Gothamist

Greenwich Village Water Main Break

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T22:09:28-05:00

Photograph by jphillipobrien2006 on Flickr

This afternoon, there was a water main break at Bleecker and Carmine Streets. As this photograph shows, it created a burbling, muddy-looking lake on the street.

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2009-11-15T22:09:28-05:00

Extra, Extra

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T18:45:48-05:00

Photograph by Kevin H. on Flickr

From the Gothamist Newsmap: A water main break at 6th And Carmine St in Manhattan, shots fired at 54th St & Beach Channel in Queens, and a police car MVA at Belt Parkway At Bay 8 St in Brooklyn.
Fit for a king: Mayor Bloomberg's media company wants to rule the world.
NJ Governor Jon Corzine has declared a state of emergency in the six counties battered by the Nor'easter.
Stuyvesant Town residents rallied in favor of keeping their rent-stabilized rents going into the future.
The Justice Department is launching a probe into why NY milk farmers are getting record low payments but consumers aren't seeing related savings.
Old age? Bruce Springsteen greeted a Michigan crowd with "Hello, Ohio!"
The NY Times profiles the law firm chairman who "earned millions last year arranging shotgun weddings for the busted firms of Wall Street." He drives a Subaru, likes Hitchcock movies, is generally unassuming and modest, and looks like Mr. Peepers.
Ridiculed apocalypse movie 2012 made $65 million at the weekend box office.

For The NYTimes, "Douche" Is Okay, But "Fat Chick" Isn't?

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-15T18:07:53-05:00

In an article that seems to blur the NY Times' own decency standards, the paper of record examines how the word "douche" has evolved from a personal hygiene product into a popular TV pejorative. We're not particularly concerned with the journalistic merits of the piece — we'll leave that to the seasoned Times critics over at nytpick who claim the paper shouldn't have gotten its numbers on TV vulgarity from a Conservative anti-cussing group. But we were shocked to see the paper print the word "douche" five times in a page-one piece, when just last week it censored the words "fat chick" in an article about an online alibi by indirectly quoting a Facebook status update. Not to say that the Times' much-ballyhooed decency standards are a good thing, but consistency certainly is.

House Cat Terrorizes Family In Dramatic Hostage Situation

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-15T17:40:07-05:00

A deranged cat, from Jen Chung's flickr

A Midtown family was held hostage by its pet cat until rescue workers were able to trap the feline yesterday afternoon. It all started at around 3 pm, when Carmen — a 16-pound Russian blue with diabetes and a thyroid condition — turned on her owners, Rosa Davila and her son Victor Marte, 27, the Post reports.

According to Davila, the incident began when Carmen "started making strange noises" and launched herself at Marte. "I yelled, 'Carmen! Calm down!' I wanted her to jump off, but then she started attacking my son. I was in shock — I was very scared for my son," she told the paper. The mother and son tried to flee from the cat, but Carmen chased them, "hissing all the way." Marte managed to evade the cat and hide in a rear bedroom, leaving his mother alone with Carmen. Davila tried to push the cat into a bathroom, but Carmen refused, so she ran to the bedroom, shut the door, and called 911.

Rescue workers arrived at the apartment near the corner of 42nd Street and Dyer Avenue about 25 minutes later and used a stick to guide the cat into an animal carrier. Davila claims that Carmen began acting oddly months ago, when she started begging for food "every five minutes" and gaining weight. Since Davila cannot afford Carmen's costly diabetes treatment, the Manhattan Animal Care and Control Center will shelter the cat for ten days and might put her up for adoption depending on her health and behavior.

For her part, Davila was shocked that things turned out the way they did. "I was surprised to see so many police — like it was for a tiger," she told the Post, weeping as she recounted the attack, which left her son with scratches to his legs. "I was so surprised because I knew she was moody, but this just doesn't make sense…"I just don't want people to think she's a bad cat. I think she just had a reaction to her medical condition."

Opinionist: The New Electric Ballroom

John Del Signore — 2009-11-15T17:01:21-05:00

Pavel Antonov

One of the most memorable plays we saw last year was The Walworth Farce, a pitch-black comedy by Irish playwright Enda Walsh. The story concerned a menacing father who every day forces his two sons to join him in performing a farcical play he wrote about a phony brain surgeon's attempt to cheat his estranged brother out of his inheritance. In that frenzied, hysterical production, the family's shabby apartment doubled as their stage, and all nine parts were played by the housebound men, as a sort of elaborate domestic ritual for an audience of none.

Walsh's one act play The New Electric Ballroom, currently in town at St. Ann's Warehouse, is a companion piece of sorts. Though the narrative is not literally connected to The Walworth Farce, the concept is the same—a dysfunctional family's traumatic memories are channeled into an obsessive, theatrical reenactment that's probably not all that therapeutic. In this case, the main players are all female, and the story they act out is far from farcical. Ensconced inside their strange subterranean apartment, three middle age sisters take turns reliving the events of one turbulent evening from their adolescence, when each one vied for the affections of a rockabilly singer at the titular nightclub.

Where The Walworth Farce was febrile and exhilarating, The New Electric Ballroom is introspective and incantatory. As each sister takes her turn in the spotlight to tell her side of that pivotal night, an atmosphere of macabre dread takes hold, sometimes turning static, like a haunted funhouse ride that's ground to a halt. It's still a creepy world worth visiting, and Walsh has a lot to say about the way families construct twisted shared narratives to process the past. But the most entertaining parts of the 80-minute performance occur when the local fishmonger Patsy (Mikel Murfi) bursts in to make a delivery and beg for affection, which the sisters withhold until the bitter end. In a bravura climax, Patsy is radically transformed into the flashy star of their haunted show; all the performances are impeccable, but Murfi brings a thrilling jolt of electricity.

