from... [continue]
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September 23, 2007
A freshman from New York University apparently committed suicide yesterday morning. The student, Allan Oakley Hunter III, jumped from the roof of University Hall, a 15-story dorm at 110 East 14th Street; his body was found in the courtyard. The Washington Square News reports that police were searching his room around 10AM yesterday morning and that his body was removed by 1PM. Friends told the Washington Square News that Hunter was "introverted but friendly," but... [continue]
A proposal for 9th Ave. in Manhattan will utilize cars themselves to protect cyclists from vehicular traffic. The seven-block stretch of road in Chelsea will run from 23rd St. to 16th St. and designers are calling it the street of the future. It will feature a ten foot-wide bike lane adjacent to the sidewalk that will be separated from traffic by a parking lane. To prevent motorists from using the wide-open curbside lane for... [continue]
September 22, 2007
Presidential hopefuls can scurry around the country, choking down rubber chicken dinners and hustling for campaign cash, but Mayor Bloomberg knows that it's best to just sit back and let one's money work for you. He's certainly busy working for his $1-a-year salary, and even pays for his own travel when on jaunts to places like London where he's addressing another world capital. Still, our Mayor managed to more than double his wealth from last... [continue]
Gov. Spitzer announced yesterday that illegal immigrants will be able to get valid New York State drivers licenses if they provide a valid and verifiable foreign passport. Spitzer hopes that the change, which reverses a four-year-old Pataki-era decision, will legitimize the 500,000-1 million undocumented immigrants who are driving in New York. In a repudiation of the federal government's stance, the governor said "We will not become part of what is propagated on the federal level... [continue]
Reader Austen took some photographs of an injured man being lifted from an Upper West Side construction site. A firefighter and the injured man, who is strapped on a board, is being hoisted by a crane to the ground level. The site is at Amsterdam and West 77th, where the Dakota stables once stood but where, after a fight with preservationists, condos will soon rise. It's unclear what caused the man's injury, but the... [continue]
Our friends from the Great White North are feeling flush from the strengthening of the Canadian dollar versus its US counterpart, and New York is apparently ready to relieve them of their excess cash. The Loonie, or Canadian dollar, is even with the US dollar for the first time since 1976. If you've ever wondered why the backs of paperback books usually have a second, more expensive, price printed on them them for Canadians,... [continue]
Is it possible to get a jaywalking ticket on Park Ave. north of Grand Central Terminal? We've never heard of one or seen one issued, probably because there's no Walk/Don't Walk signals at any of the intersections on the avenue between 46th and 56th Streets. Tourists hover curbside, unsure whether they're allowed to cross or not. New Yorkers who work on Park Ave. tend to blithely cross at their own risk, treating a lack of... [continue]
Two firefighters were pulled from beneath collapsed rubble last night, as a building undergoing demolition burned in Jamaica, Queens. The two men were partially pinned by debris when the landing between the second and third floors of the building on 95th Ave. and Sutphin Blvd. collapsed. Both were taken to a hospital along with a third firefighter, but all three were in stable condition and none suffered life-threatening injuries. ABC's Eyewitness News reports that the... [continue]
Migrating birds should have a safer journey now that the US Post Office has altered the exterior of one of its Manhattan facilities. Migrating birds have annually fallen prey to the Morgan General Mail Facility in Chelsea. The distribution center between 9th and 10th Aves. has a south face that reflects the trees in Chelsea Park on 28th St. Thinking they've found a nice perch, many birds smack into the side of the building. Volunteers... [continue]
September 21, 2007
Rudy'n'Judi, may your antics never ever end! The former mayor was speaking to the National Rifle Association today when he interrupted his speech to take a call from the wife. Seriously. The NY Times has video and coverage - it doesn't seem like he silenced his phone fo the speech! That's how much he respects the NRA members! When Giuliani reaches into his pocket for the phone, he says it's probably his wife. He answers... [continue]
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September 21, 2007
It wasn’t built on an old native burial ground, but two councilmen are up in arms over a Queens high school's location. The Department of Education failed to disclose that Information Technology High School in Long Island City, which opened in 2003, was built on the former location of the Gould Mercereau metal-plating warehouse – one apparently chock full of lead and petrochemicals. City Councilmen James Gennaro and Eric Gioia claim that the city exploited... [continue]
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to New York is sure going to be a doozey. He may have decided not to visit Ground Zero anymore, but his appearance at Columbia University, to participate in a World Leaders Forum, has many people upset. The Daily News takes on the story on the front cover again ("Access of Evil") and has an excoriating editorial: "By extending an invitation to Ahmadinejad, the leaders of Columbia's School of... [continue]
Plans for a water park on Randall's Island are on the verge of collapse as the developer granted a state concession to build the amusement complex missed its second deadline in seven months to secure financing. According to the Daily News, many East Harlem residents and park advocates were ecstatic at the project's possible failure. Tickets for the water park would have been priced at $37 a person and would result in a de facto... [continue]
Today, all over the city, ordinary parking spaces will be transformed into temporary public "parks." The Trust for Public Land has organized a nationwide Park(ing) Day, and there are a number of these Park(ing) projects all over the city - Open Plans has the details on the NYC locations. For instance, Colin Beaven, "No Impact Man," will be sponsoring a Park(ing) Lot at 7th Ave, between 24th and 26th Sts.; Times Up & Green... [continue]
A bus full of students from Hunter College High School was pursued by a hammer-wielding road rager yesterday afternoon in Queens. It's unclear what made the driver so irate, but bus driver Jose Bautista noticed a man driving crazily in his rear view mirror and pulled over to the left. That is when the angry driver got out of his car and kicked in one of the panes of glass on the school bus's front... [continue]
A two-story home in College Point was engulfed by a quickly spreading fire yesterday evening. A 70-year-old woman told WNBC that the television exploded at 22-47 128 Street. She said, "We were in the house, the fire broke, we ran like anything els. We grabbed one animal, but we left the birds and the other dog. So we ran out." Witnesses saw the upstairs neighbor "dangling his 5-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter out a window,"... [continue]
September 20, 2007
Well, this is disturbing: The City Comptroller's office audited ten high schools in the city and found that they did not report 41% of the violent/disruptive incidents that occurred. Schools are supposed to file information about incidents, which range from vandalism to assaults, through a computer system so the state has the information, part of the No Child Left Behind law. The state then uses that information to determine which schools are dangerous, persistently dangerous,... [continue]
Reader Ben sent us this picture of a cab on fire at West 42nd Street and 8th Avenue. This is odd, but made odder by the fact there was a taxi fire outside Rockefeller Center on West 50th on Tuesday. What's going on with the Crown Victorias? It's unclear if anyone was injured. If anyone knows, can you tell us if taxi fires are fairly normal? Or car fires, for that matter. And a... [continue]
Starting at noon, pedicab owners began a protest down Broadway to voice their opposition to a new city law that started today. Pedicab owners sued the city yesterday in state Supreme Court, claiming the Department of Consumer Affairs distrusted licenses for pedicabs unlawfully. A law passed earlier this year, which pedicab drivers protested, limits the number of pedicab licenses to 325 and preference was supposed to be given to existing pedicab owners before any... [continue]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is getting a lot of ink in our newspapers today after it was revealed that (A) he had requested a visit to Ground Zero - to lay a wreath, no less - and then shortly later that (B) the city had denied the request. Way to work fast, city agencies! Iranian mission to the United Nations says that Ahmadinejad still wants to go to Ground Zero, but the Daily News sends... [continue]
