Culinary safari down vibrant, diverse Roosevelt Ave

From the Times Ledger:

Food lovers from throughout Queens descended upon about 30 street carts on Roosevelt Avenue Sunday, munching on everything from pumpkin quesadillas to an Ecuadorian shrimp dish during a 2-mile walk planned by Woodside resident Jeff Orlick meant to peak people’s awareness of the tasty eats in Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona.

About 20 people participated in Orlick’s first Roosevelt Avenue food crawl, which lasted from about 1 p.m. to after 3 p.m. Sunday. Those embarking on their palate adventure began the tour armed with a map drawn by Orlick, a helpful piece of artwork that mentioned other non-food related places he believed should be checked out — including a cart full of Mexican jewelry and a bookstore.

The map also depicts the Warren Street taco carts — “the mecca of Ecuadorian food carts,” according to Orlick — and crawl participants said his map aptly described the street carts on Warren Street in Elmhurst as “proof God exists.”

If your idea of fun is traipsing around under the el looking for taco trucks and eating your finds on the sidewalk, then you have some serious issues.

Revitalizing Douglaston's shopping strip

From the Times Ledger:

The state has approved a chamber of commerce for Douglaston Village as a nonprofit, allowing the group to move forward with its plans to revitalize the small shopping strip on 235th Street along the Long Island Rail Road tracks.

Dorothy Matinale, who operates Station Realty, said the Douglaston Village Chamber of Commerce was approved by the state this week to function as a corporation, enabling the organization to collect funds from members and open a bank account.

“The goal is to revitalize the village area,” said Matinale, who is the executive director of the chamber. “It’s become less the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker. People want more businesses they can support — shops they can patronize when they get off the train. We want to preserve the quaintness of the village. We don’t want it to become a strip mall.”

In past years, the village has been overtaken by business offices, she said.

The chamber, established in April, currently has 15 members, including business and building owners. There are a total of 47 businesses along the strip.

In the 1800s, community residents could walk more easily between the stores, Matinale said. But the LIRR later separated the two halves of the shopping district along 235th Street.

Matinale said the community is calling for a meat market, a florist and a bakery along the street, but also a book shop, art studios and a community center for theater or youth groups.

Flushing's Free Synagogue need repairs

From the Times Ledger:

The Free Synagogue of Flushing, a rare remnant of the neighborhood’s past, has fallen into disrepair, but its current caretakers are beginning in earnest to pursue its full restoration.

The 82-year-old temple is an example of an increasingly uncommon sight in downtown Flushing, a reminder of the fading prominence of the Jewish population there, as Barone Pizza on Main Street is of the declining visibility of its Italians.

Many local synagogues have left downtown Flushing or shuttered entirely, but this place of worship will remain in the community that has supported it since before the Great Depression, according to the Free Synagogue’s rabbi, Michael Weisser.

“We’re going to do a complete restoration on the building, which is a beautiful historical building — a treasure really — because we’ve made a commitment to stay in Flushing,” he said. “This congregation’s been a center of this downtown Flushing community for so many years, and if we were to leave it would leave a void, so our leadership decided we’re going to stay.”

The windows and opulent ceiling dome of the temple’s spacious sanctuary are made of Czechoslovakian stained glass, but with time they have deteriorated, as have the accompanying plaster artworks and moldings. When a sizable chunk of plaster fell from the dome one recent day when the sanctuary was not in use, crashing among the empty pews, the need to repair the space was put into stark focus, according to Weisser.

So in September synagogue leaders announced the beginning of a multi-faceted fund-raising drive to come up with the estimated $500,000 required for the renovations, which will also include replacing the facility’s roof.

Bloomie doesn't pay up until NY1 gets after him

From NY1:

A few months ago, Manisha Narwani was sought out by the Bloomberg campaign to do a voice-over for the mayor's reelection campaign -- work for which she was never paid.

Narwani translated and voice-overed two campaign ads which aired on Indian Radio. She was supposed to be paid $1,000, or $500 per ad. That was two months ago and the full time student had yet to see a dime.

After repeated phone calls and emails to the Bloomberg camp went unanswered, Narwani reached out to "NY1 For You."

NY1 called the mayor's office to discuss Narwani's case and after looking into the matter they sent her a check for the $1,000 she was owed.

They also released the following statement: "We appreciate New York One's efforts to help us determine Ms. Narwani's address, so we could ensure that she was paid for her services."

New Quinn policy is all bark and no bite

From the NY Post:

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has begun strictly enforcing residency requirements for all legislators -- and is promising to look into anyone who doesn't comply, The Post has learned.

