Gothamist

Last Night's Action: Nets Win! Nets Win!

Tom Boorstein — 2009-12-05T00:00:01-05:00

Nets 97, Bobcats 91: After 18 consecutive losses to start the season, the Nets finally won a game. Brook Lopez, who has been a bright spot all season had 31 points and 14 rebounds. Courtney Lee had 27, including the tiebreaking free throws with 2:22 left. Kiki Vandeweghe, the Nets' general manager who will coach the rest of the year, earned a win in his first game at the bench. The Nets needed several tries to pull away, but they earned a victory. This also saves the Knicks the embarrassment of being the first to lose to the Nets when the two local teams meet on Sunday.

Knicks 114, Hawks 107: The Knicks took advantage of two things: a Josh Smith ejection and a rare productive game from Chris Duhon. Smith picked up two technical fouls for arguing calls. Duhon had 25 points and 10 assists. The Hawks are no slouch even without Smith, so a good night for both NBA teams.

Devils 3, Lightning 2: Who owns the Lightning? The Devils. Jamie Langenbrunner deflected in a Andy Greene shot with 38.1 seconds left to give New Jersey its 10th straight win over Tampa Bay.

Extra, Extra

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T18:22:49-05:00

Photograph by InstantVantage on Flickr

From the Gothamist Newsmap: A car vs. building at E 23rd And Ave L in Brooklyn, a barricaded EDP at W 87st & Amsterdam in Manhattan and a stabbing at 105 Ave in the Bronx.
An Italian jury found American college student Amanda Knox guilty of murdering her housemate in 2007.
Rose Morat, the 103-year-old woman who was mugged and beaten by Jack Rhodes, said of his 75-year prison sentence, "The man up there -- which is God -- will take care of him." And she doesn't hold a grudge!
Seventeen people bought tickets to watch Glenn Beck's movie theater simulcast of his solo show The Christmas Sweater in NYC...But that number seems a little high, right?
So friendly: Prostitutes in Copenhagen are offering free sex to climate change conference delegates.
An undercover cop spent ten months buying guns and drugs from a crime ring doing business across the street from an Inwood school.
The haphazard removal of some bluestone upsets Fort Green residents.
At least 100 are dead and 90 injured in an explosion at a central Russian nightclub; a fireworks display may be the cause.
Gawker has a guide on which girls to avoid this holiday hookup season—as well as one on which guys to avoid.

One Killed In 3-Car Crash On Bruckner Expressway

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T17:55:06-05:00

Earlier this afternoon, a tragic car crash unfolded on the eastbound Bruckner Expressway. A woman in an SUV was killed, while two other vehicles—a postal truck and Tom Brokaw's car—were also involved. Brokaw and his wife were not injured; the condition of the USPS employee is not known. According to MyFoxNY, "Just before the crash, a spool of cable bounced along the far right lane, according to the Brokaws, who were traveling in the far left lane."

The SUV, the right lane, "veered into the middle lane, forcing a mail truck into the far left lane," per the Brokaws' statement, which continued, "As the mail truck careened into the Brokaw lane, Tom hit the brakes hard and skidded along the median. When the mail truck catapulted the median the Brokaw vehicle slid into it."

The postal truck hit a barrier—see the video—while the SUV reportedly flipped over a few times, and the driver was "thrown from her vehicle as it flipped over several times. She landed on the tracks under the Willis Avenue Bridge and was killed, officials said."

AMNH Offering Ph.Ds in Dinos

Jen Carlson — 2009-12-04T17:48:00-05:00

Do you wanna get your Ph.D. in pterodactyls? Good news: the American Museum of Natural History's graduate school was awarded full accreditation recently — making it the first US museum to grant doctorate degrees.

The museum had already been offering graduate courses, but instead of going elsewhere to get their degrees, students can now get a degree from the museum itself. Courses are being conducted at the 77th Street building, "which has a lecture hall, teaching lab and a two-story student center," according to the NY Post.

Their Ph.D. program in comparative biology uses curators and scientists as professors, and dean John Flynn says, "We're looking for the best students who are out there." Those students will be able to assist in the development of museum exhibits, give public lectures and mentor high-schoolers.

Bouncer Accused of Raping Woman in Club Bathroom

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T17:39:01-05:00

Duvet

A bouncer at the Flatiron District's Duvet is accused of raping an intoxicated woman inside a stall in the club's ladies' room on October 25th. Ex-con Hunter Dupree, 33, isn't legally allowed to work as a bouncer because of his criminal record, but that didn't stop the club (which also goes by the name Climax) from hiring him. The 23-year-old victim says she was "incapacitated" in a stall as the club was closing at 4 a.m., and when Dupree called out to ask if anyone was in restroom, she cried for help.