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September 20, 2007
Two years after asking various companies to bid to bring cellphone service to the subways, the MTA has finally picked a vendor to wire all stations. Here are the details:Transit Wireless will pay the MTA at least $4.6 million each year over 10 years; Transit Wireless is made up of four communications and constructions companies. Subway stations will be wired for cellular and wireless service. Subway tunnels will not be wired, which means cellphone use... [continue]
Yesterday afternoon, four cars were involved in an accident at Fifth Avenue and 38th Street. An SUV driver appeared to have a heart attack at the wheel, causing him to drive into traffic. The Post identifies the driver as Parmod Tiwari, a livery driver who had just dropped off some tourists at the airport. A witness said, "His arm was straight out of the window, he was just shaking, it happened so fast. All of... [continue]
An immigration judge was criticized by the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit panel and taken off the immigration case of a Chinese man, in what the NY Times reports is a "rare step". Apparently her cold-hearted reaction to his testimony concerned the panel, as well as her dismissal of other evidence. In 2004, Judge Noel A. Ferris (pictured) had been hearing the asylum plea of Jian Zhong Sun. According to the Times, Sun... [continue]
September 19, 2007
During yesterday's testimony in Knicks sexual harassment trial, we learned the following things: A former Knicks employee named Jeffrey Nix (ha!) testified for his friend Anucha Browne Sanders, saying that she had complained about Thomas' behavior well before being fired. Browne Sanders, who is suing Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden management for sexual harassment (and wrongful termination and $10 million), had claimed that Thomas called her a bitch and swore... [continue]
Donald Trump held a press conference to welcome his yooge Soho condo-hotel hybrid this afternoon, and it was a Trump family affair: Donald, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric were all involved in pointing out various aspects of the project. Trump said, "I want to thank all the protesters outside for making this project so successful." Well, even though the city approved the building, the protesters aren't stopping any time soon. Not only did they... [continue]
There are likely many unsolved crimes in New York City's past, but this week, one 150-year-old case finally gets a sort of closure. The crime was well-documented as the Butchery on Bond Street. Love, money, Bellevue, dentists...all the usual makings for criminal behavior are accounted for, and amNewYork spoke to Benjamin Feldman, who has written a book, The Butchery of Bond Street. Harvey Burdell, a dentist who lived at 31 Bond Street, was "found in... [continue]
Just a day after it was announced that Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minuteman Project, could be returning to speak at Columbia University, the Columbia Political Union voted against having him back when it learned that there would be no counter-point speaker. Gilchrist's 2006 appearance at Columbia sparked protests that got out of hand as demonstrators rushed the stage where he was speaking and participants got physical. Eight students were disciplined following the... [continue]
The Village Voice is reporting that Hilly Kristal was a millionaire. Not really surprising considering the owner of CBGB, who claimed to be broke, ran more than just a venue. Just look at all those kids wearing their Urban Outfitters t-shirts with the club's logo on it. Those cost money! So does everything branded with their logo at their own store.Just weeks after the legendary former CBGB owner passed away, his heirs—who thought Kristal was... [continue]
We know it's hard to take a stroller on the subway, but we've never seen this before! Reader Kate sent us these pictures of a baby stroller chained to a bike rack in Williamsburg. We're not sure what happens to the baby once the stroller in chained up (baby is Bjorned? or maybe the baby walks?), but we can't wait to see whether the parents demand stroller parking lots from the Department of Transportation.... [continue]
The New York Times's City Section this past Sunday had a special focus on seventeen-year-old New Yorkers. According to the paper, more children were born in 1990 than at any point since the Baby Boom. Now they're on the cusp of adulthood and the Times has a series of oral histories that one can read or listen to online. It's an interesting project; here are a few of the teens:Neil Allicock lives in East New... [continue]
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September 19, 2007
One could consider it a given that September 11th was not funny. One website, however, seems to make fun of the day that changed New York so much. 911wasfunny.com has jokes that aren't funny, disturbing images, and is pretty thoughtless through and through. It even has an animated image of an airplane flying into the website's logo. While it may not be too early to remove the reading of the names from the airwaves, it's... [continue]
Yesterday's taxi inferno on West 50th Street, right outside of Rockefeller Center and various NBC offices, was put out about an hour after it was reported. Fire officials think that the fire was caused by an overheated engine. Yikes! Miraculously, no one was injured. The cab driver, Samuel Dockery, told the Post, "I was getting ready to sign off for the day when, all of a sudden, smoke came from under the dashboard. I... [continue]
Yesterday afternoon, a tractor-trailer dangled from the side of the Staten Island Expressway. Authorities believe the driver, James Christian of North Carolina, may have lost control of the rig when another car stopped short. The tractor-trailer fell off the SIE onto South Avenue - hitting the front of 61-year-old Jenetta Christopherson's car. Christopherson, who was driving with her baby granddaughter, said she was lucky she braked when she heard a loud noise above her, "If... [continue]
September 18, 2007
The Russian bathhouse on East 10th Street gets a very bad rap from a former employee who claims all sorts of nonsense was going on there. Susan Shellogg, a massage therapist/aesthetician/reflexologist, filed a lawsuit against the Russian and Turkish Baths; the Sun reports Shellogg says she was fired "because of her gender and her refusal to consent to clients' sexual demands, and in retaliation for complaints about sexual harassment and a hostile work environment... [continue]
Whoa-- apparently the 0.5% interest rate cut the Federal Reserve announced a couple of hours ago wasn't entirely anticipated by the market! Currently the Dow Jones index is up more than 330 points, or more than 2.5%! The rate reduction was the first in four years, and was unusually steep by the Fed standards. The Times reports: While an interest rate cut was widely expected, there had been profound uncertainty about whether the Fed would... [continue]
A cab caught fire on West 50th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. A reader says the "entire neighborhood stinks of 9/11." It's unclear how the cab caught fire and exploded, but we do know that there are dueling WNBC reporters taking pictures: Consumer Reporter Asa Aarons has some photographs at WNBC.com and the picture above is by Government Affairs Reporter Melissa Russo! It's unclear if anyone was injured. Photograph by Melissa Russo/WNBC... [continue]
The Division of State Government Accountability from the Office of the New York State Comptroller recently released an audit of the New York City Transit Museum’s Nostalgia Train program. The audit identified “significant weaknesses in the Museum’s internal controls over ticket revenue for Nostalgia Train excursions” and that most of the program’s costs are coming from New York City Transit’s fare revenues and public mass transit funding. What's fun is that the audit was spurred... [continue]
It was an enraged fellow spin class member that knocked him and his exercise bike into a wall at the Equinox Gym on East 86th St. in August, but now it's Stuart Sugarman who is very angry! The 48-year-old hedge fund manager is furious that city prosecutors are only charging 44-year-old broker Christopher Carter with a misdemeanor in the incident, which occurred after Carter asked Sugarman to tone down ("Shut the f--- up!") his vocal... [continue]
The sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former Knicks executive finally offered up some soundbites from Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas. And they weren't too good for the Knicks! Anucha Browne Sanders, who was the vice-president of marketing for the Knicks, claims that Thomas acted inappropriately around her, from calling her derogatory names to claiming he was in love with her, and that Madison Square Garden executives did nothing to support her. Even... [continue]