Monmouth College Fans Taunt Isiah With Chants

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T16:33:41-05:00

When Isiah Thomas returned to the tri-state area, bringing his Florida International team to play NJ's Monmouth College, the home crowd decided to go nostalgic with their jeers. According to the Daily News, they yelled, "sexual harassment," "take Lunesta," "Anucha Sanders," and "Magic hates you." Thomas took it in stride, "I'm used to being in a hostile work environment as athlete and former Bad Boy, every place we went to was this kind of environment... It's all in good spirit and good fun, that's what being a fan is all about. ... I thought the students were well in line and in bounds with the chants that they were saying."

Video: The History of One Manhattan Block

Jen Carlson — 2009-11-15T16:07:07-05:00

The complete history of Eldridge Street between Stanton and Rivington has all been visually played out in this 12-second video. Don't blink, you might miss that time it was Delancey Farm.

Get a slower look, and learn more about the project, here. Creator Zach van Schouwen even made each building clickable so you can get the individual histories of them. His own inspiration came from trying to discover more about a building his great-great-grandfather lived in — a five-story tenement at 218 Eldridge Street. He says, "With some help from Christopher Gray's guide to researching New York City buildings, I discovered that the building had been erected in 1834, on the site of an old house. It was demolished in the 1940s; its lot later held a garage, then a housing project."

Former Member Tells Post About Scientology Experience

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T15:41:55-05:00

Photograph from a protest last year by istolethetv on Flickr

Last weekend, NY Times reporter Ariel Kaminer wrote about her experience taking the Church of Scientology's personality test and almost managing to go a little deeper into the mysterious group. This weekend, the Post tries to up the ante by speaking with a former member: "MANDY MULLEN, 20, a shop assistant from Old Bridge, NJ, joined Scientology last year when the religion claimed it could fix her spinal disorder, Scoliosis. But, she tells The Post, it did nothing but destroy her finances and mess with her mind — forcing her to break free a few months ago..."

Mullen writes:

"Your face makes me want to puke.”
“You look like a big dufus sitting there.”

For two straight hours, I sat in a chair, not allowed to move a muscle or blink, staring into the eyes of the man slinging insults at me.

I was in a TR — or Training Routine — at the Church of Scientology on West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan, a session that cost $150.

The process was called “auditing.” Ultimately, it was supposed to make your IQ skyrocket and give you greater confidence and control in life. At one point, the church brass even told me that Scientology — the religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 that offers spiritual rehabilitation — could straighten my spine, which has been curved with Scoliosis since I was born.

She also says she once witnessed, at a fundraiser where members are implored to donate (staffers would yell, "This is your planet and all you care about is your money! You should be giving every last dollar! If you don’t give your money you’re a Suppressive Agent!") one man cry, “I’ve donated so much money that I’m broke. I have nothing left. You took all my money.”

Mullen herself directed thousands to the group and couldn't move out of her parents' home, which was problematic to the church, since she was supposed to distance herself from non-believers. She ultimately left—after much drama— after an ethics officer said, “You’re too open-minded to be a Scientologist" (perhaps for looking at an anti-Scientology site) and ended up joining a Scientology protest taking place outside!

Elsewhere In The ist-a-verse

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T15:20:50-05:00

Photo by Clayton Hauck

Chicagoist occupied itself with Twilight and pillow fights.
SFist wondered who paid for Mayor Gavin Newsom's life coach.
LAist interviewed Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe, stirring up talk of still-hot topics like John McCain, Rev. Wright, political journalism, and the concept of change.
DCist watched as a real life nature show unfolded at the National Zoo when a deer wandered in to the lion habitat on a busy Sunday afternoon.
Seattlest reminded us that we don't watch Mariners baseball for the game, we watch it for the player-on-player bromance.
Phillyist got personal this week, calling the man who stole a staffer's purse their official asshole of the week.
Torontoist thought about personal blogging, with special guest Lauren White (known better on the internet as Raymi the Minx).
Austinist had a chat with John Krasinski (Jim on The Office) about adapting David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men for the big screen.
Shanghaiist stopped making out in public, after getting wind that there was a group of PDA police tasked with ensuring that our displays of affection stay off the streets.
Gothamist was sad to hear that a dog which was brutally beaten and thrown off a building was, after being nursed back to health, euthanized by the ASPCA, which determined her to be too aggressive.
Londonist mourned (or celebrated) the demise of poor quality free evening newspapers and loved/hated bendy buses on busy routes.

Central Park Carriage Horse Drivers Are Overcharging

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-15T14:51:29-05:00

Here's some more bad news about the city's embattled carriage horse industry. The Post reveals that many carriage drivers are charging customers more than the city-sanctioned rates. This comes amidst a highly public fight over animal rights, the announcement that one of the city's few remaining stables will close, and a new proposal replace horse carriages with antique-looking cars.

A half-hour ride is supposed to cost $34, but an investigation revealed that six carriage drivers charged that much for just 20 minutes — and one driver charged $40 for a 20-minute jaunt while covering the city-mandated rate card with his raincoat. While the set rates for lengthier rides are supposed to increase by $10 for every 15 minutes, meaning a 45-minute trip should cost $44, some drivers quoted prices beginning at $60 for 45-minute jaunts. One website even advertises a half-hour ride for $78 and a 40-minute "lover's loop" trip for $98. Other drivers try to increase the rate by charging per passenger, not per trip.

Stephen Malone, a carriage owner and spokesman for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York, said the real problem is a city rule that forces drivers to follow a designated path in Central Park that they say takes just 20 minutes to complete. "We don't have a half-hour ride to give," said Malone, who noted that his organization has been pushing for the industry's first official rate hike since 1989, which would bring fares up to $50 for a 20-minute ride and $90 for 40 minutes. The city's Department of Consumer Affairs issued 37 violations against carriage drivers this year, most of them for overcharging, the paper reports.