But instead of assistance, she says he raped her. Her fiancee took her to the hospital and the police were notified, but Dupree wasn't arrested until last week, when he was busted in a robbery on East 23rd Street near Park Avenue. Police sources tell the Post that he and three others allegedly punched and kicked a man, knocking him to the ground. While his accomplices continued assaulting the man, Dupree allegedly stripped off the man's jacket, boots, pants and hat.

That victim was hospitalized with facial injuries, and Dupree was also charged with rape after the woman and other witnesses picked out his mug shot. But a lawyer for Dupree, who did three years in prison for gun possession, tells the Daily News she probably just made up the story: "You never know who is going to come and say, 'He attacked me."

Sympathetic Store Owner Forgives Would-Be Robber

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T17:30:16-05:00

Back in June, a Long Island store owner decided to take pity on a bat-wielding man who attempted to rob his store by giving him $40 and a loaf of bread. At the time, Mohammed Sohail—who was armed—said, "He started crying that he was out of work and was trying to feed his hungry family. I felt bad for him. I mean, this wasn't some kid." Now the Post reports that Sohail received $50 and a thank you note from the would-be thief. He "reluctantly" turned over the note to the Suffolk County police, who want to investigate the crime, but said, "I forgive him. I do not want police to arrest him. I'm not going to press charges. He sent me a Christmas gift."

Oops: Washington Post Realizes 9/11 And 911 Are Different

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T17:11:32-05:00

Good one: A correction in the Washington Post reads, "A Nov. 26 article in the District edition of Local Living incorrectly said a Public Enemy song declared 9/11 a joke. The song refers to 911, the emergency phone number."

Here's the song in question:

Public Enemy - 911 Is A Joke
by SeenMyBrain

Aw: Little Leukemia Patient Meets President Obama

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T16:59:58-05:00

Six-year-old Jasmina Anema, who has been suffering from leukemia, headed to Washington D.C. last week to attend President Obama's pardoning of the White House Turkey and meet Obama himself. However, she fell ill and wasn't responsive, requiring her to be admitted to Children's National Medical Center. Happily, this week, Jasmina was feeling much better and met President Obama on Wednesday.

The Daily News reports, "When Obama asked Jasmina what she wanted for Christmas, she answered immediately. A violin, she told him. Obama noted that though his daughters both play the piano, he didn't have the discipline to learn an instrument as a young boy, Jasmina's mother said. Obama complimented Jasmina for how articulate she is, drawing a wide smile from her. It grew even wider when the President told Jasmina, 'You can write me anytime. I'll get it.'" He also asked her for a hug at the end of their ten minute visit.

Jasmina also received "a couple of gifts - a box of M&Ms emblazoned with his name and the presidential seal and a matching presidential yo-yo." Today, the News publishes a photograph of the visit, and adds that Obama held Jasmina's IV bag.

Chef Anne Burrell Sued for Discrimination at Centro Vinoteca

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T16:41:53-05:00

Before she left West Village restaurant Centro Vinoteca to embrace her new life as a Food Network star, Anne Burrell spent her days toiling in the kitchen, making killer meatball sandwiches, pasta, and offensive insults about the female front-of-house staff, a lawsuit alleges. The suit, filed in March, accuses Burrell of repeatedly harassing employees with offensive slurs, and claims that after they complained to the restaurant's owners, they were terminated. A bartender says Burrell called her a "ho" and told her she had "saggy boobs," while others were constantly called whores by Burrell, who once allegedly told a waitress, "You must be tired today from f--king all night."

"The male employees were not treated in the same or similar manner and the plaintiffs were treated in this manner because of their sex," the lawsuit alleges. Owner Sasha Muniak, who entered Centro into bankruptcy proceedings last month, is named in the suit, which came to light via his wife's website "PX This." The whole pdf is being hosted by Grub Street, which notes that Centro allegedly accused one of the plaintiffs of faking an ovarian cyst when she was out sick to justify firing her. The restaurant is still open, but this just made us lose our appetites.

City's Free Swine Flu Vaccine Clinic Open This Weekend

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T16:36:11-05:00

After a Thanksgiving break, the city's Health Department is resuming its weekend clinics for people in priority groups (info here) to receive free H1N1 vaccines. There's one clinic in each of the five boroughs (PDF). Over 26,000 have been vaccinated so far.

Benjamin Bratt Discusses Return To Law & Order

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T16:11:58-05:00

Photograph of S. Epatha Merkerson and Benjamin Bratt from NBC

The Law & Order episode featuring the return—for one episode—of Detective Rey Curtis, played by Benjamin Bratt, has been bumped from tonight till next Friday, December 11. Instead, NBC will air A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa—a repeat of the special that premiered last year (which features Mayor Bloomberg!).

In the meantime, to tide L&O fans over, check out this interview Bratt gave about returning to the set for the first time in 9+ years. He also reveals a secret that Jerry Orbach taught him about memorizing the script:

And here's a more detailed plot for next week's episode:

As election day rapidly approaches, Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) discover the disfigured remains of a man with the word "FED" written across his bare chest. Missing a crucial piece of evidence, the detectives decide to retrace the steps of the victim, a campaign volunteer, to hone in on the challenging investigation. After the victim's perplexing past emerges and the list of suspects multiplies, the detectives find themselves dealing with more than just dirty politics. S. Epatha Mekerson, Sam Waterston, Alana De La Garza and Linus Roache also star.