The city has hired a criminal defense lawyer to represent its various agencies who are coming under attack for the Deutsche Bank fire that claimed two firefighters lives. The Manhattan DA's office started a criminal probe, after some disturbing practices by the contractors and questionable omissions by the Fire Department and the Buildings Department came to light. Eventually smoking, by workers hired to help dismantle the WTC-dust contaminated building, was cited as the probable cause... [continue]
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September 18, 2007
Yesterday morning, two Bangladeshi brothers jumped off a freighter ship that was leaving the Port of Newark, "somewhere between the Kill van Kull and Verrazano-Narrows Bridge." One brother was found, while the other is still missing. Authorities say that 27-year-old Mohammed Nayem Uddin was found by fishermen on Hoffman Island, "shivering and covered in garbage bags." The Staten Island Advance reports he was taken to the hospital for hypothermia-like conditions. Uddin did not cooperate with... [continue]
September 17, 2007
Today, the defense cross-examined the former Knicks executive who is suing Knicks coach and president Isiah Thomas as well as Madison Square Garden management, claiming that she was sexual harassed. We'll have more about it tomorrow, but today, the judge presiding over the trial, U.S. District Judge Gerard Lynch urged lawyers to pick up the pace, saying, "I saw one juror nodding off this morning." We're not sure how that's possible, since the trial... [continue]
The Willamette Meteorite may have landed in Oregon in 1902, but the 15.5-ton rock has resided in NYC for the past 101 years. The American Museum of Natural History acquired it in 1906 and it's been on display there ever since. Now a 28-lb chunk of that meteorite is about to be on the auction block, with an expected price tag of $1.3 million (the entire thing was originally purchased for $26,000 prior to being... [continue]
Columbia security, get that riot gear ready! Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, the pseudo-militia that patrols the border, tells the Columbia Spectator that, yes, he's up for a repeat appearance. Last year, Gilchrist spoke at Columbia University, at the request of the Columbia College Republicans, only for a crazy, violent clash to occur when protesters stormed the stage. Students and Minutemen tussled (see video here), politicians and school officials frowned, and punishments... [continue]
While no one is questioning the fiscal stability of New York City the way they were during the 1970s, municipal spending has nonetheless exploded during Mayor Bloomberg's five years in office, far in excess of anything his predecessors accomplished over the last three decades. Thanks to swelling city revenues from the booming stock and real estate markets, New York remains on firm budgetary footing. The New York Times reports, however, that Mayor Bloomberg has overseen... [continue]
Via the Gothamist Newsmap, we noticed an "Unusual Incident" on 60th Street at Columbus Circle yesterday afternoon. Thanks to reader Ade in New York, we found out what it was: Someone, in Rollerblades no less, had climbed on top of the globe outside the Trump International. The Post had some more details: The man, 57-year-old Richard Fredette "tossed handfuls of fliers promoting a rock concert" and then ate an orange. Fredette was charged with... [continue]
Last week Racked reported that there's word of an Apple store opening in Brooklyn. The question is, which neighborhood will iNvite them in. Dumbo NYC reports that Two Trees has reached out to Apple in the past, but they "weren’t ready". If they're ready now, their options in Dumbo would include the 6600 sq.ft space at 70 Washington Street and the 6700 sq.ft space across the street at Washington and Front Street. Racked had a... [continue]
There were a number of deaths and injuries from incidents all over the city early Sunday morning. The first was a collision between a Toyota and BMW on Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island. The Toyota's driver, 29-year-old Paul Vinin, died while the BMW's driver Jolyn SIlva, was critically injured. Silva's passenger, 17-year-old Paulina Vivirito, had minor injuries. The Staten Island Advance, which said that Toyota "t-boned the BMW", reports that both Vinin and Silva had... [continue]
September 16, 2007
There's a wacky exclusive in the Post today about the only sperm bank in NYC with Scandinavian sperm running out of its specialty. Seriously. Two years ago, the FDA banned sperm from some countries over concerns that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which can be found in mad cow cells, could be passed on via sperm. The Post reports that Cryos International's Financial District branch "has run out of offerings from such prized blond Norsemen as 'Oluf,'... [continue]
Ilana Benhuri filed court papers in early August suing Melanie Lidle and Stephanie Stanger (the widow of Lidle's flight instructor Tyler Stanger, who was also killed in the crash) for unspecified damages related to the 2006 crash that killed Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor when the small airplane they were piloting flew into the side of a building on Manhattan's Upper East Side. 51-year-old Benhuri was badly burned during the incident, as... [continue]
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September 16, 2007
James Williams, the drummer who was accompanying the break-dancing group Two Steps Away at the southeast corner of Central Park yesterday, denies that he deliberately spooked Smoothie, the carriage horse who apparently bolted at the loud noise of a snare drum and eventually died from shock after ramming into a tree. The drummer denied doing anything malicious and said that intentionally spooking a horse could have results more dire than even Friday's tragedy. The New... [continue]
The Dept. of Education is claiming that it was simply a mix-up in recordkeeping that led to a failure to hand over a few hundred cases of abuse and misconduct that occurred on city school buses when the Daily News was investigating chaotic situations as kids rode to and from school. Six months ago, the News began a series of articles titled "School Bus Disgrace," detailing the horrors kids face when dealing with bus drivers... [continue]
Francis Evelyn, the school custodian who was arrested and jailed at Rikers Island after an eight-year-old girl accused him of repeatedly molesting her in the school's basement, is suing the city for $10 million. Evelyn's accuser was a troubled child with a relatively long history of lying about abuse, including accusing her father of raping her. According to The Daily News, her initial description of a man who purportedly abused her was that he was... [continue]
Following complaints that a persistent odor was permeating the Hunts Point neighborhood in the Bronx and nauseating residents, the Department of Environmental Protection hired an outside consulting firm to sniff around the borough and see what it could discover. According to the New York Post, smell inspectors were dispatched throughout the south Bronx with cellphones to take calls directly from residents calling an odor hotline. They discovered that a lot of different things smell very... [continue]
September 15, 2007
No one has been surprised that Gristedes supermarkets have been closing steadily over the past ten years, given the influx of other grocery options and rising rents. But the NY Times has a fascinating article on why Gristedes still manages to exist, despite shrinking in size. Right now, there are 39 Gristedes locations, while there were 78 in 1997, and a supermarket consultant believes that there will be just 25 Gristedes locations in the city.... [continue]
Sports are always a big story in NYC, but yesterday's NY Post cover had three sports stories: The Yankees-Red Sox game, the Jets-Pats spying controversy, and the former Knicks executive's lawsuit from accusing coach Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden of sexual harassment. But the Knicks-MSG lawsuit was the only story with a photograph, and it was of Kathleen Decker, the former Knicks marketing intern who had sex with Stephon Marbury in 2005. Decker, who... [continue]
With the buzz about the 248 McKibbin Street MySpace page organizing comments about its bedbug infestation, we thought it would be a good time to visit the Bedbug City Map. The map relies on reported bedbug incidents, which are mapped by the intensity of the infestation as well - and 248 McKibbin is at the red "Help!" level. Bedbugs are hell, no question about it. Ridding an apartment of bedbugs requires multiple fumigations and... [continue]
About 14% of new police recruits have dropped out of the latest Police Academy class of over 1,000 recruits, and some are worried that the city's crimefighting programs will be hurt. Notably, "Operation Impact," which Police Commissioner Ray Kelly credit withs helping decrease crime by 25-30% by concentrating cops in those "impact areas" may be without more police officers. Kelly blames the attrition partly on the low starting salary of $25,100. Indeed, many police recruits... [continue]
Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse, better known to many as the Little Red Lighthouse, is located right under the George Washington Bridge, in Fort Washington Park. And the Parks Department is having the 15th Annual Little Red Lighthouse Festival today between 12PM and 5PM, with hayrides, face painting, the antics of a stiltwalker, live music, and tours of Manhattan's only lighthouse. The lighthouse was erected in 1880 and stood in Sandy Hook, NJ until 1917. In 1921,... [continue]
Yesterday afternoon, a worker took a fatal fall from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Manuel Pereira, 48, had been working on a catwalk next to the lower level of the bridge; the Staten Island Advance reports the concrete barrier "apparently...tipped over" onto the catwalk. An excavator vehicle was placing "Jersey barriers" -- 8,500-pound, 10-foot-long concrete slabs that separate traffic from a construction area -- along the bridge at the time. Pereira was helping with the placement.... [continue]
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September 14, 2007
There are a couple construction-related accidents today. WNBC reports that a construction worker fell off the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge around 1:38PM: "A retaining wall on the edge of a bridge roadway under construction had collapsed, but it was unclear if the worker had fallen from that area." The SI Advance reports that the worker is "believed to have fallen on the Brooklyn-side, landing on the ground near the entrance to Fort Hamilton Army Base." We're... [continue]
The Smart car has arrived in the States, and measuring at 8 feet and 8 inches long and 5 feet wide, the miniscule vehicle got some big attention in the Big Apple this week. The car is around 3 feet shorter than the Mini Cooper, and could probably fit inside most of the gas guzzling SUVs in town. The 1800-pounder will hit the market stateside in early 2008, but will anyone want it? Business Week... [continue]
The New York Times looks at the Market Diner today, the Hell's Kitchen restaurant that occupies the corner lot on 43rd St. and 11th Ave. The diner closed in 2006, but has thus far avoided the wrecking ball, while grass sprouts from cracks in the parking lot where large sedans used to pull in 24 hours a day. The Times says the Market Diner opened in 1962, but the painted glass window out front... [continue]
After years of legal wrangling, the Appellate Court has backed the College of Staten Island and says that the CUNY school can deny official status to fraternity Chi Iota. But the battle may not be over, as the brothers want to fight this at the Supreme Court. Chi iota had applied for official status at CSI in an attempt to be the first Greek-letter organization on campus, but CSI denied their application, finding that the... [continue]
The Post gets confirmation that the city is no longer looking for new sites for Astroland, the Coney Island amusement park. The Coney Island Development Corporation's president Lynn Kelly said, "We just couldn't find the right fit" in time. Astroland's last day in business for the 2007 was Sunday. Now, Astroland will only open next year if Astroland owner Carol Albert and Thor Equities, the company that bought Astroland last year (for an unspecified... [continue]
September 13, 2007
Will there ever be a point when there are stories about the Greenpoint oil spill cleanup, instead of stories about how big and dangerous the spill is? Representatives Anthony Weiner and Nydia Velazquez released the results of the first EPA study (first study ever after, what, 29 years!) of the Greenpoint oil spill, and they are pretty ugly. Here some excerpts from the press release: The original estimated size of the spill of 17 million... [continue]
According to Carousel News, "The New York City Economic Development Corporation (“NYCEDC”) is seeking a consultant or consultant team for restoration and reconstruction of the historic B&B Carousell." Of the many wooden carousels that adorned Coney Island, this is the last remaining one -- and was purchased by the city for $1.8 million two years ago. When it was last operational, it stood near the old entrance to Luna Park, surrounded by furniture shops. To... [continue]
Anger and frustration about the Deutsche Bank fire that claimed two firefighters' lives simply continues to mount as the Uniformed Firefighters Association says helicopters could have prevented the tragedy. Union president Stephen Cassidy said, "I think it’s very possible that the outcome would have been entirely different." While responding to the Deutsche Bank fire, firefighters found that the standpipe was broken, which meant water could not be delivered to the higher floors immediately (firefighters ended... [continue]
Stephon Marbury turned in a typical performance during and after his testimony at the sexual harassment trial that pits former Knicks marketing executive Anucha Browne Sanders against Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas. And by typical, we mean that he testified that when he first found out about the lawsuit, he "laughed" - "I meant it was more of a joke than anything" - and treated reporters to some singing when they questioned him. Marbury... [continue]
September 12, 2007
From yesterday evening to dawn this morning, the ethereal September 11-light installation Tribute in Light beamed into the skies from its downtown perch. Designed by artists Julian LaVerdiere and Paul Myoda, architects John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi of PROUN Space Studio, architect Richard Nash Gould, and lighting designer Paul Marantz and produced by the Municipal Art Society and Creative Time, the lights were first seen in March 2002 for a month and then became... [continue]
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September 12, 2007
Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is many things. He's the head of the largest public school system in the country, he's a lawyer (he was a former Assistant Attorney General - biggest case: going after Microsoft) and he's a businessman (he was chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann). But who knew he was someone who should appear on The Colbert Report? The Daily News reports that the Department of Education's media relations department approached The Colbert... [continue]
The city remembered the sixth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks yesterday with a subdued ceremony. First responders, including police officers, firefighters, and EMTs, read the 2,750 victims' names throughout the morning in Zuccotti Park, near the Ground Zero. Victims' families were allowed to descend a ramp into the "Pit" amid the construction of Ground Zero, where a temporary reflecting pool was placed. Mourners placed flowers in the pool and letters on the... [continue]
If you were checking the Gothamist Newsmap yesterday, you may have noticed that there was a possible Hazmat situation at 55 Water Street in lower Manhattan. Apparently someone fell ill when opening a letter that contained an unknown substance and then other people were sickened as well! According to the Post, the letter was sent to Standard & Poor's. The envelope was not addressed, and a worker tried to smell the contents (!). Though other... [continue]
At least 27 families were evacuated 305 West 150th Street in Harlem after the Fire and Buildings Departments found the apartment building to be unstable. WNBC describes the building as an "active construction site" - so active that a resident complained to the Buildings Department that the owners were trying to do demolition work, with the residents still there. An inspection found that "floor braces were exposed" and "there was excessive debris." One report says... [continue]
September 11, 2007
Ah, the legislative process at its best. The City Council approved a bill to allow students to bring cellphones to school in July. Of course, this flew in the face of Department of Education policy, which has had a ban on cellphones for years (and the ban has been found to be constitutional), because city and school officials believe that phones are disruptive in class. Families, including City Council members and their public school-attending children,... [continue]
Mayor Bloomberg's personal security detail was temporarily increased in recent weeks, and security officials were tracking the source of a possible threat against his life made by an American-born New Yorker and Muslim convert named Edwin Thomas. According to WNBC, intelligence officers kept tabs on the man for weeks, finding out that he had a history of mental illness and concluding that he was not capable of following through on his threats. Police first learned... [continue]
A man, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity after he beat his roommate and the man's 4-year-old son to death with a billy club in 1974, left the Ancora Psychiatric Hospital Sunday afternoon when he went on an unescorted stroll around the hospital's grounds. Sixty-four-year-old retired Marine William Enman admitted the killings in 1975, but was spared prison when it was determined that he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Enman left the... [continue]
