Ten years ago today, American Airlines Flight 587 bound for the Dominican Republic took from the JFK Airport. Turbulent air led the co-pilot to use the rudder to keep the plane up, but the rudder broke off. All 260 people on board—251 passengers and 9 crew members— and five people on the ground were killed when the plane crashed into the quiet residential neighborhood of Belle Harbor Queens. This morning, Mayor Bloomberg will be joining hundreds to remember the victims at the Flight 587 Memorial 17 blocks from the actual crash site. more ›

A Rockaway resident claims that no-parking signs that bar visitors from leaving their cars in the beach-front neighborhoods of Belle Harbor and Neponsit during summer weekends and holidays are "racist and illegal." The signs force beach-goers to drive west to pay parking lots in Jacob Riis Park, or east to look for street parking in areas that "have a higher percentage of lower-income and minority residents," according to the Times. But the signs themselves don't exist in city or state records. more ›

Defying the tired old cliche about cops loving their carrots and wheatgrass, a Brooklyn police sergeant is under investigation for loading up on donuts without paying at a Belle Harbor Dunkin' Donuts. A manager at the location called the cops on Sgt. Eric Turetsky after getting fed up with his behavior, which he claims included flirting with the adolescent workers and habitually underpaying for his donuts. The manager, who for obvious reasons asked not to be identified, tells the Post, "The girls here couldn't stand him. He was rude toward them. He was not professional at all." After reporting Turetsky, Internal Affairs watched him go into the store on seven different occasions, and on each of those trips he allegedly went behind the counter to help himself to the donuts. Turetsky, who was promoted to detective after blowing the whistle on fellow officer Justin Volpe in the infamous Abner Louima bathroom sodomy scandal, is currently assigned to the 100th Precinct in the Rockaways. If found guilty of accepting free or discount donuts, Turtetsky could lose 30 days of vacation time! more ›

Yesterday, people gathered for the sixth anniversary of the fatal American Airlines Flight 587 crash in Belle Harbor, Queens. It was the second deadlist aviation crash in U.S. history, with 265 victims. Mayor Bloomberg led the ceremony, saying, "Once again, we have come together to remember all of them, and to share the sorrow that all of us feel." On November 12, 2001, the Dominican Republic-bound plane had taken off from JFK Airport; turbulent air... more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn, an overturned auto on the LIE and Oceania St. in Queens, and a fall victim on 170th St. and University Ave. in the Bronx.
• Two NJ teenagers attempted to escape the wrath of a parent, who caught them drinking alcohol last week, by tieing together bedsheets in order to rappel down the side of their highrise building. The incident ended badly, although both are expected to survive.
• The negative effect of a stagehand strike may be ameliorated by spillover business directed towards off-Broadway productions. It's being reported that off-Broadway business is up about 30% as major productions have shut down.
• Fats Domino was presented with the key to the city for his work on behalf of struggling musicians in New Orleans. The actual key is worth $100 and is presented in a black velour case--just some of many interesting tidbits in this Times piece.
• Experiences with the police when one is taking pictures legally--even when one is not arrested--can still be a huge unnerving pain in the ass.
• The famed New Jersey Satriale's butcher shop, which was featured for several years as a location on the HBO mob drama "The Sopranos," has been knocked down and turned into a condo building called "The Sopranos."
• Three new giant balloons are entering the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade: Shrek, Abby Cadabby, and Hello Kitty. The three giants took a test-inflate in Queens this Sunday.
• Friends and family gathered to remember the victims of Flight 587, which crashed in residential Belle Harbor, Queens shortly after takeoff six years ago.

Yesterday morning, Mayor Bloomberg dedicated a memorial for American Airlines Flight 587, which crashed on November 12, 2001 in Belle Harbor, Queens. The Dominican Republic-bound plane had taken off from JFK Airport; turbulent air led the co-pilot to use the rudder to keep the plane up, but the rudder broke off. All 260 people on board - 251 passengers and 9 crew members - were killed when the plane crashed into the quiet residential neighborhood. Five people on the ground were also killed. Many of the plane's passengers were from Washington Heights and Astoria. more ›

Grocery, Flatlands, by gkjarvis. more ›