Yes, the ripped-from-the-headlines part is inspired by the Kentucky census worker hanging, which was eventually discovered to be a staged suicide.

Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

tien mao — 2009-12-04T16:00:00-05:00

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on Gothamist.

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If you're interested in advertising on Gothamist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.

Manhattan Beach Residents vs. Concrete Planters

Robert Horan — 2009-12-04T15:50:27-05:00

Manhattan Beach residents have had it up to here with squat concrete planters along Oriental Blvd. and the 4-foot tall vegetation within them. Locals, like Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Association member Edmond Dweck, are living in fear: "It will cause harm eventually...." These vegetative nuisances are said to create hazardous blind spots for drivers turning onto Oriental Blvd. from one of the many quiet side streets.

Community Board 15 member Ed Eisenberg tells the Daily News, "It's a dangerous situation. It's just a matter of time before there's a fatality." And the Manhattan Beach Community Group has put the Parks Department "on notice." However, DOT figures show there were 10 reported car accidents on Oriental Blvd. this year so far, and no one is certain how many were shrub-related. Manhattan Beach residents haven't been this outraged since 2007, when the same local activists clamored for the city to spruce up the 15-block-long boulevard with new shrubs, trees—and planters. Currently, the Parks Department says they don't have the proper equipment to lift the planters.

The future of these concrete abominations is not known, but one thing that is for certain is that Beautification committees better think twice before messing with Manhattan Beach.

Presented By:

2009-12-04T15:50:27-05:00

Reaction To Court's Rejection Of Manhattanville Eminent Domain

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T15:30:19-05:00

Photograph by Daniella Zalcman on Flickr

With a state appeals court's 3-2 decision to call NY State's seizure of West Harlem land by way of eminent domain "unconstitutional," the land owners who sued are thrilled. Nick Sprayregen, a storage business owner, told the Columbia Spectator, “We’re thrilled. We were always cautiously optimistic, but we always thought that we probably wouldn’t win. The majority of the court obviously saw what we saw, that the whole finding of blight was preposterous and engineered specifically to give all the private property over to Columbia. They’re shining a light finally that collusion and conflicts of interests evident in this relationship between Columbia and the state cannot be allowed to continue, and thus they’re putting a stop to this taking of land by Columbia.”

The NY Times pointed out how the majority decision "was scathing in its appraisal of how the 'scheme was hatched'” using terms like 'sophistry' and 'idiocy' in describing how the state went about declaring the neighborhood blighted, the main prerequisite for eminent domain."

Columbia owns most of the 17-acres in the Manhattanville area, which is "bounded by the Hudson River and St. Nicholas Avenue between 120th and 135th Streets," but were unable to strike deals with Sprayregen and gas station owners Gurnam Singh and Parminder Kaur. Singh and Kaur were the other party who sued the Empire State Development Corporation; Kaur also spoke to the Spectator, “Rich or poor, the government should treat you equally. I feel like today is justice.” The ESDC will be appealing the decision. And Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn claims this decision "breathes new life" into the case against eminent domain being used to seize Brooklyn property for the Atlantic Yards project.

Weekend Movie Forecast: Up in the Air or Brothers

Robert Horan — 2009-12-04T15:07:00-05:00

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Click on the film stills for more details and reviews on this week's new movies and repertory screenings, which include Up in the Air, Brothers, Everybody's Fine, The Last Station, Serious Moonlight, Armored, The Strip, Across the Hall, Transylmania, Paa, Time Bandits, Before Tomorrow, Rushmore, and Cries and Whispers.

Old Men Fighting Over Money: Bloomberg Wants Morgenthau To Pay Up

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T14:46:39-05:00

Mayor Bloomberg is fighting with Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, and Morgenthau is hitting back with "barnyard" vulgarity, as the Times decorously puts it. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Morgenthau said, "If you all weren't newspapers of record, I'd say these were chickenshit comments." He was referring to the Bloomberg camp's supposed discovery of $80 million in settlement money that's being held by the DA's office in what one official described as the equivalent of "offshore accounts." The heated feud underscores long-standing tensions between the mayor and DA.

The Manhattan DA's office gets 82 percent of its $91 million budget from city taxpayers, but last year turned over $119 million in settlement money to the state, and $181 million to the city. The Bloomberg administration has been leaning on Morgenthau to give all the settlement money to NYC and cut the state out. Meanwhile, since the dawn of time, Morgenthau's office has kept tens of millions of dollars for his budget in 60 secret bank accounts in order to bypass the city’s financial review process. Now Morgenthau is pissed because Bloomberg threatened to expose the bank accounts to tarnish his reputation, unless Morgenathau agreed to give the city more of that sweet sweet settlement money. He didn't, so Bloomberg made good on his chickenshit threat.