Choice Royce found this timely wheatpaste on Wall Street - check out Bernie Kerik's cable knit sweater! Today, the former mayor attended the September 11 commemoration ceremonies at Ground Zero. As it happens, a USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that 51% believe that Rudy Giuliani's September 11 leadership make him better qualified to handle terrorism (48% do not think he's better prepared). A NY Times/CBS News poll finds that even though people identify Giuliani with... [continue]
The local newspapers tackled the sixth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks in different ways. The Daily News offers most of its front cover to remember the day, while the Post gives some room to General Petraeus' Congressional testimony. The Post looks at how vibrant the Financial District is now, even after the devastating effects of the September 11, and the Daily News looks at how some families have decided to skip this... [continue]
After the Daily News revealed that a school officials actually forbade school deans to call 911 (in order to lower crime stats) only for a 14-year-old student who suffered a stroke to wait 90 minutes for medical attention, the Department of Education is launching an investigation. The News now reports that Schools Chancellor Joel Klein will launch a probe, saying, "We'll look into it and take appropriate action." A memo from Assistant Principal Guy Venezia... [continue]
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September 11, 2007
We've all heard how 3,000 surveillance cameras, not to mention at least a hundred license plate readers, will be installed in downtown Manhattan, as part of the city's ring-of-steel like security initiative to prevent terrorist attacks. But the NYPD also announced that radiation detectors will be put into place as far as 50 miles from the city to help identify dirty bombs. In fact, the ring of steel seems to be getting another "ring of... [continue]
Tomorrow, the city and other organizations will mark the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Here's the official city commemoration:7AM: Families start to arrive at Zuccotti Park, where the ceremony will take place. 8:40AM: Mayor Bloomberg begins the program, which includes first responders reading victims' names and readings from NY Governor Spitzer, former NY Governor Pataki, NJ Governor Corzine and former NYC mayor Giuliani. Bagpipers and drummers lead... [continue]
September 10, 2007
Take a Palestinian professor with a critically praised and questionable book about Middle Eastern archeology and add her desire for tenure at Barnard College, and you have a big headache for school administrators. The NY Times notes that Nadia Abu El-Haj's tenure bid is yet another instance of the "struggle over scholarship on the Middle East" at Columbia University. Barnard officials have already approved tenure for Abu El-Haj, an assistant professor of anthropology who has... [continue]
Elected officials, including U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, are speaking out against the proposed expansion of Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus, directly south of the performing arts complex. The school wants to add 1.5 million square feet of building space to the midtown campus, which includes an undergraduate college and its law school, between Columbus and Amsterdam Aves., nearly tripling the complex's size from the current 800,000 square feet. Fordam gets to avoid complicated issues... [continue]
Just in time for the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Mayor Bloomberg announced the launch of a new World Trade Center health website, to provide "one-stop shopping for 9/11 health-related issues," making it the single source everyone can go to. What might you be shopping for? Well, there's information about research and services as well as "easily accessible research findings." And there's also information about treatment options for different groups of people,... [continue]
A bill before the City Council would limit the hours Dept. of Sanitation agents can issue building owners tickets for having trash on their yards or the sidewalk in front of buildings. Brooklyn councilman Simcha Felder introduced a bill limiting the hours that DOS enforcement agents can ticket New Yorkers for having litter in front of their property, claiming that it is unfair to penalize property owners for litter that appears when they are away... [continue]
A note to people who read the "Class Notes" section of their college alumni magazines: You never know where those tidbits are coming from. Two male New York graduates of American University filed a lawsuit claiming their alumni magazine falsely stated they were just-married life partners. The Post describes the plaintiffs as "Ross Weil, 29, and Brett Royce, 28, college buddies and former New York housemates" who are now looking for $1.5 million in damages... [continue]
"I feel I’m losing my mind. I wish I knew what was the matter with me. It would be better to die than go on feeling this way." - Anthony Marshall's recollection of what his mother Brooke Astor said in a 2000 letter Is there a smoking letter in the battle over recently deceased philanthropist and New York City social fixture Broke Astor? As her son Anthony Marshall and her court-appointed guardians battle over whether... [continue]
Senator Charles Schumer issued another annual report card grading the Department of Homeland Security's efforts. The good news is that the grade is up from last year's C-minus. The bad news is that Schumer still gave it a C, noting, "Six years after 9/11, the progress the Department of Homeland Security has made in securing our country is shameful," and "When your kid comes home with a C on his report card on something vital,... [continue]
September 9, 2007
A report being released tomorrow by the Industrial Assistance Corporation (IAC) titled "Buried Treasure: New York's Hidden Tech Sector" asserts that New York City rivals cities like Seattle and areas like Silicon Valley as the largest technology center in the country. The study counted the number of tech workers in the city, at branches of corporations like IBM, Microsoft, Google, and the research and development departments of medical centers in the city. The IAC report... [continue]
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September 9, 2007
The prominent Democratic party donor and California fugitive Norman Hsu's connection to New York City's New School is examined in the NY Times today. Hsu donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to national Democrats like Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to governors like Eliot Spitzer of NY and Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, and NYC politicians like City Council members Christine Quinn and John Liu and City Comptroller William Thompson. Hsu, who had been wanted... [continue]
Time for everyone to say good-bye to Coney Island, as the 2007 season for Astroland's "Big Park" and Cyclone ends today (the kiddie park will be open through mid-October). And with real estate developer Thor Equities and the city battling it out over Coney Island's future, it's unclear whether the park will reopen next year. Today at noon, there will be a demonstration to urge Thor to extend the Astroland lease. In an AP article,... [continue]
Politicians and labor leaders held a rally at Ground Zero Saturday pledging to support efforts to get federal funding for first responders, construction workers, volunteers, residents, and students exposed to health risks during and after the 9/11 attacks. On the sixth anniversary of that day, three New York Congressman––Democrats Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler, and Republican Vito Fossella––will introduce the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The bill would provide healthcare and monitoring to all the... [continue]
Mayor Bloomberg sent out a memo to his top staffers and the heads of city agencies warning that a downturn in financial markets could mean difficult budgetary times in the future. Despite the current budget surplus, Bloomberg warned against superfluous hiring by all city agencies and stated that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mark Page, will be scrutinizing all agency increases to make sure they are limited to "strictly necessary hires."... [continue]
September 8, 2007
High-ranking firefighters in the field are claiming that the regulations that are supposed to keep FDNY members and the public safe are simply not feasible and rarely enforced. In the wake of the deaths of firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino during the Deutsche Bank fire in August when a standpipe to provide water to firehoses was found disconnected, it became clear that the FDNY itself had not inspected the building properly as required by... [continue]