Quinn last week sent every incoming and current member papers explaining that they are required by law to live in their districts on the date of election, and mandating they prove residency, citizenship and age before they are sworn in on Jan. 1, 2010.

"If a member does not comply, the Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections will conduct a review of the matter. If the committee believes a council member-elect should not be seated or is not eligible, the committee will recommend any appropriate action to the full council," according to a copy of the council rules.

Members must submit five records from a list of 18 documents, including driver's licenses, bank statements, voter-registration forms and mortgage-payment notices.

An election-law expert said it would be difficult for her to refuse to swear in a new member if the full council voted in that member's favor, despite any controversy over residency.

DeBlasio promotes overdevelopment on his way out the door

From CORD:

Carroll Gardens is unique. We were blessed with beautiful deep front gardens. These "courtyards" are specifically protected under old Brooklyn Law from having any structures built upon them.

That law is about to be changed. It is being tampered with by our exiting Councilman, Bill de Blasio.

We learned today that DeBlasio, who has publicly supported and taken credit for maintaining neighborhood character, (link to campaign platform below) will be introducing a bill to amend the old brooklyn law on December 9th. He will be requesting a change that will allow a two story structure to be built on a courtyard on a Place block.

Once this dangerous precedent is set, there is no way of knowing what else could follow.

This is unacceptable and completely bewildering to the many many people who have worked so diligently over the years to insure that Carroll Gardens did not lose its identity in the face of overwhelming overdevelopment.

"Fighting Overdevelopment: Bill fought to close a longstanding loop hole in the zoning text that left many streets in Carroll Gardens vulnerable to overdevelopment. The narrow residential streets were labeled “wide street” in the Zoning Resolution allowing for developers to build larger buildings. The change, advanced by Bill, appropriately characterized the narrow streets helping to preserve Carroll Gardens' character by disallowing out-of-context structures to rise on several residential blocks."

A page full of irony from Bill De Blasio's Public Advocate Website entitled: Neighborhood Preservation.

Some people apparently don't want Carroll Gardens to be landmarked, either.

5 Pointz will close for good

From the Queens Gazette:

Faced with mounting demands by city officials calling for major repairs at the 5 Pointz building in Long Island City, the owner of the graffiti-covered property has decided to shutter the site and walk away for good.

A spokesperson for G&M Realty, owner of the 90-year-old building said inspectors for the Department of Buildings (DOB) produced a list of repairs that must be completed in order for the site to reopen. Repairs included restoration of the facade, fixing indoor safety violations and removal of all outdoor staircases at the site at 45-46 Davis St.

The DOB issued a vacate order for the 5 Pointz building in April after a tenant was crushed beneath an exterior staircase that collapsed. The city slapped G&M Realty with a $13,000 fine following the collapse, charging the owner with failing to maintain the building.

G&M had been fined previously by the Department of Buildings for failing to secure permission to turn the former factory building into a series of art studios.

The G&M spokesperson said most of the repairs had been completed, but DOB is “still not satisfied”. Building inspectors who returned to check on progress of the repairs were never satisfied, the spokesperson said.

Ackerman crapping his pants

From Politico:

Rep. Gary Ackerman, a Queens and Long Island Democrat generally thought to hold a safe Democratic seat emails supporters:

This past Election Day brought a number of troubling omens for 2010 right here in Queens and Nassau:

· Republicans came away with both Queens City Council seats in my District
· Democrats lost control of the Nassau County Legislature
· The seemingly invincible Democratic Nassau County Executive lost what was viewed as unwinnable seat for the Republicans

Outside of New York, Republicans replaced progressive Democrats as Governors in New Jersey and Virginia. They’ve shown they can win in our community.

Now they’re gunning for me!

I can’t take anything for granted. I need your help!

Hey dude, not only are the Republicans gunning for you, but there's an excellent chance that you will also have a primary to deal with. Enjoy. I know I will!

More Bloomberg bullshit

From the Gotham Gazette:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s November modification of the city’s four-year financial plan -- very quietly released without a mayoral press release on Nov. 16 -- and his concurrent directive to agency heads demanding big budget cuts offer many surprises. Some, like the modification’s acknowledgment of a sudden spurt in tax revenues and its list of federal economic stimulus monies pouring into the city, are even pleasant.

The mayor’s demand for $1.75 billion in budget cuts, however, is puzzling given the positive revenue news and a reduction in next year’s budget deficit. Another surprise is the modification’s retreat into budget opaqueness, contradicting the Bloomberg administration claims to transparency in governance. Lastly, perhaps less of a surprise, the modification’s does not offer any consideration of revenue options to meet next year’s $4.1 billion deficit.