Bloomberg aides insist they had no idea the accounts existed until they turned up in a recent inspection. "His annual budget is $90 million, and there's $80 million in this second set of books," says Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser to the Daily News. "When an agency has a budget of roughly the same size in a second set of books we're concerned." But in a statement, Morgenthau says, "The city has been fully aware of that all along. The secret account complaint is reminiscent of Claude Rains’s famous statement in Casablanca that he was shocked — shocked — to learn what was going on at Rick’s place."

Morgenthau also told the Post, "We're not a city agency. I probably indicted 600 city employees since becoming DA. The public has to know we're independent." And one unidentified official in the prosecutor's office tells the Times, "[Bloomberg] thinks everyone works for him, but the D.A.’s are all independently elected officials and that causes tension at times.”

Sexting Is Nothing To LOL About

Jen Carlson — 2009-12-04T14:34:40-05:00

OMFG, a new study has come out showing that 33% of teens and young adults have sexted. Which is to say they have shared and/or viewed sexually explicit photos or messages on their phones or computers, according to the NY Post. Since there have been at least two suicides reported after girls had their nude photos "sexted" around, the matter is being taken seriously... but shows no signs of letting up.

The paper talked to some city teens, and one on the UWS told them, "You'd be surprised how often it happens — everyone sends racy messages to each other. A girl likes you and she will sext you to get your attention. You can't see each other, so she'll send you pictures of herself, her body."

Another student noted, "It's irresponsible, because once you send it, you can never take it back, and who knows what will happen to the message once it's out there." Which brings us to James Lipton. Yes, James Lipton. He's the talking head for a new cell phone campaign that declares, "Before you text... give it a ponder."

Next time you're sexting, think of all the possible "Tweets about your beets." More reasons not to sext after the jump...

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Rock & Roll Annex Will Fade Away In January

Jen Carlson — 2009-12-04T14:29:11-05:00

The New York City annex of Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum just opened last November... and now it's going to close on January 3rd! 1010Wins notes that the one-year-wonder gave no reason given for closing, but the CEO told a local Cleveland paper that "the decision was made by corporate partners who had backed the $10 million annex in downtown Manhattan." Earlier this year the space housed a great John Lennon in NYC exhibit... but allegedly attendance over the past year wasn't what the powers that be expected. So, you have a few weeks to check out things like Bruce Springsteen's 1957 Chevy.

Probation—Not Jail—For State Sen. Hiram Monserrate

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T14:10:42-05:00

Photograph of Monserrate arriving to court today from the AP

State Senator Hiram Monserrate, who was convicted of misdemeanor assault, was sentenced to 250 hours of community service. 52 weeks of domestic abuse counseling and three years of probation. The assault conviction stems from an incident where he allegedly accidentally slashed his girlfriend in the face a year ago.

According to CityRoom, Monserrate did apologize to girlfriend Karla Giraldo during the sentencing:

The sentencing was an unusually long proceeding for a misdemeanor case — it began at 9:30 a.m. and did not end until four hours later. And it was punctuated by a remarkable back-and-forth between Justice William M. Erlbaum and Ms. Giraldo over whether to lift an order of protection that had kept her and Mr. Monserrate apart for almost a year

“What, Karla Giraldo, are you?” Justice Erlbaum asked, wondering whether she was a submissive woman or an assertive one.

Whispering to an interpreter, who relayed her words to the court, Ms. Giraldo replied, “He does not dominate me. He doesn’t have any control over my life.

Erlbaum kept the order of protection in effect, though he may review it again later. Giraldo has said in the press that she still loves Monserrate and that she wants to be "intimate" with him again; Monserrate allegedly wants to marry her.

Monserrate could have faced up to a year in prison for the conviction, but his sentence may give the State Senate panel investigating whether he should face disciplinary action reason to go easy on him. At any rate, his lawyers are appealing the decision.

And newly elected City Council member Daniel Dromm, who is openly gay and whose Queens district overlaps with Monserrate's, commented on Monserrate's "no" vote on gay marraige, "Here's a guy who was found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend, yet he takes a vote on whether two loving people have the right to marry?"

Like A Moth To A Flame, Taxis Love Scaffolding!

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T13:48:06-05:00

Photograph from reader jlocke

A reader tip in Gothamist Contribute said, "2 cabs into scaffolding at nyu (719 broadway)." And then another reader, jlocke, sent us a photograph of the aftermath, writing, "Picture of what was reported in the anonymous tips to be two cabs into scaffolding at NYU on Broadway between Waverly and Washington, two blocks from the taxi into scaffolding accident that injured six on [Nov. 1]. Scaffolding didn't collapse this time, but the whole block is taped off."

Initial information says no one was injured.