Concluding an 18-month police operation named "Operation Dumbbell," police arrested two dozen people in a steroid peddling ring that operated out of two Queens gyms. Among the arrested was a female professional boxer who fought under the nickname "Checkmate." 25-year-old Cindy Serrano is awaiting arraignment along with her husband Jordan Maldonado, who is a manager and trainer at the Envy Us Gym. That gym and the Powerhouse Gym allegedly made thousands of dollars a week... [continue]
Mayor Bloomberg said that he has no intention of calling off tomorrow's 22nd Annual United American Muslim Day Parade, despite a barrage of calls, emails, and letters asking him to do just that. Opponents of the parade, which will run down Madison Ave. from 41st St. to 27th St., say that it is a threat to national security and an insult considering that it is only two days before the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.... [continue]
After the outcry from families of September 11 victims as well as other members of the public, WABC 7 reversed its decision not to air the reading of 2,749 September 11 victims' names by yesterday afternoon and will now air the ceremony in its entirety. WABC 7 news director Kenny Plotnick had originally explained that the move would have given its audience a choice - and that the entire reading could be seen on the... [continue]
A direct flight between Laguardia and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport should only take about two and a half hours. On August 24th, it took a planeload of passengers flying Delta flight 521 14 hours to make the trip in what participants quoted by CBS2 call "madness" and a "torturous" experience. The 170 passengers of flight 521 were subjected to the sort of journey that makes bus travel seem like an attractive option. The flight's trouble... [continue]
Supporters of Astroland will be gathering tomorrow at the Surf Ave. entrance of Astroland in a rally to save the boardwalk amusement park from shuttering for good. Sunday is the last day of the season for the park and unless Thor Equities extends its lease for another year, Astroland will be closing for good. One supporter recommend showing up early and will be providing foamboard and markers to make signs. PDF posters for printing... [continue]
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September 8, 2007
The Health Department announced that a 41-year-old Brooklyn woman had tested positive for the West Nile virus. This is the first reported case of West Nile in the city this year. The woman was hospitalized on August 25th, after suffering symptoms like fever, headache, fatigue, weakness and muscle pain. Though it is possible she was exposed to West Nile outside of the city since she did travel in the weeks preceding her illness, the Health... [continue]
It was only half of what Con Ed was asking for, but employees of the State Public Service Commission (PSC) recommended that the utility be allowed to raise rates by the highest amount in the company's history. ConEd wanted to raise rates by $1.2 billion and the PSC officials said that it recommended a hike of $618 million. The New York Times reports that the recommendation was made by members of the PSC's professional staff,... [continue]
September 7, 2007
Five days before the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, developer Larry Silverstein released yet another round of renderings of the three Greenwich St. towers that will rise along the eastern edge of the 16-acre World Trade Center site. The final designs were unveiled yesterday at 7 World Trade Center. The buildings are scheduled to begin construction in January. The three towers’ new designs, described in a press release as “refined and more detailed... [continue]
Last month women were being attacked in Williamsburg, and now it's being reported the number of muggings have gone up significantly in the area as well (though muggings are not uncommon in the area). The Brooklyn Paper reports that the victims all seem to be...drunk hipsters (though they use the phrasing: slightly tipsy pub-crawlers and late-night subway commuters). Whatever you want to call these particular locals, Williamsburg's 90th Precinct officers say that this demographic is... [continue]
The taxi strike is over and rates are back to normal, but many people may have discovered that ride-sharing in a cab is a great way to save money. Fortunately, there are a few online services that can facilitate sharing a cab and splitting the fare to the airport or around town with fellow New Yorkers. Consider it yellow-carpooling. Last year we wrote about hitchsters.com, the online service that formalizes ride shares by matching users... [continue]
Thousands of cameras, license plate readers, radiation detectors, and street barriers to be installed downtown won't just observe and record the activity of vehicles and individuals, but will be programmed to sound alarms if they spot suspicious activity. The Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, patterned after London's Ring of Steel surveillance system, will place 3,000 cameras below Canal St., install 100 license plate readers at bridges and tunnels and around downtown, locate an undisclosed number of... [continue]
Perhaps it's another sign of people moving on from 9/11, or perhaps it's something else, but WABC/Channel 7 has decided not to air the reading of 9/11 victims' names on Tuesday, the 6th anniversary of the attack. Instead, it will continue with its regular programming following the moment of silence at around 9 a.m. If the decision isn't changed, the top-rated station will become the city's first not to air the reading of the... [continue]
The relatively small health clinic that released the most widely quoted and alarming study about the adverse health impacts of exposure to the World Trade Center environment may have reached its conclusions with weak data and presented its findings in a questionable manner. The New York Times examined the work done at the Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a health clinic associated with Mount Sinai Medical Center and that included... [continue]
New York City's Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) has added a section to its web site where residents can see how city hospitals stack up against each other and against state and national benchmarks. HHC operates 11 hospitals and four long-term care facilities in the city. The Associated Press reports that information available to healthcare consumers at the HHC site includes data like mortality rates, adherence to "best practices" treatments, rates of pneumonia and infections... [continue]
This week Inside Edition aired footage of rats in some of New York's more popular restaurants. The statement we received from the program states: "In middle to late August, Inside Edition’s 'Rat Patrol' took to the streets of Manhattan between 1am and 4am peering their cameras and flashlights into the windows of a wide variety of eateries from fast food places to fine dining establishments." In total they found 22 restaurants harboring the urban... [continue]
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September 6, 2007
As history tells it, in the early 1900s "the presence of 120,000 horses in New York City was declared 'an economic burden, an affront to cleanliness, and a terrible tax upon human life.'" Today the horses are fewer (there are 221 licensed horses, 293 drivers and 68 licensed carriages), and a bit more popular -- albeit amongst the tourist set. The NY Times has a piece on the New York City comptroller finally (for the... [continue]
The rebuilding process at Ground Zero took another small step forward today as final plans for Towers 2, 3, and 4 were unveiled. Larry Silverstein and a group of architects unveiled updated designs for the buildings, which are supposed to start construction in January. These plans are more detailed than the initial designs released last year, with more information on the lobbies, public spaces, and building facades. Silverstein says the buildings will be environmentally... [continue]
No more naming streets like Joey Ramone Place, Peter Jennings Way, Bob Marley Boulevard, or Jerry Orbach Way. If one City Council member gets his way, the commemorative naming of streets would stop because it's too much of a time waster for the council. James Oddo, the council's minority leader from Staten Island, wants to give the Department of Transportation the authority to approve new street names. Currently, the City Council has to approve the... [continue]
As Park Slopers discuss the elementary school pigeon killers lurking about Prospect Park, the animals decide to strike back! The NY Post reports that "a masked marauder" was on a rampage yesterday in the Park as he took a bite out of a woman who was on an outing with her family at The Lake.The animal had been lurking unusually close to people when it struck, sinking its teeth into the woman's thigh. Her husband... [continue]
It's been too long since we've checked in with Roger Stone, the GOP operative who is suspected of making a threatening call to Governor Spitzer's father. The Sun reports that Stone, who was asked to resign his $20,000/month gig consulting for NY State Republicans, has apologized to Dale Hemmerdinger, the owner of his apartment building and friend of Spitzer. Spitzer's father's lawyers say that a call (which included the invective, "You will be compelled by... [continue]