Making The Call: It's Time For The Coach To Step Up

Peter Trinkle — 2009-11-15T14:21:29-05:00

No one was expecting the Knicks to be good this year, but their 1-9 start has exceeded even the most pessimistic projections. They don’t play defense, allowing opponents to shoot 50.7% from the field and they don’t look like they are even trying for long stretches of the game. Yet somehow, Mike D’Antoni escapes criticism.

When the Knicks handed D’Antoni a four-year/$24 million contract, they made him the third-highest paid coach in the league, despite the fact he had never lead a team to a NBA championship. To be fair, the roster that D’Antoni took over was deeply flawed and still is in many ways, but D’Antoni was given all that money to overcome those obstacles.

Again, nobody expected D’Antoni to turn the Knicks into a playoff team, but it is fair to expect them to be competitive. They aren’t and while the front office can keep dreaming about LeBron coming to the rescue in 2010, the fans are not going to put up with this level of ineptitude. The coach needs to earn his paycheck and make this team competitive. Otherwise, the Knicks should add a new coach to their shopping list next summer.

Bidder Up: Madoff's Mets Jacket Goes For $14,500

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T13:51:18-05:00

Photograph by Richard Drew/AP

Yesterday, the U.S. Marshals auctioned off the belongings of Bernard and Ruth Madoff—objects as fancy as diamond jewelry and as mundane as stationery—and raked in almost $1 million. Perhaps the most recognizable item for sale, a satin Mets jacket with "MADOFF" embroidered on the back (one of his clients/victims was Mets owner Fred Wilpon), sold for $14,500, well over its $500-720 estimate.

The Post lists some of the impressive sales—including $4,750 for a wooden decoy duck, whose estimate price was $53—that helped net twice what the Marshals expected. And according to the NY Times, St. Louis business Lester Miller spent about $100,000 on various pieces of jewelry, who was happy to bid on the items and know the money would go to the victims: "He said he would divide them among his daughters and granddaughters on a cruise to Mexico next weekend... Asked what he would tell his granddaughters when he gave them the bracelets, he said, 'If it’s too good to be true, it’s not right.'"

Early Addition

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T13:20:25-05:00

Photograph by luluinnyc | Amy Dreher

From the Gothamist Newsmap: A confined space rescue on Park Ave in Manhattan, a fatal pedestrian struck at E165st & Grand Concourse in the Bronx and an evidence search on Lafayette St on Staten Island.
Two cops who stopped by a Brooklyn pizzeria for a slice were able to help rescue a mom and her baby from a nearby fire.
Some harmless white powder forced the evacuation of Ellis Island yesterday.
Farmers are reeling from this fall's harvest: "Plagued with inclement weather, disease and complications from both, farms throughout Connecticut, New Jersey and New York generally suffered one of the worst, if not the worst, growing season in memory."
The Pentagon is barring the release of detainee abuse photographs.
A woman found her ex-con boyfriend shot to death and laying in a pool of blood in front of their house, ""I just lost my man and my baby lost her father."
Michael Lohan is allegedly a deadbeat to charities too!
And Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade volunteers head to clown school to learn how to interact with the crowds.

Midtown Businesses Want Bus Companies Out

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-15T12:50:29-05:00

Midtown merchants claim that bus companies that use curbside stops — like Megabus and Bolt Bus — are hurting business. With as many as eight coaches idling on West 33rd Street at one time, business owners say that the vehicles create a "wall of metal, glass and rubber" that makes it hard for pedestrians to see or visit the shops on the other side of the street, according to the Daily News.

"It's terrible and it's hurting our business," said Noelle Mooney, co-owner of the Stout pub and the restaurant Fat Annie's Truck Stop. The city's Department of Transportation admits it has little jurisdiction over the Bolt Bus and Megabus companies, which bring passengers to East Coast cities for fares as low as $1 and use sidewalks as their stations. "This is something we are more and more concerned with and are looking to address," said agency spokesman Seth Solomonow, who noted that the city cannot ban the buses from the bus stops and no-standing zones where they load and unload passengers. The Bolt Bus website describes one of its stops: "This is an outdoor stop at the northwest corner of the intersection. The primary landmark is the New Yorker hotel and the Tick Tock Diner."

The manager of the pub Irish Times on West 32nd Street — where Megabus coaches often idle — said his relationships with the buses and their passengers have been hit and miss. "We like it when they come over for a drink or a bite to eat, but we don't like it so much when they come over as if this is their private bathroom."

Giuliani Livid Over Bringing 9/11 Trials to NYC

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T12:20:40-05:00

Former mayor Rudy Giuliani made the talk show rounds this morning to denounce the Obama administration's decision to try five accused 9/11 plotters—including mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—in New York City's federal court. On Fox News Sunday, Giuliani said the White House was "repeating the mistake of history" and had reverted to a "pre-9/11 approach... What the Obama administration is telling us loud and clear is that both in substance and reality, the War on Terror from their point of view is over. [Mohammad] should be tried in a military tribunal. He is a war criminal. This is an act of war."

Giuiliani added, "Of course it's going to create more security concerns. Just wait and see how much New York City spends on this in order to protect him. This gives all the benefits to the terrorists and much less benefits to the public." The NY Post's cover story is about the security needed: "National Guardsmen will be placed at major transportation hubs while the NYPD will close off subway entrances near the federal courthouse and intensify bag searches throughout the system, the sources said. Marshals will be shipped in from out of town and snipers placed on roofs nearby the courthouse, where a death-penalty trial is likely."

The former mayor also appeared on This Week and CNN's State of the Union to hammer home his point—here's a clip from State of the Union:

Politico points out that previously Giuliani had supported using civilian courts to try terrorists—but let's face it, he said all that before 9/11. Mayor Bloomberg supports the decision for the trial to come to NYC, "It is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered. We have hosted terrorism trials before, including the trial of Omar Abdel-Rahman, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing... I have great confidence that the NYPD, with federal authorities, will handle security expertly. The NYPD is the best police department in the world and it has experience dealing with high-profile terrorism suspects and any logistical issues that may come up during the trials."