Same-Sex Marriage Blame Game Aims at Paterson, Addabbo

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T13:32:29-05:00

A rally was held in Union Square last night to support same-sex marriage. Erin M's Flickr

Yesterday City Council Speaker Christine Quinn urged angry New Yorkers to keep the blame focused on the politicians voted down a bill legalizing gay marriage in the Senate Wednesday. But blame is a burning thing and it makes a fiery ring, and at the center is Governor David Paterson, a longtime supporter of same-sex marriage. Some Democratic party officials believed that Paterson, with his basement-level approval ratings, didn't have any leverage to apply to swing-vote Senators. But others, like suddenly known Staten Island Senator Diane Savino, thinks he could have made the difference.

"He is the governor," Savino tells the Times. "I think he could have been helpful to people who are sitting on the fence." Matthew J. Titone, a Democratic assemblyman from Staten Island who is gay, goes even further: "He had every opportunity to be helpful, and he could have been helpful. So it is very disappointing that he wasn’t." Many state legislators who lobbied colleagues to support the bill say Paterson was MIA leading up to the vote, a characterization that the governor's spokesman disputes: "He made a number of calls to various senators; the advocates requested that he do that."

But let's save a little space in the blame closet for Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., a Democrat from Queens, who was considered a swing vote. Some analysts believe that because the alphabetically-advanced Addabbo voted second in the roll call, his "no" sent a message to subsequent swing voters that the measure would not pass—so from their perspective there was no sense in sticking their necks out for a losing horse.

Speaking to the Times, Addabbo disputed that, insisting, "I don’t think there was any domino effect at all. Even before I said no, these votes were determined." Indeed, Addabbo says his office had been keeping a log of all 400 messages received on the issue; he claims "seventy-four percent were against it. I was trying to represent the consensus of my district." So we might as well blame Howard Beach and Maspeth while we're at it.

Below, a super excellent video of a 58-year-old sick woman asking Senator George Maziarz why she can't marry her girlfriend of 15 years. Choice quote: "We are not talking about religion here. We are talking about civil rights. We, as taxpayers, do not tithe to a church, we pour our money down the Albany drain." [Via Daily Dish]

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U.S. Avoids Pool of Death in World Cup Group

tien mao — 2009-12-04T13:18:17-05:00

The United States soccer team has drawn England, Algeria and Slovenia in their pool for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. More importantly, for the Americans, they avoided some of the more difficult teams that they could have drawn in group play. Former Irish National Team player Tony Cascarino said that the United States was the best team in Pot Two (Asia, North and Central America) and that the Brits should take them seriously. Landon Donovan said that "They’re not entirely scared of us, but they definitely don’t want to draw us.” Overall, things are looking decent for the United States to advance out of Group C when play begins in June.

Stuck Bridge Causes NJ Transit, Amtrak Issues

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T13:09:16-05:00

Uh-oh: 1010WINS reports, " Trains are moving again between New Jersey and New York City after a bridge was stuck in the open position. However, commuters should expect delays of up to an hour. NJ Transit spokesman Dan Stessel says Amtrak was unable to close the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River at 11:40 a.m. Friday. Stessel says the problem has been repaired, but only one track is open." NJ Transit's website says "PATH and bus cross honoring in effect." There are also delays for Amtrak riders. As it happens, Amtrak and NJ Transit are working on a project to enhance the bridge's capacity.

Video: Thugs Caught on Camera in Violent Jewelry Store Robbery

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T12:52:33-05:00

Well, here's surveillance video of armed thugs running amok in a Far Rockaway jewelry store on November 28th, in broad daylight. After locking two employees in a bathroom, the thieves handcuffed a third employee, who tries to casually walk away at the 50 second mark. He almost makes it out the door, but is dragged back in and thrown to the floor. A second escape is attempted but quickly thwarted by a hooded perp disguised as a Jawa. Honestly, this employee is lucky he wasn't [SPOILER!] killed.

Police tell 1010 WINS the suspects escaped from Gold Fashion Jewelry, located at 2125 Mott Avenue, with a large haul of jewelry and cash. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

Wet Saturday, Dry Sunday This Weekend

Joe Schumacher — 2009-12-04T12:37:11-05:00

view out my window by ryan muir on Flickr

This week's rollercoastering weather keeps on rolling. After peaking twice yesterday at 66 degrees the temperature is going to hold steady today around 50ish under mostly sunny skies before heading downhill for the rest of the weekend.

The devil is in the details for tomorrow's forecast. Overall look for a cool, cloudy day followed by some sort of precipitation in the evening. Up in the atmosphere there's a shortwave of energy scooting over from Texas and turning up the East Coast. On the ground the cold air behind last night's front finally arrives. The timing and placement of those critters will determine the amount and type of precipitation that will fall. Our bookie tells us the smart money is on rain starting mid-afternoon before mixing with, and changing over to light snow when the cooler air arrives in the evening. No accumulation is expected across the city.