Earlier in November, the Daily News reported that Bloomberg, when asked if he would keep his promise not to raise taxes through the 2011 fiscal year, "more or less stuck to his campaign pledge ... but left himself some wiggle room by reiterating that a lot depends on how Albany decides to address its own budget woes." He also called the November modification a "minor mod," and said that he would offer more specifics about resolving the 2011 deficit in his January 2010 preliminary budget.

It seems odd that a modification that fails to examine a major (positive) shift in tax revenues at a time of deficit worries would be characterized as a "minor mod." The disconnect between the improved revenue news and demands for $1.75 billion in agency cuts over the next 18 months would appear to be worthy of discussion.

Then of course, there's our debt level. Let's give more tax breaks to developers so they can build luxury condos.

Lighthouse museum goes bust

From the SI Live:

It’s official: The National Lighthouse Museum’s board has formally disbanded, essentially sinking the cash-strapped 11-year-old project here.

In a statement released today, the board said its long-anticipated decision was based on "dwindling prospects" the project could advance at its St. George location.

The 10-acre site abuts the St. George Ferry Terminal and was the 19th century home of the U.S. Lighthouse Service, a precursor to the U.S. Coast Guard. Once viewed as a linchpin in a multimillion-dollar harbor enclave designed to rejuvenate St. George and attract tourists, the project was to feature the museum, housing, shops and restaurants.

The board cited the current economic downturn, the dramatic post-9/11 change in the funding climate and difficulties in finalizing plans and development agreements with government agencies as reasons for its dissolution.

The board also failed to raise the $15 million needed to open the museum’s doors.

A national steering committee awarded Staten Island the museum project in 1998 after then-Gov. George Pataki, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former Borough President Guy V. Molinari put up a combined $5.5 million in public money.

The city Economic Development Corporation has already spent $8 million to stabilize two other buildings — former lamp and machine shops — at the site and Borough Hall has allocated millions of dollars.

The EDC is batting 1000% lately. Willets Point will be the next great failure.

So much for that...

From the Brooklyn Paper:

A building that was once dubbed “one of the last success stories of the great boom” is already undergoing repairs to its leaky facade less than two years after construction was finished.

Scaffolding now covers most of the “green” condo building at 515 Fifth Ave. as workers fix leaks in what one worker called “a bad waterproofing issue.”

“They did a bad job on the building,” said the worker. “They’re using this foam stuff [an artificial material called Parex] and a skin coat of cement. That’s what they use with all these buildings. You go to all the buildings on Fourth Avenue, you see this.”

The building’s architect, Joanna Frank, didn’t make it sound that bad, calling the work just “maintenance on the facade,” but she abruptly cut off the conversation, saying, “This all sounds very gossipy. I don’t want to discuss anymore with you” before the line went dead.

Park and ride (and row)

"Here's a pic from Thursday's commuter parking lot at Shea Stadium (er, Citifield). We get to pay $4.00 for the privilege to park in this mess each major rainstorm. Doesn't anyone in the Parks Dept care ???" - Jack

Answer: No.

Hiram skates

From the Queens Courier:

Queens Judge William Erlbaum sentenced the Queens lawmaker to three years of supervised probation, 52 weeks of counseling, 250 hours of community service and a $1,000 fine, but spared the embattled Senator any jail time on Friday, December 4.

Bloomberg wants World Cup in US

Hevesi in bribe scandal

From the Daily News:

Former Controller Alan Hevesi took $75,000 in luxury trips from an investment banker who admitted paying nearly $1 million in bribes for state pension fund business, sources said.

It's the first time Hevesi was directly linked to the massive pay-to-play scandal that engulfed his office.

Hevesi and former "Mod Squad" actress Peggy Lipton benefited from the "bribes" investor Elliott Broidy made to four top pension fund officials, the sources said yesterday.

In exchange, Broidy's company, Los Angeles-based Markstone Capital Partners, got $250 million in pension fund commitments and collected more than $18 million in management fees.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Broidy covered $75,000 in expenses for "luxury travel" five times to Israel and once to Italy for a "very senior official" in the controller's office.

Cuomo said the official and his family, whom he would not name, received first-class airline seating, hotel suites, a car and driver and even helicopter tours.

Sources told the Daily News the official was Hevesi, who resigned and pleaded guilty to an unrelated felony in 2006.

Train driver may lose job because of crazy guy

From the NY Post:

A train driver who subdued a crazed man threatening other passengers could bizarrely lose her job for "gross misconduct," The Post has learned.

On Oct. 22, Adeline Bayne-Goody, a 56-year-old subway motorwoman with more than 20 years on the job, held down lunatic Jason Atkinson at the 78th Street station on the No. 1 line until police arrived.