When Doors Are Closed, City Can't Stop Illegal Apartments

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-15T11:52:16-05:00

Want to avoid costly fines from the city for renting out illegally subdivided apartments? It's easy — just don't open to door. In the aftermath of a fatal fire that killed three Bangladeshi immigrants in an illegal basement apartment without sufficient exits, the Daily News pulls up some damning figures on the city's inability to crack down on these surprisingly ubiquitous deathtraps.

Each year, the city receives 20,000 complaints about illegal apartments, but it closes half of those cases without ever stepping foot inside the buildings. That's because building owners can avoid inspections — and fines — by simply not answering the doors when inspectors knock. If city inspectors can't get into a building after two visits, they close the case until they receive a new complaint.

The paper details a suspected brothel and illegal apartment building on 18 Ave. in Brooklyn that inspectors have visited 22 times without gaining access, as well as a purportedly illegal day care center with no fire exits on Ash Ave. in Flushing that they have visited repeatedly over the past nine years without getting in.

It seems that the landlords who rent out illegal apartments already know the about the closed-door policy, because the rate with which inspectors have gained access to such apartments has fallen from 60 percent in 2006 to about 50 percent in the last three years. And about that illegally partitioned Woodside building where three men died last week — the owner was fined $800 for illegally dividing apartments in 1998, but records show he never proved that the illegal apartments were made compliant.

Why Christine Quinn May Remain Council Speaker

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T11:23:12-05:00

While minorities are the new majority in the City Council, the Daily News' Adam Lisberg believes Speaker Christine Quinn will keep her leadership position: "When Quinn gave her late and grudging endorsement to city Controller William Thompson's mayoral campaign, reporters went running to [Councilwoman Letitia] James for what was sure to be an incendiary quote - but heard her praise Quinn instead. 'An endorsement is an endorsement,' James said." Apparently James and other Council members realize they should "cut deals with Quinn, because the speaker isn't going anywhere" and the "members who had seen their names floated as potential speakers are now talking with Quinn about getting leadership roles or powerful committees." As for Charles Barron's shot at being speaker, it's suspected he'll just get one vote.

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2009-11-15T11:23:12-05:00

L.I. Man Dies After Cops Shoot Him With Taser Twice

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-15T10:58:58-05:00

A 43-year-old man died yesterday after Long Island cops shot him twice with a Taser. Officers used the weapon on Darryl Bain, 43, after he locked himself and his 78-year-old mother — who had a restraining order against him — in her Coram home.

After calls to 911 from relatives, police barged into the house at around 2:45 pm and tried to subdue Bain, who at the time was high on cocaine. Cops shot him with a Taser, but they were unable to cuff the 6-foot-3 and 240-pound man, so they shot him a second time. Moments later, he stopped breathing.

Bain's mother, Phyllis Hawkins, told the Daily News that her son's breath smelled of alcohol at the time of his death and that he had long struggled with drugs and booze. "Alcohol did not agree with him," said Hawkins, who noted that police had been called on her son at least 70 times since 2000 due to his behavior when he drank and used drugs. That said, she didn't think that police needed to use a Taser her son. "[The police] know that when he gets like that, he calms himself down," she told the paper. "He seemed to be getting himself together from what he did."

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of death. Tasers became a controversial police tool after the widely publicized death of an emotionally disturbed man who was shot in the chest with the weapon last September. Since then, NYPD cops have been instructed to not aim their Tasers at the chest — though a Brooklyn sergeant tells the Post that the weapon isn't effective if it is pointed elsewhere because both of a Taser's prongs must strike flesh for it to deliver a shock, and the darts tend to veer away from each other in the air. "You can't aim it at the place where it's most likely to work, so it's rendered useless," said the Brooklyn sergeant, who told the tabloid he has used the weapon about 20 times.

911 Operator Sends FDNY To Fix Woman's "Broken Water"

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-15T10:18:49-05:00

When firefighters arrived at an apartment on 138th Street on Aug. 18, they were expecting to find a broken water pipe — not a pregnant woman whose water had just broken. In a 911 dispatching gaffe, an operator classified a call about a woman going into labor as a water leak and sent out Ladder Co. 28 "armed with hooks, wrenches and flashlights but no medical gear," the Post reports.

"I called 911 and said, 'My wife, she is pregnant. Her water has broken,'" said husband Mahamadou Sylla, 36. When the firefighters arrived just after 9 am, Sylla brought them to his wife, Amina Morou, who was in the bathroom. "They were very surprised. They said, 'What do you mean she's pregnant? Where's the leak?'"

The firefighters called an ambulance and Amina gave birth to daughter Koudjedji less than an hour later at Harlem Hospital. News of the dispatching mistake comes just a week after 911 operators sent firefighters to the wrong address in Queens, delaying response times to a fatal Woodside house fire by about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

1 Dead, Others Wounded in Brooklyn Bar Shooting

Jen Chung — 2009-11-15T09:44:01-05:00

Earlier this morning, a shooting at the Norwood Palace Bar in Brooklyn has left one person dead and others injured. Around 3 a.m., patrons got into a huge fight and then, according to WCBS 2, "Two plain clothes officers with the anti-crime unit entered the bar in Cypress Hill, and that's when, police said, gunfire was exchanged."

WABC 7 reports, based on the NYPD's look at surveillance footage, "a massive brawl broke out inside when someone started smashing barstools over people's backs." There may also have been gunfire. When the anti-crime cops arrived, "One officer reported being shot at and ducked into a side room where he returned fire."