Lots of sun should arrive on Sunday but it will be cold. Look for morning lows around freezing and afternoon highs in the mid 40s through Tuesday.

Pencil This In

2009-12-04T12:32:45-05:00

We're bringing Pencil This In to you earlier with our new newsletter, GothamList. Sign up below for the daily scoop on concerts, readings, performances, and other events, which will arrive in your inbox first thing every morning Monday through Friday. You can get today's newsletter when you sign up.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email us at info(at)gothamist(dot)com

Rihanna's Random Airport Search

Jen Carlson — 2009-12-04T12:23:27-05:00

Yesterday on her way from Los Angeles to New York, Rihanna was the subject of a random security search at LAX. The random selection had her out in the open stripping down to a T-backed tank top, and according to the NY Post, "it gave airport gawkers an eyeful of her body and the tattoo that runs down her back." The singer reportedly looked cold and unhappy. She's now safe and sound in NYC—performing at Hammerstein Ballroom last night, and slated as the musical guest on tomorrow's SNL.

Mr. Burns Wins NYC Mayoral Election (If It Was Just Write-in Votes)

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T12:06:41-05:00

A analysis of Board of Elections data has determined that Charles Montgomery Burns, the nuclear power magnate immortalized in The Simpsons, would have won the recent NYC mayoral election, had it just been limited to write-in votes. A mysteriously-funded "grassroots" campaign to install Burns as Mayor succeeded in drawing 25 lovingly handwritten votes. But because those bleeding hearts at the Board of Elections let the masses use their vulgar "voting booths," Mr. Burns was denied the excellent opportunity to tell New Yorkers, "In addition to electing me, you may now praise me as your almighty." Of course, Mr. Burns wasn't the only candidate to fare well among the write-in electorate.

One Queens resident wrote in assassinated President Abe Lincoln, Mickey Mouse got two votes, and Alfred E. Newman got one. Three New Yorkers voted for Bill Clinton, Giuliani received 10 votes, and Ed Koch and David Dinkins tied with one vote. "I was a good mayor and some people remember that," Koch tells the Daily News, while "swearing he didn't write in his own name." And though he died in 2004, Rodney Dangerfield won one vote—which we admit came from us, because what New York City needs more than anything is for Dangerfield to rise from the dead, get sworn in as Mayor, and yell, "Hey, everybody! We're all gonna get laid!"

Early Addition

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T11:50:03-05:00

Photograph by street level on Flickr

From the Gothamist Newsmap: A commercial robbery at 6th Ave & 20th St in Manhattan, fall victim onto tracks at Sheepshead Bay Rd & E 16 St in Brooklyn and a perp search at 52 Ave & 94th St in Queens.
An off-duty cop was arrested in Queens for drunk driving.
NJ's gay marriage proposal will be heard in its Senate next week.
A Brooklyn man was arrested in Pennsylvania for raping his girlfriend's 10-year-old daughter and sexually abusing her 15-year-old daughter and another teen.
A Red Hook building whose design is inspired by shipping containers promises to be a "zero-energy" structure.
An Indiana teen who strangled his brother explained that he identified with Showtime's serial killer anti-hero Dexter.
It takes less than 140 characters to tweet "Marshall Stack is a Twitter-free zone."
Bo!! The White House will feature a Bo created out of sugar for the residence's gingerbread house.
And speaking of Bo's owner, there's Obama LSD.

Presented By:

2009-12-04T11:50:03-05:00

Four More Schools, Including Jamaica High, To Be Closed

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T11:33:20-05:00

On Wednesday, the city announced that four struggling public schools would be closed. Now the city says four more are slated to be shut down—including Jamaica High School in Queens. Enrollment at Jamaica High School has been falling. Jamaica High tells the Daily News it's shocked, since it improved its graduation rate by 10 points. But that's enough, since its grad rate has stayed below 50% for years. The News notes, "Jamaica was named the best secondary school in America in 1985 by the U.S. Department of Education. Among its students were columnist Art Buchwald, director Francis Ford Coppolla, '50s doo-wop group The Cleftones and much-reviled Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley."

Ashley Dupre On Tiger Woods' Babes: "At Least I Kept My Mouth Shut"

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T11:13:40-05:00

Ashley Dupre, aka Kristen, Governor Spitzer's pricey escort, is weighing in on Tiger Woods' growing posse of alleged mistresses. She text messaged with the Post, complaining, "Here you have all these girls accepting gifts, money, trips from Tiger in exchange for sex -- all the while knowing he is married... And now they all can't wait to tell their stories in exchange for even more money from the tabloids? And I was the hooker? At least I kept my mouth shut."

Of course, this is a reprise of her argument from September—when she fired back at women who judge her for her past as a high-class call girl and said some women "still dive into relationships with wealthy guys who they don't love or even find attractive, but they stay in it because they have a nice home, a car and spending money."