But the next day officials told her she had committed "gross misconduct" and should lose her job for leaving her post, according to MTA documents.

Atkinson, 38, starting berating passengers in the first car of a southbound train at the 86th Street station at 10:40 a.m., documents show.

When the train arrived at 79th Street, Atkinson began pounding on the window of Goody's driver's cab, according to MTA documents.

When she opened the door, Atkinson allegedly unleashed a tirade of racial epithets, spit on her and punched her on the chin, documents state.

When Atkinson tried to flee, the feisty Goody tackled him, sources said.

Why don't they pick on these guys instead?

Unhappy holidays for Boymelgreen

From the NY Times:

Through the real estate boom, few new developers filled the city with luxury condominiums as fast as Shaya Boymelgreen. He turned Wall Street corner offices into minimalist bachelor lairs, built TriBeCa apartments snapped up by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and crowded the edges of Park Slope, Brooklyn, with condos.

But Mr. Boymelgreen, 58, has since retreated mightily from the limelight as his fortune has reversed.

He is battling a bankruptcy filing against one of his companies, eviction from his Brooklyn headquarters — a judge ruled Tuesday morning that the proceedings could move forward early next year — and the seizure of a Queens theater in what the buyer calls a “friendly foreclosure.” Condo owners are filing lawsuits over his construction. He has cut his staff to 15 from 200, his spokeswoman says, and several former co-workers report that the five of his eight children who are in the family business are looking for other employment.

Freshman Republicans sound pretty naive

From the NY Times:

“I think alliances will be much more important now,” said Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr., a centrist Democrat who expressed excitement at the prospect of working with Republicans on “more police, lower taxes and less development.”

Even Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, who began her career as a tenant advocate but more recently has become closely associated with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, says the Republicans should not be underestimated.

“The idea that we would have more discussion, more differences of opinion, more debate — I’m thrilled by that,” she said. “You almost always find a greater chance of consensus having more people on the far left and having more people on the right.”

HA HA HA HA HA...oh excuse me...

[Halloran] said that Ms. Quinn was quite welcoming during a recent meeting. “I get the feeling that she’s willing to work with the conservative Democrats and the Republicans who want to be a voice of fiscal responsibility,” Mr. Halloran said.

And in a move that Ms. Quinn said was apparently without precedent, Mr. Koo has pledged to use his entire $112,500 annual Council salary to set up a special account for community groups.

“I won’t use a penny,” he promised. “A lot of smaller community groups — they have a hard time getting city money.”

Sounds like he's mastered tweeding 101!

Some schools make out like bandits

From the Daily News:

The Education Department quietly forked over $500,000 to three pet schools, even as most schools lost tens of thousands of dollars in budget cuts.

The three brand-new "21st century" schools got the extra funds outside the normal budgeting process after private donations that the schools had been hoping for did not materialize, sources told the Daily News.

The schools can use the extra cash to hire consultants, buy computer equipment, pay teachers to work more hours - anything that helps them "align" with the Education Department's "21st century vision."

"Students at these schools are receiving an extraordinary level of individualized instruction through the use of technology," said agency spokeswoman Ann Forte.

But the extra city funds are rubbing some critics the wrong way, since they increase the three schools' budgets between 12% and 31% - while most schools are cutting after-school programs and tutoring due to this year's 5% budget cuts.

New film about Queens Matinecocks

From the Daily News:

THIS SAD tale of a Native American tribe has all the drama an aspiring filmmaker could hope for - the upheaval of an ancient burial ground, eerie hauntings and a battle over land rights.

And, most tragically of all, it's true.

After hearing tales of restless spirits of Matinecock Indians haunting Little Neck, Eric MaryEa decided to investigate the history of the tribe.

Tracking down the dwindling group wasn't hard - they are part of his family tree.

MaryEa, a 24-year-old St. John's University graduate, is half Matinecock and half Italian.

He became interested in documenting Matinecock history when his grandfather told him that their ancestors' spirits still haunt the businesses near the intersection of Northern Blvd. and Little Neck Parkway.

MaryEa's documentary, "The Lost Spirits," debuted at the Big Apple Film Festival this fall and was screened this month at the Queens International Film Festival. It chronicles the Matinecocks and their struggles after being pushed off their land in 1931, when the city began widening Northern Blvd.

Much of the land cleared for Northern Blvd.'s extra lanes was a Matinecock burial ground. Archaeologists moved the bodies to a mass grave down the street at Zion Episcopal Church.

Photo from Forgotten-NY.

Congress considers Livable Communities Act

From Gotham Gazette:

Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would provide federal funding for urban parks and recreation for the first time in eight years.

The Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act (H.R. 3734), introduced by Rep. Albio Sires of New Jersey, reflects the current thinking that parks and recreation are integral to broader efforts to rebuild the economic and social fabric of cities.

At the same time, the Obama administration has created a partnership among federal agencies to promote urban sustainability and Congress is considering a number of bills to promote smart growth, bicycling, walking, mass transit, green infrastructure, historic restoration and the reduction of carbon emissions. Together, these initiatives signal new level of federal interest in improving the quality of life in cities.

"We need to look at the ways in which we can improve and enhance the communities where we all live, work, learn and play to truly address national issues such as climate change, water conservation and obesity," said Stacey Pine, chief government affairs officer at the National Recreation and Parks Association. The association, a national not-for-profit dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts, played a key role in developing the Livable Communities Act. It is lobbying to move the bill through Congress, together with other members of the Urban Park Coalition, which includes national planning, bicycling, conservation, sports, health, youth and other organizations.

As numerous studies have shown, well-maintained and used parks increase real estate values in the surrounding area and generate tourism and other economic activity. Access to parks and recreation also improves the physical and mental health of residents, lowers crime, connects children to nature and brings neighbors together. By cooling and filtering the air, absorbing stormwater runoff and providing habitat for migrating birds and other wildlife, parks and natural areas make a city more environmentally sustainable.

The Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act ties funding for parks and recreation infrastructure to revitalizing communities, improving public health, reducing crime and promoting economic development. The bill authorizes spending $445 million over 10 years in grants to states, local governments and community-based non-profits to rehabilitate existing parks and recreational facilities and construct new ones. The Department of Housing and Urban Development would administer the program.

Making the most of MetroCard extras

From the Daily News:

It might not be a gold mine, but straphangers hanging onto almost-depleted MetroCards are sitting on a nice chunk of change.

More than a year ago, the MTA changed the formula for getting bonuses on pay-per-ride cards - making it more likely passengers will end up with a balance after they've taken their last trip.

And many riders don't know what to do with the leftovers. They won't make a turnstile spin, but they're not exactly worthless.

MetroCard math became difficult when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's old easy-to-grasp, 20% bonus - buy five trips and get a sixth free - was reduced to 15% last year.

Buyers are ending up with odd amounts left on their cards - the MTA wouldn't estimate the total - and some apparently don't know how to ensure the money is spent.

To help the numerically challenged, Jim Schwartz, a market researcher who commutes from New Jersey, recruited two friends to compile the Transit Calculator/Spreadsheet. It shows what denominations to put on a card to wind up with a zero balance at the end: $4.50, $6.75, $15.65, $29.35, $31.30, $45, $60.65, $74.35 or $76.30.

Realtor ads are really rotten

I came across these eyebrow raising ads in a free publication that I picked up. They looked shady, so I decided to find out what the lowdown was from an expert...


"That first one (the church) is FUCKED - looks like Broadway-Flushing. Gonna forward that to the Homeowners Association."
"Second one is technically legal because they say "mother-daughter layout" not special permit which is what they would need as it doesn't travel with the deed. Pretty skeevy, though."

Court rules taking property for Columbia is unconstitutional

From the NY Observer:

In an unexpected major decision, a New York appellate court has overturned the use of eminent domain to create a new West Harlem campus for Columbia University, ruling the action unconstitutional.

The cases were brought by the defiant owner of a set of storage warehouses in West Harlem, Nick Sprayregen, and the owners of two gas stations in the footprint for the 17-acre campus, called Manahttanville. Mr. Sprayregen sued to block the land takings in January, after the use of eminent domain was approved by the state's development agency, the Empire State Development Corporation.

Columbia had said it needed eminent domain to establish a full, contiguous campus, and then build a large, interconnected underground facility throughout the area. Thus all the property owners needed to be removed from the mostly industrial district.

More from the NY Times.

Cops riding trains out of the city

From the NY Post:

The NYPD has begun sending teams of uniformed city cops onto commuter trains to patrol the suburban rails outside the Big Apple in a surprise move that startled MTA police brass and angered their union officials, The Post has learned.

An NYPD sergeant and eight officers -- all transit cops on overtime -- made their maiden voyage on Nov. 24, boarding Metro-North trains out of Grand Central Terminal around 6:15 a.m. heading north to Yonkers on the Harlem River line, according to police sources.

The nine officers reached their destination at around 7 a.m., took a return trip south to the 125th Street Station and then switched to a northbound commuter train heading back up to Yonkers. They then headed back to Grand Central on an 8 a.m. rush-hour train.

Each cop was paid nearly three hours of overtime, which comes out of the recent $35 million in federal funds earmarked to help defray NYPD anti-terror train, bus and ferry salaries, according to sources.