The man who was pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital may have been the bar bouncer. Another person was hospitalized while two police officers were also taken to the hospital to check for trauma. WCBS 2 adds that three guns were recovered from the bar and , "To piece together what happened, police were reviewing security camera footage from inside the bar, and as many as 50 witnesses were being interviewed from a police station house."

Last Night's Action: Will Eight Be Enough?

Peter Trinkle — 2009-11-15T00:18:39-05:00

Devils 5 Washington 2: New Jersey didn’t come to play, surrendering two goals in the first five minutes, but they stormed back to clinch their eight-straight win. Five different players scored while Martin Brodeur stopped the final 27 shots he faced.
Rangers 2 Ottawa 1 (Shootout): It took seven rounds, but PA Parenteau gave the Rangers the win. New York came back from a 1-0 deficit, thanks to a goal by Vinny Prospal and they killed a penalty in overtime to force the shootout. Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves.
Miami 81 Nets 80: They came very close to getting a win, but Dwyane Wade’s three-pointer with a tenth of a second left kept New Jersey winless. Miami had tied the game on a three-pointer by Quentin Richardson, but Brook Lopez put the Nets up by two with a tip in with only four seconds remaining. But Wade recovered from almost turning the ball over to drill his shot and win the game for Miami.
Florida 5 Islanders 4 (Shootout): The Islanders blew a 2-0 lead, but rallied back from a 4-2 deficit to earn a point. Kyle Okposo scored his fifth goal of the season on a feed from John Tavares to tie it, but the Panthers took it in the shootout.

Extra, Extra

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T18:40:30-05:00

Photograph by krzysztof.poluchowicz on Flickr

From the Gothamist Newsmap: A large crowd at 69 St & 5th Ave in Brooklyn, a fall victim on Amsterdam Ave in Manhattan and a homicide on Van Buren St on Staten Island.
Cabbies who talk on their cellphones while they drive won't face higher fines for at least the next six months — but the Taxi and Limousine Commission still plans to impose a three-strike policy for repeat offenders.
The State Senate says they'll fight cuts to education funding.
Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) won't back down from his statement that some mosques stand in the way of law enforcement, adding: "It is not politically correct and I don't care."
Of course: A porn company wants to release the Carrie Prejean sex tape.
Zsa Zsa Gabor owes the IRS over $100,000 for 2001 and 2002, but her lawyer blames...Bernard Madoff!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in NJ today, stumping for health care reform.
Six psychologists and psychiatrists have been forced to resign from Bellevue Hospital Center for falsifying their time sheets.
EW offers its dream list of Saturday Night Live hosts, including Jane Lynch and Ricky Gervais.

New Parks Won't Arrive Until Old Yankee Stadium Falls

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T18:15:36-05:00

Photograph of old Yankee Stadium by Tom Kaminski/WCBS 880

Baseball season is done and over with, but Bronx residents are still waiting to go to the park. When the city approved the construction of the new Yankee Stadium, it allowed the ballclub to pave over 20.8 acres of parkland. In return, the city promised neighbors it would construct eight smaller greenspaces including public ballfields called Heritage Field as soon as the old Yankee Stadium was demolished. But "The House That Ruth Built" continues to stand, and Bronx residents still don't have much of that new parkland.

Though demolition of the old Yankee Stadium was supposed to begin a year ago, plans were just filed with the Department of Buildings two weeks ago, according to NY1, due in part to a lengthy dispute between the city and the Yankees over the sale of iconic seats from the old stadium. Now that the permits are finally filed, officials insist that demolition will end by summer so the heavily-hyped Heritage Field park can open by fall 2011.

But neighbors and open space activists remain skeptical, especially since the only piece of the much-lauded greenspace to be finished — a waterfront space called Mill Pond Park — came two years late and cost taxpayers $64 million, not the promised $12 million. "It continues to be a debacle. It was a great season for the Yankees, but unfortunately it is continuing to be a nightmare for the community and the city's tax payers," said NYC Park Advocates President Geoffrey Croft.

Oreo The Dog Is Dead, Blame Game Is Not

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T17:42:12-05:00

Oreo, at the ASPCA

Despite repeated requests for clemency, Oreo the dog — a pit bull who miraculously survived a six-story fall from Brooklyn's Red Hook Houses — was put to death yesterday. But the controversy surrounding the ASPCA's decision to euthanize the two-year-old pooch remains very much alive.

Oreo suffered two broken legs and a fractured rib after owner Fabian Henderson threw her off the roof of a building. Oreo's recovery turned into a major news story, with requests to adopt the dog from far and wide (even from Gothamist commenters).

But the ASPCA deemed Oreo too aggressive to live out her life in the company of humans or other dogs, and injected her in the leg yesterday afternoon with an "overdose of sodium pentobarbital" after serving the dog a last meal of "premium quality" kibble and canned dog food, according to the Times. "We have done everything humanly possible to save Oreo's life; yet, as a result of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Mr. Henderson, or for other reasons we may never know, she has come to a place where she can no longer be around people or other animals," the agency said in a statement yesterday. "We make this decision—and others like it-- with a heavy heart and a complete understanding that had she been treated with love and respect, Oreo's fate would be much different."

Unsurprisingly, animal rescue activists — who launched last minute efforts to save the dog — remain outraged by the agency's decision. Camille Hankins, the director of Win Animal Rights, accused the ASPCA of completing "what the animal abuser who threw her off that Brooklyn rooftop set out to do." Volunteers from cast of the TV show Rescue Ink — which has played a rather prominent role in the case of a Long Island woman accused or running a "concentration camp" for animals — even offered to take Oreo to the Middletown sanctuary Pets Alive, but the agency didn't heed the request. "This is absolutely disgusting," Kerry Clair, of Pets Alive, told the Daily News. "Why would an organization charged with guarding and protecting animals kill this dog before taking every other option?"

