Results tagged “specialolympics”

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a scion of the Kennedy clan and founder of the Special Olympics, passed away at age 88 at hospital in Cape Cod, Massachusetts early this morning. While she was famous for being sister to John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Edward Kennedy and mother to Maria Shriver (and mother-in-law to Arnold Schwarzenegger), Shriver was notable in her own right, for "transforming America's view of the mentally disabled from institutionalized patients to friends, neighbors and athletes. Her efforts were inspired in part by the struggles of her mentally disabled sister, Rosemary." The NY Times notes that a 1993 U.S. News and World Report article said, compared with her brothers' storied public service accomplishments, "the changes wrought by Eunice Shriver may well be seen as the most consequential." The Special Olympics, which she founded in 1968, now gives 3 million people around the world a chance to participate in competitions between the every-two-years Special Olympics World Games—the NYC Special Olympics' fall invitational is next month—and tributes are pouring in at the Special Olympics website.

While Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver believes President Obama is apologetic about his unfortunate remarks comparing his poor bowling skills (he got a 129) to the Special Olympics, more voices are chiming in. Notably Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who has a son with Down syndrome and is a champion to special needs families, said she was "shocked", “This was a degrading remark about our world’s most precious and unique people, coming from the most powerful position in the world. These athletes overcome more challenges, discrimination and adversity than most of us ever will. By the way, these athletes can outperform many of us and we should be proud of them. I hope President Obama’s comments do not reflect how he truly feels about the special needs community.” Long Island Special Olympian Daniel Fletcher, who has competed in basketball, golf, baseball, and equestrian events, tells Newsday that he'd happily challenge the President in bowling—Fletcher recently scored a 130.

If you see a sea of yellow in the East River tomorrow, don't fret, it's just the thousands and thousands of rubber duckies floating to the finish line. Racing from the Brooklyn Bridge to South Street Seaport in the annual Million Dollar Duck Race, the event will help raise money for the Special Olympics New York branch, and there are still ducks up for adoption! They're still short on their 25,000 duck goal, so why not put your name on a few? The race takes under 90 minutes, and the official rules state that "once the ducks are launched, they are on their own. No attempt to interfere or free any duck is permitted." Live entertainment begins at 11:30 a.m., and the ducks shove off at 6 sharp. Check out some photos from last year's race, when one lucky duck met Marty Markowitz (pictured).

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a partial collapse at Fleet Court and Woodhaven Blvd. in Queens, two pedestrians were struck on the westbound Grand Central Parkway at Queens Boulevard in Queens, and a stabbing on West 21st St. in Manhattan.
• All three area airports: Newark, JFK, and Laguardia, were thrown into chaos yesterday after a computer malfunction in the air traffic control system resulted in multi-hour delays, missed connections, and many unhappy passengers.
• Gov. Spitzer wants to crack down on the misclassification of employees as independent contractors, which is said to deny the state $175 million in payroll taxes annually.
• The New York Post looks at the phenomena of cats falling or jumping out of windows, for which the ASPCA treats feline patients about five times a week in New York.
• Are NYC sidewalk bike racks secure? This picture at Streetsblog seems to indicate that they are not.
• The 62nd St. replacement for an UES townhouse that a doctor blew up in a suicide attempt last year will be eco-friendly and is priced at $30 million.
• New York will be a testing ground for the Special Olympics organization's new Urban Strategy, which is an effort to attract more city kids to its programs.
• Hunts Points residents protested against the smells coming from a DEP wastewater treatment plant and the adverse health effects they claim it is causing. They say both are making life in their neighborhood unbearable.

It's hard to believe Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" came out almost 20 years ago. The song was included on the 1987 A Very Special Christmas album, the first in a series of compilations to benefit the Special Olympics. Also on that cd (which included cover art by Keith Haring): Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band singing "Merry Christmas Baby". Happy Holidays!

- We have not perused it in full, but we are sure this site on the concept of eating local will consume a bit of our time this week.

The NY Times looks at the "cat and mouse game" between the graffiti artists and the police. There are a couple factions: Those who fly under the radar to tag illegally, the taggers who go "legit" and take commercial commissions, and the police who try to stop the illegal taggers. The Mayor upped the ante by forming the anti-graffiti crime unit (the Mayor's Anti-Graffiti Task Force) earlier this year, and one graffiti writer, Ray (tag: PRIZ), told the Times, "When the 'goon squad' first started cracking down, a lot of people went out there with the attitude, 'We're going to get over tonight.' So of course, they got caught." The police are keeping tabs on graffiti websites, even as the taggers "map out targets and plot escape routes...go out exclusively at night, favoring rooftops and boarded-up buildings that aren't likely to be painted over quickly, if at all." While the NYPD says it's one of the most expansive anti-graffiti programs in the country, we doubt graffiti (or street art, for that matter) can be held down, as it's a natural response to life that's been around for thousands of years. For any mayor to successfully rid a city of graffiti, the city would need to be burned down. Anyway, ee can sense City Councilman Peter Vallone's office immediately issuing a press release that's picked up by the Daily News where he blasts the Times for giving the taggers coverage!

Semi-related: The Christina Aguilera Virgin Mobile ad that won't run in the states.

Let's hope that if NYC gets the Olympics bid, we won't have a crappy mascot like Izzy from Atlanta. Gothamist nominates either a tiger (a salute to illegal apartment pets) or an alligator (salute to urban legend). Or maybe Homer's spring should be revisited...