The NYPD plans to send out the nine cops several times a week on random patrols as part of their expanding anti-terror efforts and push to bolster potential targets like the regional rail lines.

But MTA police union President Raymond Gimmler said his officers don't need the help.

"I think it is a waste of resources," Gimmler said. "The NYC transit system is their primary responsibility."

Katz joining real estate lobbying firm

Surprise, surprise. Melinda Katz has decided to join a real estate lobbying firm after her term is up at the end of the month.

This article explains who their top clients are:

ELAD Group, Ltd
Bearing Point Consulting
Flag Luxury Properties LLC/Ferry Point Partners
American Medical Alert Corporation
Bovis Lend Lease
Cisco Systems
Hunts Point Produce Cooperative
Extell Development Company
SCW West, LLC
S&H Equities, Inc.

She'll be off her throne in less than a month, folks!

What happened to the old David Paterson?

From The Huffington Post:

In July 2005, in the wake of the Supreme Court's notorious Kelo eminent domain decision, State Senator David Paterson wanted a moratorium on eminent domain. It was reported by the now defunct (and missed) New York Sun:

"At a rally on the steps of City Hall yesterday, a State Senate leader, David Paterson, a Democrat, along with a small gathering of Harlem civic leaders and three City Council members, called for a state-wide blanket moratorium on the use of eminent domain following the recent Supreme Court decision that is widely interpreted as expanding the law's reach."

Over four years and one deposed governor later, Senator Paterson is now Governor Paterson and Governor Paterson has never renewed his call for a moratorium on eminent domain. Instead his administration approved eminent domain for Columbia University's expansion (which he once opposed) and re-approved eminent domain for Atlantic Yards this past September.

In the wake of last week's Court of Appeals ruling his Administration, through the ESDC, is this close to seizing private properties for Ratner's project. (The plaintiffs will litigate the state's next steps to take title to their properties.)

The governor must be asked, and he must ask himself, what principle has changed since 2005 that would enable him to stomach property seizures when he has the power to stop them—power he did not have in 2005. There is no good answer.

Most fire crews will be down a man

From the Daily News:

Staffing at dozens of the city's busiest FDNY engine companies will be cut due to rising numbers of firefighters calling in sick, the Fire Department announced Tuesday.

The 12-month average of firefighters taking medical leave hit 7.53% at the Dec. 1 deadline, just exceeding the 7.5% contractual threshold that lets Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta cut staffing.

Effective Wednesday, the number of firefighters on 49 engine companies will be reduced from five to four.

FDNY officials have estimated the cuts - first reported in Monday's Daily News - would save the department $500,000 a month in overtime needed to cover shifts left open by sick firefighters.

Additionally, officials said that staffing a fifth firefighter on those 49 engine companies costs approximately $20 million annually.

The city's fire unions have repeatedly denounced the FDNY's threats to cut staffing, claiming the department's internal studies have shown that five-man crews work 50% more efficiently than their four-man counterparts.

The staffing change means that only 11 engine companies - units with some of the city's heaviest workloads - will have five men onboard, officials said. The other 183 will only have four.

Tree buffer planted in Jamaica Estates

From NY1:

Community officials broke ground Monday on a project aimed at cutting noise pollution and beautifying the Grand Central Parkway.

Trees and shrubs will be planted on the eastbound and westbound sides from Utopia Parkway to 188th Street in Jamaica Estates.

Besides being a cosmetic improvement, the foliage will act as a sound barrier for homeowners living along the highway.

"The green wall will reduce the heat island effect, it will produce oxygen, it will absorb carbon dioxide. It will trap particulate matter on the leaf surface. It will provide a home for insects, for birds. It will raise property values. It will look beautiful in terms of colors of leaves and things like that," said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

Congressman Gary Ackerman secured $375,000 in federal funding for the trees earlier this spring.

The plantings count toward Mayor Michael Bloomberg's initiative to plant one million new trees throughout the five boroughs by 2017.

Toxic-tower law passes

AP/NY Post:

The City Council has voted to bar building crews from performing demolitions at the same time as asbestos abatement.

The bill addresses problems discovered after the deaths of two firefighters responding to a 2007 fire at the condemned Deutsche Bank building, which was undergoing both demolition and abatement due to damage on 9/11.

Officials later said doing both made the building a death trap.

Council bans metal roll-down gates

From the NY Times:

Citing high rates of graffiti, the City Council voted unanimously on Monday to gradually ban the use of roll-down metal security gates, a move that would eliminate what has been an enduring if forbidding feature of the urban streetscape.

Other kinds of security gates — like rolling or sliding grilles, which permit passers-by to gaze into plate-glass store windows and are seen by some as being harder to vandalize — would still be permitted.