A new plan adopted by the FAA yesterday hopes to decrease delays in airports around the nation by 20%. The focus of the plan is on airports in New York, New Jersey, and Philadelpha, where delays can cause a ripple effect on the rest of the nation's air traffic. The Airspace Redesign Project, as the FAA is calling it, is supposed to modernize the systems in the affected airports (Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, and Philadelphia... [continue]
Here we are - day two of the taxi strike by a group of taxi drivers upset with the changes that the Taxi and Limousine Commission has enacted. The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, which organized the strike, claimed that 90% of all drivers were on strike yesterday, but Mayor Bloomberg contradicted that claim, saying the strike had a "limited impact, if at all." To combat the strike, the city has added buses and... [continue]
September 5, 2007
The Post created this handy graphic explaining the progress of buildings at the World Trade Center site. Describing construction as "booming," the Post suggests the "least heralded project" is the "massive, 80-foot-deep...bathtub" for three Church Street office towers and their foundations. Any takers on whether these projects get finished in time? We will bet that Freedom Tower opens in 2011, even if it's not completely finished, for a 10-years-after-September 11 ceremony. There are many... [continue]
On Monday, the NY Times reported about Chinatown mainstay May May Bakery's end-of-the-month closing. To those who flocked to the Pell Street bakery for the prepared dumplings, shu mai, zongzi ("Chinese tamales"), roast pork buns, and many other items (much, if not all, made at its Long Island City warehouse), it's an upsetting prospect. The bakery is run by three brothers whose father opened the store in 1965. The Times explained the closing, which... [continue]
American Idol has been on the decline ever since Kelly Clarkson stepped off the stage. It's understandable, the first time is always more exciting -- and c'mon, one can only take so much of Paula's craziness, Simon's snarkiness and Randy Jackson's what's up dawg's. USA Today is reporting that 2007's Idols Live Tour (who knew) has plenty of empty seats. So where does a New Yorker go to hear a new (Sanjaya-less) talent pool? Amateur... [continue]
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September 5, 2007
Why did a patch of West 17th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues give way under the weight a sanitation truck? It turns out there was a broken sewer. We wonder if the sewer had recently broken or if the Department of Environmental Protection knew about it but was waiting for the street to fall in. Con Ed told Metro that there were no gas leak, though there were reports of a threat of... [continue]
Regular polls asking who voters want for president are boring, so ABC News asked Americans who they would "rather have as a traveling companion on a drive across country" - Senator Hillary Clinton or Rudy Giuliani? And Clinton won 48% to Giuliani's 39%. Well, of course - can you imagine that trip with Rudy? It would be all about 9/11! And Clinton probably knows the best fast food places because of Bubba. When asked who... [continue]
While the future of Coney Island is still up in the air, some rides are already closing for good. The Post reports that the Spider and Zipper were packed up for the last time in their Coney Island location. Without an extension of their leases for 2008 from Thor Equities, the new owners of the land, workers began dismantling the two rides yesterday. The rides were sold by their owner and are destined for warmer... [continue]
Did you hear about the new arts and music venue opening in Fort Greene? Well, chances are that all of the blood, sweat, tears and money (over $1M) that went into it may have been for nothing. Amber Art and Music Space was being built out of an old liquor store at Fulton Street and Ashland Place by three friends who are now being told they can no longer develop the space. At the end... [continue]
Thousands of workers from the New York Taxi Workers' Alliance have started their two-day strike this morning. These drivers, who represent about 7,000 of the 44,000 drivers total (there are 13,000 cabs), are striking over unhappiness with the city's plan to install new, some say unproven and useless technology in cabs. While it's unclear how many drivers are actually going on strike, the AP reports that there were noticeably longer waits for cabs at airports... [continue]
Mayor Bloomberg, Schools Chancellor Klein, City Council Speaker Quinn, and other city and school officials celebrated the first day of school yesterday with an appearance at P.S. 53 in the Bronx. P.S. 53 was selected because it will be receiving almost a half million dollars more in funding, due to Bloomberg's "fair student funding reforms." The Mayor happily said, "We are becoming the poster child for what you should do with a school system that's... [continue]
September 4, 2007
Mayor Bloomberg announced that the city was prepared for the possible two-day taxi strike that some taxi driver groups have threatened for tomorrow morning, starting at 5AM. About 7,000 of the city's 44,000 taxi drivers (there are about 13,000 cabs in total) have reportedly promised to strike over new technology that the Taxi and Limousine Commission wants to install in all cabs. Some drivers' issues with the technology, which includes GPS tracking systems and... [continue]
The other day, the NY Times examined the various feelings about September 11 commemoration events, as next Tuesday is the sixth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, and the interesting phenomenon of tragedy fatigue. One woman, whose opinion wasn't that uncommon, said, "Doesn’t grieving have a shelf life? We’re very sorry and mournful that people died, but there are living people. Let’s wind it down.” Perhaps that's why some people get frustrated when they... [continue]
The NY Times weighs in on Bernard Tschumi’s Blue building at 105 Norfolk St. Fresh off reviews from New Orleans, Paris and Brazil, architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff is back home with a piece on the 17-story blue-paneled, crystalline tower. Ouroussoff, as regular readers know, is put off by most of the high-design, luxury residential towers now rising across Manhattan. But, walking along the streets of the Lower East Side, alongside brick tenements, public housing... [continue]
Cue up John Williams famous two-note motif! Following Saturday's shark sighting in Rockaway, another shark reached the shores of New York in Coney Island. The summer went out with a bite, not a bang, as city lifeguard Marius Mironescu rescued a 2-foot sand shark from frenzied beach-goers yesterday. And as he swam the shark out to safety...the little guy gave him a bite. "They were holding on to it and some people were actually... [continue]
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September 4, 2007
A number of city agencies, including the FDNY, NYPD, and Department of Transportation are on West 17th Street, off 5th Avenue, to inspect a sanitation truck that is stuck in a hole that's reportedly four feet deep. No one is touching the truck because it's leaning on a van that it crushed! We heard that a crane was needed to extract the truck. It's definitely not your average pothole - and we guess the... [continue]
Millions of people flocked to Eastern Parkway to celebrate the West Indian American Day Parade yesterday. This was the 40th year of the parade, which had floats, dancers, and bands interacting with the crowds. Many of the spectators wore or waved flags of native countries and enjoying delicious food. Many politicians marched in the parade, including Governor Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor David Paterson, who said, "This day is for everyone. Everybody is Caribbean today."... [continue]
Just after Pet Fashion Week comes to an end (seriously), New York's (human) Fashion Week begins. The official start is tomorrow, but heels will be hitting the runway before that. Though far from fashionistas, we've been to a runway show or two in the past - and have always heard amazing things about Imitation of Christ's unusual showings. Tonight IoC's Matt Damhave and Tara Subkoff will be at Snitch (which is still open?!) showing off... [continue]
Students of all ages are headed back to classes this morning. The NYC public school system is opening its doors this morning all over the city. Insideschools reminds us there are 1.1 million students and 150,000 educators in the system - and that quite a few charter schools have been open since last week! Reforming the education system has been a cornerstone of Mayor Bloomberg's platform, and this school year starts with, per the... [continue]
