There's no crying in baseball, but out on Strong Island there are threatening letters. An area mom was arrested Saturday night and accused of sending a series of letters threatening violence to a little league coach and other league officials after her son was rejected from the travel team. Janet Chiauzzi, 44, from East Meadow, also allegedly sent a letter to the principal of an official's children's school, accusing the official of child molestation, Newsday reports (paywall). more ›

Update: The AP is reporting that DNA test results have shown that John Barnes is not the same man as the toddler kidnapped on Long Island 54 years ago. Jerry Damman, the father of the missing Stephen Damman, said to reporters, "It's too bad we had to go through all of this for actually nothing in the end." The story from earlier continues below. more ›

The man who believes to be the young boy kidnapped on Long Island over fifty years ago has come forward and talked to reporters today about piecing together his confused past. John Barnes, 54, told reporters that from childhood he never felt as though he fit in with the family that raised him. Barnes found old pictures of the two-year-old kidnapping victim, Steven Damman, and noticed a resemblance while doing online research looking for clues about his past. The News says that Barnes has a scar on his face and mole behind his right calf that suggest he is the child whose high-profile kidnapping case has baffled detectives for years. He is still awaiting an official DNA test being conducted by the FBI. more ›

A man dressed as a postal worker and an accomplice robbed a home in East Meadow, Long Island yesterday. When the 32-year-old homeowner opened the door, she saw the uniformed man holding a package, but then he showed a gun. The woman was handcuffed and she and her two young daughters were forced into a bathroom. Then he claimed, per WABC 7, he was a "police officer and wanted to know where the valuables were kept." Police are looking for two suspects--more details here. Sometimes home invasion robbers pose as utility workers, needing access to meters inside your house, so be very cautious when opening the door. more ›

There are many fun events today, like Ecofest at Lincoln Center and Atlantic Antic in Brooklyn, but for those interested in our fine feathered friends, we recommend you head to Central Park to check out the Parks Department's Falconry Extravaganza with the Urban Park Rangers. more ›

Above is a video explaining why this event is taking place, and inviting everyone to come out to Central Park today. more ›

The poor Parks Department. For the second year in a row, they have had to cancel their Winter Festival 2006. Their press release read:

Due to the unseasonably warm climate, we are unable to create snow in Central Park's East Meadow, thus forcing us to cancel the activities previously scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, February 4th and 5th. Winter Festival, an annual event usually held in the East Meadow of Central Park, features various winter activities, almost all of which require snow.

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For more events, check out Gothamist Arts & Events. more ›