The Bloomberg administration gave its support to the legislation — championed primarily by Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr., a Queens Democrat who is chairman of the Public Safety Committee — only after the Council agreed to a lengthy grace period. Not until 2026 will the roll-down metal gates be entirely banned.

This bill would require that after July 1, 2011, any roll-down gate that is being replaced must be replaced with a gate that allows at least 70 percent of the covered area to be visible.

By July 1, 2026, all of the businesses covered by the legislation must have the new higher-visibility gates installed.

Bloomberg chooses inexperienced mayoral aide for DEP commissioner

From the Daily News:

Now that he's got a third election win behind him and four more years ahead, Mayor Bloomberg seems in no hurry to launch that staff shakeup he once proposed.

He sent word early in his campaign he planned to move people around and bring in fresh blood to keep his third term from getting stale.

Then, last month, he said he hoped to replace as many as eight of his 40 commissioners - although some of those, like retiring Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, are tired after years in the job and would likely have left anyway.

So, while outside observers play Kremlinologist to look for signs of who will stay or go, insiders don't expect many big names to exit anytime soon.

"What you're going to see is very little to no meaningful turnover in the next few months," said one person in a position to know.

Some key staffers may switch positions inside the bullpen on the second floor of City Hall, say people who speak with the mayor every day.

But most of those shufflers are chiefs of staff and advisers - the sort of low-profile but high-impact people who are invisible to the public but critical to making the trains run on time.

From the NY Times:

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said he will remain vastly ambitious in his third term, and is committed to a sweeping environmental agenda.

But on Monday, after conducting a 13-month international search for a new environmental commissioner, he chose a 36-year-old City Hall aide who has scant experience in the field.

The appointment of Caswell F. Holloway IV, who since 2006 has served as chief of staff to Edward Skyler, a deputy mayor, raised the eyebrows of some policy experts and leaders of good-government groups. They said the move signaled that the mayor was increasingly relying on a tight-knit inner circle at a time when he could benefit from fresh energy and new perspectives.

The mayor’s staff described Mr. Holloway as a deft behind-the-scenes problem-solver who pushed through a plan for a citywide waste management system, over the objections of a state lawmaker; oversaw the collection of human remains found at ground zero years after the attack; and drew up plans to revive the unsightly Gowanus Canal.

And we all know how successful those were...

Justifiable spending?

From the NY Post:

State judges are using taxpayer money to buy everything from spa trips to self-portraits to electronics, The Post has learned.

On Nov. 1, New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman doubled the expense allowances for his judges to $10,000 a year each. But the special compensation -- which now costs $12.6 million annually and is intended to reimburse judges for work-related costs -- isn't always spent judiciously.

Meditation retreats, framed photographs of themselves, and a $233 Apple iPod Touch are among the expense claims reimbursed this year by the New York Office of Court Administration, a Post analysis found.

Brooklyn Housing Court judges Cheryl Gonzales and John Stanley decided to get in touch with their inner Buddha by attending a February getaway at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California. Gonzales and Stanley were reimbursed $890 and $780, respectively, for the cost of travel, accommodations and the program.

According to the meditation center's Web site, some of the courses include "Heart Practices for Couples," "The Neurology of Awakening" and "Relationships as Spiritual Practice."

Gonzales' expense allowance has also extended to her associates. She was reimbursed $1,665 for the cost of an entire table at a May dinner of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, a group she chairs.

Other judges have used their allowance to foot travel bills.

Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Laura Jacobson was reimbursed $2,878.40 to travel to Cuba in late September with the National Association of Women Judges for what one attendee reportedly called a "fact-finding vacation."

Vanity also seems like a justifiable cost to the OCA.

At least 10 Queens Supreme Court judges used their allowances to cover the $390 cost to get photos taken of themselves. The framed photos will hang in a public hallway of the Queens Supreme Court house in the near future, according to the OCA.

Secret Prohibition-era bowling alley uncovered

From Scouting NY:

We recently purchased a building in Queens, and while clearing out the basement we discovered a two lane manual bowling alley in very good condition. We did some research and this basement was most probably a club during the prohibition era. Would you or someone you know be interested [in the space]?

A hidden prohibition-era bowling alley? Yes, definitely interested. I took a trip to see it today – Just incredible:

According to the owner, the bowling lanes were hidden under boxes and boxes of junk. After researching the property, the owner now believes the basement was a speak-easy club during the Prohibition Era, with two bowling lanes to entertain customers.

I understand the building is in Ridgewood.

"Extreme unemployment" in NYC

From the Daily News:

The longest recession since World War II has spawned a painful phenomenon.