Do you think the ASPCA made the right decision to euthanize Oreo?(opinion)

Upper West Side Apple Store Opens Its Doors

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T17:00:50-05:00

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The new Apple Store on Broadway and West 67th opened this morning, with a crowd of Apple enthusiasts as well as the curious queueing up down the block. The line moved pretty quickly, with visitors being welcomed by cheering Apple employees who also handed out t-shirts.

One visitor was self-proclaimed "big Apple fanboy" Matt Duffy, who told the Daily News he traveled from Scotland and has been to Paris, Boston and London for other openings, "This is my seventh opening. It's good fun. You meet people in line and chat with them. It's a good atmosphere." While there were some folks waiting since last night, others were just people who decided to check out the scene at that moment.

There were some celebrities on hand too—we spotted Willem Dafoe (currently in Idiot Savant), Billy Crudup and 30 Rock stars Jack McBrayer and Jane Krakowski. All in all, most people—many families—were trying out Apple products, getting advice from employees and passing the time at a new neighborhood store on a drizzly Saturday.

Police Reports: Anchor Dominic Carter Choked Wife in 2003

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T16:24:32-05:00

Embattled newsman Dominic Carter choked his wife twice in a single night in 2003 until she almost passed out, according to newly unveiled police reports. Following the revelation last month of a pending domestic assault charge against the NY1 political commentator for striking his wife in 2008, both the Daily News and the Post report today on a six-year-old dispute in which the journalist allegedly strangled his spouse.

"He later went into the bedroom and called me over. He continued to scream at me, threaten me with his fist, and broke the mirror," wrote wife Marilyn Carter — who after initially blaming her husband of abuse in the 2008 case recanted her claims and blamed a day laborer. "Not answering him in the matter in which he wanted me to he proceeded to choke me twice. After choking me he told me get up and go. Trying to stand up I almost passed out."

According to the Daily News, police records also revealed that a 2005 dispute over "transportation" turned into a shoving match between the couple. In that case, Carter acknowledged "he did argue with his wife and that he did push her and that she did push him and throw items." Ramapo Police were called to the couple's house to break up three other disputes between Carter and his wife, though they had not turned violent.

Since the revelation of the 2008 charges, things haven't been going smoothly for Carter. He has been suspended from his job, chastised by a judge for namedropping in court, and kicked off a plane for bumping into a flight attendant—not to mention Marilyn Carter went missing and flew back to NYC during their trip to Kansas City last week.

S.I. Teen Run Over In Front Of School, In Critical Condition

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T15:53:59-05:00

A Staten Island teenager is in critical condition after she was run over in a chain reaction car crash in front of Tottenville High School yesterday. At around 11:30 am, a Nissan Maxima stopped to allow 17-year-old senior Janine Brawer to cross Luten Avenue. But as she crossed the street, a Saturn rear-ended the Nissan and pushed the car into the teen, pinning her beneath it. Rescue workers extracted Brawer — who suffered cardiac arrest during the collision — and transported her to Staten Island University Hospital, where she underwent surgery and remains in "grave condition," according to police.

No charges have been filed against either of the drivers, both of whom are believed to be students at the school. The incident immediately sparked questions about whether or not traffic calming devices like crosswalks or speed bumps should be installed on the avenue, which does not have any stop signs or traffic lights. A plan to install speed bumps was once scrapped because of school bus traffic.

New Rules Means Faster Blood Tests For Drunk Drivers

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T15:17:34-05:00

Cops and district attorneys have agreed on a new protocol allowing police to more quickly obtain warrants to draw blood from drivers who refuse to take breathalyzer tests. The new process should let police draw blood from suspected drunk drivers at least two hours faster than the current average of seven hours, the New York Times reports.

Under current rules, cops can only apply for a warrant to draw blood after a suspected drunk driver has refused a breath test in the field, and a second breath test in the stationhouse. The new agreement will let officers request a warrant as soon as a driver refuses to take a breath test the first time. Officers and district attorneys have not yet determined whether blood can be drawn at precincts and other locations instead of hospitals, and whether the job will be done by doctors working for police, first responders, or other parties.

The push for faster blood testing comes after two fatal accidents in which NYPD officers refused to take breathalyzers and didn't take blood tests for hours. In the case of officer Andrew Kelly — who reportedly reeked of alcohol and slurred his speech immediately after hitting and killing a woman in Brooklyn in September — it took police seven hours to obtain a warrant for a blood test. By the time Kelly took the test, he had no alcohol in his system. Meanwhile, a blood test taken more than five hours after detective Kevin Spellman struck a Bronx woman last month revealed that his blood alcohol level was still well above the legal limit at 0.21.

A lawyer who has represented several people arrested for drunk driving told the Times that the new process won't necessarily save much time. “Generally, they take you right to the precinct for the second test, and that is not that long after the person is arrested,” said attorney Howard Weiner. “In many states you don’t need a court order to take the blood. That would save a lot of time.”

Long Lines For Swine Flu Vaccine At City's Weekend Clinics

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T14:39:44-05:00

Photograph by Jake Dobkin/Gothamist

Since turnout for last weekend's swine flu vaccine clinics for public school students was low, the Health Department decided to open up this weekend's clinics to other priority groups—pregnant women; anyone 4 years through 24 years of age; persons 25 through 64 with underlying health conditions that increases risk of severe illness or complications; anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old. And on the Upper East Side, at P.S. 290, the lines went for three blocks with at least a 90 minute wait.

The line outside P.S. 290 had children as well as pregnant women and some older people—no special preference given if you're extremely pregnant or old. Health Department spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti told us that while there was a wait, the clinics can handle up to 500 people per hour, noting that some clinics didn't have long lines. (A possible issue: Those clinics are likely located in a different borough, since there was one clinic open each in Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island this weekend and two each in Brooklyn and Queens.) Beehive Hairdresser tried to get a vaccine at P.S. 186 in Brooklyn, because based on information from the Health Department's website and 311, that's where he was directed to go...only P.S. 186's clinic is actually scheduled for next month!