This morning, an explosion occurred on 29th Street near 8th Avenue. No one was injured, but a van was damaged and residents were evacuated during the 1AM incident. The police believe it was either a pipe bomb or another "small explosive...meant to scare as opposed to cause significant damage or injuries." The explosion happened outside a ground floor space called Studio Dante, a small theater owned by Michael Imperioli, best known as Christopher Moltisanti... [continue]
After searching for the driver of a red Mitsubishi Eclipse that fatally ran over 7-year-old Christian Aceteopan in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon, the police arrested Queens resident Jose Vargas for leaving the scene of an accident. Vargas was arraigned last night with bail set at $300,000; the NY Times notes that it was "$50,000 more than the assistant prosecutor...had requested." Vargas' license was also suspended. Witnesses had said that the Eclipse driver had hit the... [continue]
September 3, 2007
The New York Taxi Workers Alliance said that it definitely will strike on Wednesday and Thursday to protest the city's plans to put new technology, including GPS systems, in all taxi cabs. NYTWA spokeswoman Bhairavi Desai said, "Leave the car parked at home or at the garage. No yellow cabs for hire." The city has said that the new technology, which also includes the option to pay by credit, is useful; for instance, the... [continue]
New York Foundling, an agency that cares for and placed abandoned children, was founded in 1869 in Greenwich Village, and on its first night, a baby was left on its doorstep. Now, it's organizing its vast collection of materials, from letters written by desperate mothers to admissions registers, for its 140th anniversary and an archival center. The NY Times details some of the history and efforts, as well as New York Foundling's role in the... [continue]
What a wild weekend for area beaches! On Saturday, a shark washed up at Rockaway Beach. Yesterday, a bunch of medical waste and trash was swept in onto the Jersey shore, causing beach closures. The beaches were reopened this morning, but would you really want to go back after "syringes, tampon applicators, gauze and other debris" were found? NJ environmental officials aren't sure where the junk came from, but they are investigating. The NRDC recently... [continue]
The most famous new heiress these days is Trouble, the Maltese dog who was left $12 million in owner Leona Helmsley's will. To put this in perspective, Leona Helmsley gave a chauffeur $100,000, two grandchildren $5 million each (plus another $5 million each if they visit their father's grave at least once a year), and two other grandchildren nothing "for reasons which are known to them." Trouble has had a bad rap, even before becoming... [continue]
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September 3, 2007
Sometimes, there's nothing quite like a hot shower, but an elderly Bronx man got more than he was bargaining for with his shower. In 2004, 88 year-old Daniel Feliciano was showering when the water suddenly became "super hot", causing him to fall in his tub. He was treated for burns to his arms, abdomen, thigh, legs, and groin and was bed ridden in the hospital for three months and an additional three months at home.... [continue]
A boy riding his scooter on Bleecker Street between Central and Wilson Avenues in Brooklyn was killed after two cars struck him yesterday. Christian Acetopan, who would have started first grade this week, was pronounced dead at the scene. Around 5:20PM, a red Mistubishi Eclipse ran down Christian, who was with his brother (also on a scooter) and mother. A witness told the Daily News said the boy "was in the street riding the scooter.... [continue]
Happy Labor Day! Today, government buildings and post offices, financial markets and banks are all closed. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking is suspended and there is no garbage or recycling collection. Mass transit is running on a Sunday schedule. There a number of events today (though we think that the West Indian American Day Carnival is the best bet) and it's also the last day of the year that city beaches and pools will be open. According to... [continue]
September 2, 2007
aboutmattlaw took this great photograph at the Ditmars Boulevard subway station stairs. It's a nod to Queens City Councilman Peter Vallone's proposed legislation to ban "non-sensual" peeping, with punishments like 90 days in jail and a $500 fine for first offense. Vallone said that his bill was prompted by some women's complaints that a "rather large pervert" was lurking under the Ditmars station's subway steps. Per the Queens Gazette, Vallone emphasizes, "These perverts use... [continue]
With Labor Day weekend well under way, the season of block parties is about to come to an end. The NY Times has a story today on 4 of the 225 block parties that took place in the city last weekend (overall most take place in Brooklyn). That high number is courtesy of the mayor’s street activity permitting office. To get approval one must fill out an “application for street activity permit,” pay $15 in... [continue]
Just five days after the Deutsche Bank building fire, two firefighters investigating the site at 130 Liberty Street were injured when a 300-pound piece of construction equipment fell from the 23rd floor. It turned out that a construction worker had lost control of a forklift; luckily a work shed broke the object's fall. The two firefighters suffered head injuries, but while Ned Nally was discharged after one day, William Corbetis was only discharged yesterday after... [continue]
That shark that washed up on Rockaway Beach yesterday and briefly caused lifeguards to close the beach was not much of a threat. The shark, which seems to have beached itself, was pushed back into the water by a beachgoer and was seen swimming offshore for about an hour afterwards. WCBS reports that, according to an Animal Department Supervisor at the New York Aquarium, the shark was a thresher shark, not known for attacking... [continue]
Shocked family and friends are mourning the deaths of four people who died in a car accident on East Tremont Avenue near Commonwealth early yesterday morning. The police believe that the GMC Envoy was traveling at least 80 MPH (and witnesses think it was closer to 90-95 MPH) when it hit a utility pole and flipped over twice. The NY Times reports the car "hit the pole with such force that its roof was shorn... [continue]
September 1, 2007
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that President Bush had signed a "major disaster declaration" for Queens on August 8, the day the weather (including a tornado in Brooklyn and Staten Island) caused much of the city to come to a standstill. This means that Queens residents and business owners will be able to apply for disaster relief. Some New York residents had been angry that the President was taking so long to sign off... [continue]
The Observer reports that Google is outgrowing its 360,000+ square foot office space at 76 Ninth Avenue and has closed on 130,000 square feet at 75 Ninth Avenue, the Chelsea Market. Located directly across the street from each other, Google is keeping private about any plans for the new space, but The Observer gets more info on how much it might have cost the company:The source also explained that a special deal had been worked... [continue]
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September 1, 2007
If there's ever a time for some fall shopping, it's now, as the city's portion of tax on clothing and shoes is officially eliminated effective today. Mayor Bloomberg announced the removal of the 4% tax during his State of the City speech in January. Consumers will still have to pay the 4.375% state sales tax for clothing and shoes over $110 (fun fact: 0.375% is supposed to go to the MTA, but we're pretty sure... [continue]
Two weeks ago today, a 7-alarm fire at 130 Liberty Street, at the under-demolition Deutsche Bank building, claimed the lives of two firefighters, Robert Beddia, a 24-year FDNY veteran, and Joseph Graffagnino, an 8-year vet. In the wake of the tragedy, investigations revealed that though smoking by construction workers probably caused the fire, there were a series of failures on the part of the contractor and FDNY, as well as state and city agencies.... [continue]
Thanks, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for confirming what we all knew: Investment banking is extremely lucrative. Based on a recent report, salaries at investment banks are ten times more than all other private sector jobs. The NY Times notes that average i-banking weekly wage is $8,367; all other private sector job average weekly wage is $841. Sigh. But not all investment bankers are created equal: NYC hedge fund managers can make twice as regular... [continue]
A terrible accident in the Bronx: Police believe that an SUV on East Tremont was speeding around 4AM when it crashed into a telephone pole and flipped over. 1010WINS says the vehicle was "ripped apart" at Commonwealth Avenue. Three men were ejected from the SUV and pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth passenger, a woman, died at Jacobi Hospital. Over 34 million people are expected to be driving 50 miles or more during... [continue]