The Mayor’s Race: Focus on Housing & Development
June 24, 2009
When it comes to housing and development, New York City often devolves into a war zone. The battle over Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, defeated plans for a Jets Stadium on the Far West Side of Manhattan and the commercial and residential development of Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn have aroused deep emotions, as developers, elected officials, affordable housing advocates and neighborhood preservationists fight for land in a city with limited space.
But the drama isn’t exactly unwarranted. [Read more]
Pharmacy Scam
June 24, 2009
A pharmacy technician at Duane Reade was arrested on June 3 for bilking the store out of $67,621, starting in July 2008. Police said that Kavita Bharath, 24, would create a new prescription, sell it and then later refund the money from a drug clerk’s register into a Bank of America account. Bharath, a three-year employee of the 1498 York Ave. store, at East 80th Street, was arrested and charged with grand larceny.
Burglary Rings
June 24, 2009
A woman called police on June 2 after she noticed that more than 50 of her rings were missing. The victim said the theft probably occurred while she was on a trip to Florida, from which she returned on May 11. Police said two boxes containing 53 rings were taken out of the 70-year-old woman’s room in a building on East 61st Street and Third Avenue. The rings’ total value was $25,000. There were no signs of forced entry, according to cops.
Homeless Man Assaulted
June 24, 2009
A homeless man who sleeps in front of St. Monica’s Church, on East 79th Street and First Avenue, was attacked on May 26 at 1:20 a.m. Police said he and a friend named “John” were having a verbal dispute. The two made up several minutes later. But when the 48-year-old fell asleep, “John” allegedly slashed him on the left side of his neck. The victim ran off and fell to the ground on East 78th Street where he was spotted.
Matching Yoga Pose
June 24, 2009
Philosophy Day School teacher Lalita Dunbar practices yoga with student Anna Sophia Henderson in Central Park. Photo by Andrew Schwartz
LESSONS IN GOP COUP
June 24, 2009
While State Sen. Liz Krueger characterized the Republican coup in the State Senate as a “blatant power grab” by two rogue Democrats, Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate, she also laid some blame on the rest of her Democratic colleagues.
In a letter to constituents, Krueger wrote that the Democratic Conference was not aggressive enough in pursuing a reform agenda, failing to address issues such as equitable distribution of resources.
“I believe that many of my colleagues adopted a ‘to the victor goes the spoils’ model, and while I repeatedly argued against this, in the end, the conference was not willing to go as far down the reform road as they should have,” she wrote.
Since the coup, one defector, Monserrate, went back to his Democratic conference, causing the 62-member Senate to be deadlocked at 31-31.
Democrats fashioned a power-sharing proposal to end the gridlock, but it was rebuffed by the Republicans.
Under the proposal, the Presiding Officer of the Senate would alternate daily between a member selected by the Democratic Conference, and one by the Republican Conference. The same procedure would apply to the Floor Leader.
Further, a six-member Senate conference-committee, comprising three members of each party, would determine which bills and resolutions reach the floor.
Krueger said she was disappointed that the gridlock would hinder progressive legislation in areas such as public education, environmental policy and same-sex marriage.
Krueger did have an optimistic view of how the Senate should operate in the future.
“I am hopeful that one of the lessons learned from this whole process will be the need to develop fairer and more equitable rules,” she wrote. “Every senator, regardless of party, represents the same number of constituents and should have adequate resources.”
EARLY MORNING FIRE
June 24, 2009
On the morning of Wednesday, June 17, a two-alarm fire broke out on the 9th floor of Knickerbocker Plaza, at 1751 Second Ave. and East 91st street. The fire department received word of the fire at 6:28 a.m. and was on the scene by 6:53 a.m. Firefighters wrestled with the flames, hanging a fire blanket over a window to keep oxygen out, as smoke spread throughout the building.
Two of the 106 firefighters on the scene were injured in the process, one with serious injuries, and the other with minor injuries, according to the department.
In addition, five civilians were injured, two seriously. All were sent to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The injuries were primarily caused by smoke inhalation. There were no fatalities. At press time, the cause of the fire had not yet been identified.
REPORT STALLED PROJECTS TO CITY
June 24, 2009
With the number of dormant East Side projects increasing during the economic slowdown, owners of construction sites may need to notify the city when development will be suspended or resumed.
Council Member Jessica Lappin, with her West Side colleague Gale Brewer, sponsored a bill that would force developers to keep the Department of Buildings abreast of major scheduling changes. The legislation would also require developers to create a detailed plan for maintaining safety so that sites can be monitored by the department.
Currently, when work stops for 12 months, permits lapse. During this period in between construction, the sites are not always well maintained in a way that protects the public, Lappin said.
“At best, abandoned construction sites are an unsightly blight on a neighborhood,” Lappin said. “At worst, they can be unsafe.”
LANDMARK PROPOSAL ADVANCES
June 24, 2009
The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to schedule a public hearing for the Upper East Side Historic District Expansion.
Holding such a meeting is the first formal step in realizing the goal of expanding the Lexington Avenue Historic District.
“We are nearing the culmination of seven years of work,” said Seri Worden, executive director for the Friends of the Historic Upper East Side Historic Districts.
Historic districts strictly regulate or prohibit altogether the alteration of façades, the construction of additions and overall building demolition. Owners can, however, make modest changes to and maintain buildings according to specific regulations.
Worden’s preservation group has been seeking to expand the district from East 71st to 75th streets in the northern section, and from East 61st to 65th streets in the southern part. Local elected officials and Community Board 8 have supported the plan.
“This is a quintessential neighborhood in New York City,” Worden said. “It has as much high quality architecture as the existing historic district.”
Welcome to the Palace
June 24, 2009
Setting the standard for haute Chinese cuisine in New York City since 1971, Shun Lee Palace and its sister restaurant, Shun Lee West, have delighted an estimated 10 million diners with an array of classic and original Szechuan and Cantonese dishes. If ever there were a special-occasion restaurant, Shun Lee Palace sets that standard too. In fact, in the two hours we were there, we heard “Happy Birthday” sung three times, and a fellow at a corner table sure looked like he was proposing to his girlfriend. [Read more]