Here's the list of clinics open this weekend and upcoming weekends.

Lou Dobbs For Senate?

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T14:12:51-05:00

Now that Lou Dobbs is no longer a CNN anchor, his next career path might take him to...the Capital. According to the Post, "With the conservative Gov.-elect Chris Christie poised to take control in Trenton, many Jersey political watchers feel the timing could be right for Dobbs, a self-described 'Rockefeller Republican.'" Montclair State poli sci professor Brigid Harrison said, "This is something that has been talked about, particularly for 2012 against Senator [Robert] Menendez." Plus Dobbs has a profile to start with. However, Monmouth University's polling chief Patrick Murray warns that his views on immigration could be a turn-off, "One out of five New Jerseyans were born outside of this country. That's a lot of people."

Jets Emerge From Bye to Face Jaguars

Tom Boorstein — 2009-11-14T13:40:57-05:00

Photograph of Mark Sanchez after the Dolphins loss by Wilfredo Lee/AP

Mark Sanchez says the Jets are better than their 4-4 record, which "doesn’t show the type of players we have, the kind of people we have in this locker room and the kind of coaching we have.” Bill Parcells, who said, "You are what your record says you are," would beg to differ. That said, the Jets did outplay the Dolphins despite losing the game on special teams. They also need only a win and a Patriots loss in Indianapolis to play for first place in the AFC East when they visit Foxborough next week. The team may have lost the luster it had after a 3-0 start turned into a .500 record, but it isn't dead in the water yet.

They welcome the Jaguars, a team that has gotten to 4-4 much more quietly than the Jets have. They have running back Maurice Jones-Drew and wideout Mike Sims-Walker, perhaps the best hyphenated-name duo in the league. The Jets' heavy blitzing could neutralize Jones-Drew out of the backfield. But will the loss of Kris Jenkins continue to hurt them in the ground game? Darrelle Revis can shut down anyone, and that includes Sims-Walker. Besides, he has East Orange, N.J., native David Garrard throwing him the ball. That doesn't always work out well.

The Jets have the tools to win on both sides of the ball, but as they showed in the Miami game two weeks ago, that doesn't guarantee anything. The Jets aren't dead yet, but if they lose this game, they may as well be.

Madoff Belongings Go On Auction

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T13:00:37-05:00

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Today, Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers are helping the U.S. Marshals sell of items belonging to Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff and his wife Ruth. You can see the various lots here—there's couple's jewelry, clothing knickknacks, and whatever else the Marshals found in their three homes. In other words, it's slightly more high-end than the average yard sale.

The NY Times described the scene at yesterday's preview:

A crowded corner held Rolex and other high-end watches and diamond-encrusted pieces that might dazzle the eye, but there’s nothing like a room full of United States marshals with dark blue jackets and badges to kill the mystique of precious jewels. The rest of the display looked like samplings from your typical high-end Westchester estate sale: the inevitable framed Henri Cartier Bresson poster, the crocodile purse, the bland dishware from the beach house, some primitive art that the purchasers probably described to their friends as “funky” when they bought it years ago.

It's hoped the auction will raise at least $500,000 for Madoff's victims.

Early Addition

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T12:14:17-05:00

Photograph by Adhocism on Flickr

From the Gothamist Newsmap: A pedestrian struck DOA at Central Pkwy & 94 St in Queens, a shooting at Bowery & Bond St in Manhattan and a pedestrian struck at 23 St & 5th Ave in Manhattan.
Yankee reliever Mariano Rivera found out that former Yankee John Wetteland possibly tried to commit suicide when a Daily News reporter told him.
The mumps outbreak from an upstate camp has now grown to 180 cases in the NY and NJ area. It's believed that a child from England triggered it; 4,000 in Britain have the disease.
Yesterday, the Chabad Lubavitchers had their first international conference of emissaries since the killing of an emissary couple from Brooklyn in Mumbai.
Brooklyn Bridge Park got grassed.
The Chinese police busted a 215 square-foot factory making fake condoms including brands like Durex: "Employees were found neglecting to sterilize the condoms. Instead, the workers simply lubricated the rubbers with vegetable oil and popped them into bags."
Lindsay Lohan allegedly grabbed two bottles of champagne and finished them with a friend when asked to pay her bar bill, "She was crying and wanted to go home. She kept saying 'I don't pay for drinks! This is ridiculous! I'm freaking out!'"
The Empire State Building is blue tonight for World Diabetes Day.

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2009-11-14T12:14:17-05:00

Standard Hotel Rape Suspect Claims He Is Falsely Accused

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T11:54:19-05:00

The Australian businessman suspected of attempting to rape a maid at the Standard Hotel claims the charges against him are made up. A lawyer representing 42-year-old Matthew Moorhouse denied allegations that his client forced himself upon a hotel staffer last Saturday as she tidied up his $400-per-night room. "There was no assaultive conduct — nothing that can be construed in that fashion," his lawyer, Joseph DeMatteo, told The Post. The suspect served four nights in jail before being released yesterday on $20,000 bail. According to the criminal complaint, Moorhouse asked the victim "Where are you from? How long have you been here?" before pushing her onto a bed, groping her, and shouting "Touch me!" Another hotel worker heard the victim's screams, and the woman was able to escape from the room and alert hotel security.

Superhero-Friendly Phone Booths

Jen Carlson — 2009-11-14T11:21:36-05:00

Good news everyone: street artist Posterchild has brought superhero changing stations to NYC! How convenient for the caped and masked crusaders amongst us, and much needed since traditional phone booths are nearly extinct.

Urban Prankster opines: "I love these unauthorized projects because they’re turning useless eyesores into art. There are certain city blocks in NY that have upwards of 10 public telephones. When is the last time anyone used a payphone? These structures are simply huts to cash in on advertising dollars, and they needlessly pollute the scenery of our streets."