In her text messages with the Post, Dupre adds, "I'm often referred to as the 'woman who brought down the governor' -- excuse me, people, I didn't call the tabloids. I didn't blow the whistle, and I didn't save 'the dress'"—referring to Monica Lewinsky—"I did nothing to shine a light on my indiscretions or to 'out' anyone else." Well, she was doing something illegal, but that's beyond the point.

NYC Students "Die" On 25th Anniversary Of Bhopal Chemical Disaster

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T10:55:54-05:00

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At midnight on December 2nd, 1984, twenty-seven tons of lethal gases leaked from Union Carbide’s pesticide factory in Bhopal, India, immediately killing 8,000 people and poisoning thousands of others. According to Bhopal.net, "There was no warning, none of the plant's safety systems were working. In the city people were sleeping. They woke in darkness to the sound of screams with the gases burning their eyes, noses and mouths. They began retching and coughing up froth streaked with blood. Whole neighborhoods fled in panic, some were trampled, others convulsed and fell dead. People lost control of their bowels and bladders as they ran. Within hours thousands of dead bodies lay in the streets." And the water's still poisoned!

A recent study found some toxins in the groundwater at up to 2,400 times higher than World Health Organization and U.S. EPA guidelines. To mark the 25th anniversary of what is widely considered the worst industrial disaster in history, hundreds of college students staged a "die in" in Union Square park Wednesday, demanding Dow Chemical, which bought Union Carbide in 1999, accept responsibility for the clean up.

"Dow is acting really douchey," said Rocco Ferrer, a part-time participant in political satirists The Yes Men who helped arrange demonstration. "Clean up your mess already and make Bhopal fabulous." Students from Parsons the New School, as part of an all freshman "Laboratory" class, used their bodies in a massive public installation spelling out the words D-O-W in Union Square North. In a statement, Adriane Corwin, an organizer with the Bhopal campaign who has lived and worked in Bhopal, said, "Children are still drinking water full of toxins and carcinogens. That’s the real Human Element," referring to Dow’s marketing campaign.

National Unemployment Now At 10%

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T10:40:13-05:00

The Department of Labor released jobs data for November and it turns out the country "only" lost 11,000 jobs last month, bringing unemployment to 10%, after being at 10.2% for October. Now the Dow has jumped over 100 points on the news.

The NY Times reports, "Though the pace of job loss has been declining since a peak in January, the November number was surprising. Economists had been expecting a turning point to come in the late spring or summer, with employers finally adding workers as a recovery takes hold. The last time the number was so bright was in December 2007, when the economy added 120,000 jobs." One economist said, "It is clearly a much better picture, and appears to be mostly genuine," but another told the paper, "It is like a patient after having collapsed with a heart attack sitting up and taking a breath—nothing more than that. Things are getting better, but a one-month respite, frankly, means nothing in the context of the worst labor market ever seen since the 1930s."

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis says, "I am encouraged by the pattern of moderated job loss; however, I will not be satisfied until there are robust job gains. This administration is focused on jobs and job creation every day. We are working hard to sustain economic growth and spur renewed hiring for the millions of Americans who need and want work but cannot find it. Over the past 10 months, the Obama Administration has taken bold steps to break the back of this recession. While there has been a lot of rhetoric about the Recovery Act, when you look at today's report and other recent favorable economic trends, it is hard to argue that the Recovery Act is not working."

Creepy Rabbits Invading NYC!

Jen Carlson — 2009-12-04T10:23:42-05:00

Photo via knador's Twitter

Have you seen any creepy rabbits in suits walking around town? It seems Twitter is abuzz with sightings. We've deduced that there's not a Furry Convention in town, and neither Donnie Darko or Inland Empire are getting released on Blu-Ray this weekend... so our guess is that they're here to promote SyFy's Alice in Wonderland (which premieres this Sunday). That, or just to scare the hell out of us.

Will Hiram Get A Deal?

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T10:17:44-05:00

State Senator Hiram Monserrate is expected in court today, to face sentencing for his misdemeanor assault (of his girlfriend) conviction. WCBS 2 reports, "The Queens District Attorney was expected to ask for only 60 days in prison instead of the maximum of a year, because D.A. Richard Brown reportedly wanted to make sure Hiram Monserrate attends a program for people who batter their mates. That would only be mandatory if Monserrate was sentenced to 60 days or less." Hmm.

AA's "Fat Flier" Got Whole Row

Jen Carlson — 2009-12-04T09:55:40-05:00

After a photo emerged yesterday of an overweight man on an American Airlines flight, flooding the aisle with flab, Federal aviation authorities investigated the image.

Apparently before being airborne, flight attendants gave the man two extra seats, which is in line with safety rules, according to the NY Post. This was accomplished by offering another passenger a ticket for a later flight, so the overweight man could have a whole row to himself. Giving him one seat belt extender (two is not allowed), and putting the arm rests up, the man was accommodated for and no FAA rules were violated.

There was no word on if he had to pay for the extra seat, and the paper points out that all airlines have different rules in dealing with the matter. "JetBlue leaves to its crews how to deal with fat passengers; Delta says it deals with them on a case-by-case basis. American has said it has no hard-and-fast fat-flier rules." As far as safety issues, one airline source says that children and elderly passengers can slow down an emergency evacuations just as much as an obese passenger.

N/W Train Service Problems In Queens—Now Resolved

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T09:46:57-05:00

Photograph from Jessica Pearson

[UPDATE BELOW] 8:30 a.m. Eep, NYC Transit is warning, "Due to a rail condition at the Queensboro Plaza Station, there is no service in both directions on the N trains from the Queensboro Plaza Station to the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station," plus the "W train service has been suspended the entire line." There are shuttle trains running local from the Queensboro Plaza Station to the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard Station and shuttle trains running express from Ditmars Boulevard to Queensboro Plaza, but "As an alternative, customers are advised to take Q69, Q101 or Q102 bus making nearby station stops."

9:40 a.m.: Now NYC Transit says all service is running normally, but reader Jessica Pearson sent us this photograph of the chaos that had ensued. She writes, "People trying to go to Manhattan [had to] take a Ditmars bound train to Astoria Blvd and transfer to a Manhattan bound train. MTA workers [were] misinformed and told a lot of people to stay on wrong side of the track."

Hawaiian Tropic Zone Reneges On Sex Suit Settlement

John Del Signore — 2009-12-04T09:30:42-05:00

After agreeing to settle an explosive $600 million lawsuit filed by five female former employees, Hawaiian Tropic Zone has backed away from a deal to settle out of court for $2 million. It's a surprising move for HTZ, which is famous for its bikini-clad servers; having reopened its midtown location in May, you might think the Riese Organization, HTZ's parent company, would just want this to go away. Each of the women have accused upper management of looking the other way as the former general manager at the midtown location turned the establishment into a "sexual playground" for "boyhood fantasies."

The allegations against general manager Anthony Rakis include charges that he drugged and raped former floor manager Giulietta Consalvo in the back of a cab in 2006, and sexually assaulted and harassed other employees. Daniel Riese, CEO, claims Consalvo told him in 2006 that she was in fact not raped and even recommended a friend of hers to be Rakis's personal assistant after the alleged attack. But Consalvo says Riese gave her a $10,000 raise and thanked her for not reporting the rape to police.

Another plaintiff, former hostess Stephanie Cheng, says Rakis forced her to perform fellatio on him in a basement storage area, telling her, "Don't say anything or else you'll be in hot water like I will be. I have a wife and I have kids and I can't afford to lose this job." The lawsuit also charged that Rakis and other managers frequented the dorm-like Upper East Side walk-up where many waitresses got a rent discount through HTZ , and Rakis allegedly impregnated one of the women. Cheng and three co-defendants also say they complained to the Manhattan district attorney's office, but Rakis was never charged; the Riese Organization later terminated him after an internal investigation.

Sordid stuff, and now you're hearing all about it again because lawyers for Riese backed out of the settlement Tuesday—they were to have paid each of the women between $75,000 and $800,000, according to the Daily News. Looks like Riese thinks it can win this one, but is there no such thing as bad sexual publicity? In this case, maybe not—it's hard to imagine HTZ's fratastic businessman clientele organizing a boycott over a guy who allegedly acted out his "boyhood fantasies." (By the way, this lawsuit is not to be confused with the HTZ ghetto mouth lawsuit.)

Archdiocese Boots S.I. Priest Because He Needs Dialysis

Jen Chung — 2009-12-04T09:04:50-05:00

Photograph of St. Peter's R.C. Church from Medieval New York

The Archdiocese of New York is asking a priest at a Staten Island church to go back to his "native Philippines because he’s ill with kidney disease," the Staten Island Advance reports. Rev. Eusebio Pablito Maghari, who has been at the church for six years, says that that he was told he can't stay on because of his health issues (diet and lost sight in one eye) and required weekly dialysis—a letter told him "The rectory is not the appropriate place for you to live."

Maghari says that if he goes back to the Philippines, "Slowly, I'll get sicker and sicker," because the diocese there wouldn't be able to afford his treatment. (One of his parishioners added, "He was essentially given a death sentence.") And he's upset that he's been stripped of his ability to perform sacraments like baptisms and marriages, telling the Advance, "That is the happiness of my priesthood, a gift from God. I cannot forsake it.”

However, the Archdiocese of New York says Maghari isn't a member yet (he's still officially part of his diocese in the Philippines; of course, his illness has made him ineligible to permanently be at St. Peter's) and said it felt "he would not be able to function as a priest." Spokesman Joseph Zwilling said Maghari's bishop in the Philippines "indicated he would welcome Father Pablito back. the bishop understands his condition. He’s ready and prepared to care for him," telling the Daily News, "We want what's best for Father Pablito." Still, Maghari says, “I’m feeling like somebody who really belongs to the community."

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