Meanwhile, in other pay phone news: Miss Heather has a glimpse at the future of Bedford Avenue.

Reality TV Means Real Problems For Gang-Targeted Actor

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T10:52:17-05:00

A Brooklyn actor is suing Spike TV for labeling him as a drug dealer — not an actor playing one on TV — in its reality show "DEA." Iban Hernandez, 32, says he had to move his family to a safe place after receiving threats from Newark gang members who saw an episode of the drug enforcement-themed program in which he is depicted as a real-life gang informant, not a thespian playing a role in a reenactment.

To make matters worse, Hernandez claims the channel reneged on its promise to blur his face in the program, according to the Post. "These gang members are upset. Hernandez's family was terrified. Every time they are out, they are looking over their shoulder," said Hernandez's attorney Craig Borgen, who is also targeting Spike TV's parent company Viacom. "The parent company is perpetrating a fraud. People are expecting to see reality TV, but this specific episode was staged."

Pregnant Woman And Two Men Shot In Clinton Hill Drive-By

Ben Muessig — 2009-11-14T10:22:09-05:00

A gunman in a white Cadillac Escalade opened fire on a Clinton Hill bodega last night, striking a pregnant woman and two men who were standing inside. The perp began shooting at the DeKalb Gourmet Deli near the corner of DeKalb Avenue and Kent Avenue at around 7 pm, hitting a 15-year-old boy in the arm and torso, a 20-year-old man in the leg, and a pregnant 24-year-old in the upper thigh.

The bodega's cashier told the Times that the pregnant victim appeared to be the most seriously injured. “It all happened in a second; it was just like one, two, and then everyone ran to the back,” said the employee, who in the aftermath of the shooting wrapped a towel around the woman's wound. “I was just scared about the lady. She kept on opening and closing her eyes. I said, ‘Just keep your eyes open.’"

The Daily News notes that police have made no arrests, and it remains unclear who the gunman was intending to target in the drive-by. Though all of the victims are in stable condition, the Post reports that the pregnant victim is in a tough spot. According to the tabloid, without surgery, the woman might lose her leg — but if she goes under anesthesia, she could lose her baby.

FIT Students Busted For Drug Dealing Get Probation

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T09:55:50-05:00

The two Fashion Institute of Technology students who were busted last December for coke dealing (to undercover cops, no less) were given probation for their felony cocaine possession raps. However, Mackenzie Dippenworth was unhappy with being branded a felon, saying, "It's the ugliest, most disgusting word in the entire language," adding, "I look in here, and I don't see a felon. I don't. I see a girl who made a mistake."

Judge Roger Hayes pointed out that she and friend/co-defendant Christina Scafa could be "prisoners" instead—oh, snap! Hayes also said, "Is this a life-affecting event? Yes. But does this mean your life is washed away? Far from it."

Dippenworth and Scafa were accused of buying drugs at Chelsea nightclubs and then selling them at the dorms. However, their lawyers claimed they were being set up and there were also questions of sloppy police work. Scafa's lawyer said yesterday, "My client right now is relieved to be closing this chapter of her life."

Geraldo Tells Kerik That He's "Screwed"

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T09:45:03-05:00

Geraldo Rivera—what a pal! The journalist was spotted by the Daily News visiting Bernard Kerik at the soon-to-be-sentenced former police commissioner's Franklin Lakes, NJ home. Rivera said, "Considering he's been hung out to dry by the justice system, I think he's doing remarkably well... He's a man of great integrity and courage and he'll get through it." He added, "I can tell you what I said. I said he was screwed." It's unclear if Rudy Giuliani has been to Kerik's home to see his (one-time?) BFF.

Mixed Reaction To 9/11 Plotters' New York City Trial

Jen Chung — 2009-11-14T09:13:03-05:00

Photographs of, at left, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and at right, (top row left) Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, (top row right) Waleed bin Attash, (bottom row left) Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi and (bottom row right) Ramzi Binalshibh from the AP

After U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that five of the plotters behind the September 11 attacks—including mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—would be tried in federal court in lower Manhattan, the reaction has ranged from the outraged and upset to the relieved. Retired deputy fire chief Jim Riches, whose firefighter son while responding to the World Trade Center's fires, told the NY Times, "Let them come to New York. Let them get on trial. Let’s do it the right way, for all the world to see what they’re like. Let’s go. It’s been too long. Let’s get some justice."

However, Judea Pearl, father of kidnapped and brutally murdered Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, had a different reaction; he told the Post that he was "sick to the stomach" about the decision, "I don't want to hear every morning in the papers what KSM did. Danny was killed once. Now he will be killed 10 times a day. Leave him alone... The 21st century saw three shocks. The first was 9/11. The second was the killing of my son. And the third was the shock today."

Lawmakers were also split: Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) said, “We should not be increasing the danger of another terrorist strike against Americans at home and abroad," but Rep. Jerrold Nadler (R-NYC) emphasized, "New York is not afraid of terrorists. Any suggestion that our prosecutors and our law enforcement personnel are not up to the task of safely holding and successfully prosecuting terrorists on American soil is insulting and untrue."

Whenever the trial does begin, there will be a lot of security downtown: The Daily News reports:

"Rooftop snipers, armored vehicles and lock-down zones around the Pearl Street courthouse are part of the plan to insure safety during the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and his cohorts. Security will include 24-hour fixed canine posts and a counterassault team car - an unmarked bulletproof SUV in the area.

The NYPD's heavily armed Hercules teams will lock down and sweep the area before suspects are moved from the federal lockup to the courtroom via a not-so-secret underground tunnel."

And Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, "It's highly appropriate that those accused in the deaths of nearly 3,000 human beings in New York City be tried here, and the NYPD is prepared for the security required."

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