Nearly 10% of the city's unemployed job hunters have been out of work for two years, says James Parrott, chief economist at the Fiscal Policy Institute.

Economists define long-term unemployment as going more than six months without a job. Two years - that's something else entirely.

"This is extreme unemployment," said Frank Braconi, the city's chief economist.

With unemployed New Yorkers topping 400,000 for the first time in at least 25 years and their average time out of work hitting seven months, extreme unemployment won't soon disappear.

This can't be. Bloomberg promised to create 400,000 jobs, not lose them.

Poisoned pen attacks Ackerman

From the Times Ledger:

An open letter to U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman:

How dare you. You refused to respond to my letter dated Sept. 4 and my phone call to your office prior to the House of Representatives voting on the health reform bill — totally disregarding my asking of you, as your constituent, to vote the contrary.

This is not the first time you have insulted me. The first time was when you were actively involved in your Queens weekly newspaper and I was a volunteer doing the publicity for the county chapter of the Allergy Foundation of America.

I called to ask why your newspaper was the only local paper that would not accept, as a public service, our announcement that an allergy specialist —a medical doctor — would be addressing the public at Booth Memorial Hospital, now New York Hospital Queens, and would answer any questions regarding asthma.

Your answer was simple and to the point: “Do you know that I am running for office? What are you doing for me?”

I immediately threw the phone down. I cannot forget that harsh statement.

Wow! More like this, please.

Tire thieves caught

From the Queens Courier:

Cops in the 111th Precinct have the feeling they may have nabbed a gang that’s been on a wheel stealing spree, stripping cars of their expensive tires and rims and leaving them on blocks around the precinct – because their driver rolled through a stop sign.

Just before 3 a.m. on Monday, November 16, cops spotted a van with Arizona license plates slowly cruising Douglaston Hill, a secluded section of the upscale neighborhood.

The van rolled through a stop sign at 243rd Street and 43rd Avenue, headed south. Cops pulled the van over after following it to Northern Boulevard and 244th Street, a distance of about three blocks.

In addition to the driver, they found eight tires on eight rims, a large jack, several lug wrenches, a supply of cement blocks . . . and four other youths. After a canvass of the area just left by the van, two cars were found – minus their wheels – up on cement blocks.

Arrested were: Wayne Joseph, 17, of 187-02 Pineville Lane in Springfield Gardens; Brendant Clarke, 17, of 140-35 Burden Crescent in Briarwood; Heriberto Rosado, 21, of 139-46 86th Avenue in Briarwood; Joseph Nuñez, 17, also of 139-46 86th Avenue in Briarwood, and Jonathan Sosa, 18, of 89-07 169th Street in Jamaica.

The youths were initially charged with multiple felonies including grand larceny, auto stripping, criminal mischief and possession of stolen property, among others.

– Victor G. Mimoni

Elmhurst overpass is a cesspool

From the Queens Chronicle:

Nicol Rodriguez isn’t surprised when she has to walk around human feces while taking the quicker route to get to her school, Pan American International in Elmhurst.

She starts and ends her school day by choosing between two walking routes: one safer path that takes 35 minutes, and one creepy, obstacle-ridden one that takes 20. The shorter route requires trudging over a pedestrian bridge with dislodged cement stairs, uneven surfaces, loitering men, piles of garbage and poor lighting — despite the school’s extensive lobbying effort for an overhaul.

Rodriquez’s walk home on a recent Wednesday was typical: she watched her steps carefully as she made her way up the broken stairs and around the shards of glass. Nearing the top, Rodriguez prepared to hold her breath, because it always smells like urine and vomit. On this day, there was a pile of feces along the side.

The school’s entire student population emigrated from Latin America, and part of Pan American’s mission is to integrate lessons about civil liberties and immigrant rights into class curricula. So after listening to the onslaught of complaints, director of School Programs and Latin American studies teacher Carly Fox decided to do some real-world teaching about civil rights.

With the help of the school’s nonprofit community partner, Make the Road New York, Fox oversaw a petition drive. She and 40 parents collected about 240 signatures from students and teachers. Students delivered the petitions to the office of state Assemblyman Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights) in December 2008.

The petitions are still on the desk of Peralta’s chief of staff Yonel Letellier. He says a phone call with Fox after the bridge was repainted in May 2009 left him understanding that the school was satisfied.

But the bridge was soon covered in graffiti again.

Spurred by calls from MTRNY, Maura McCarthy, the Queens commissioner for the DOT, came to see the bridge for herself on March 27. Fox, joined by eight parents and 12 students at the meeting with McCarthy, said McCarthy promised to level out the stairs by filling in the chipped blocks of cement; clean the embankments; put a sign up explaining how to report damage; and paint the bridge.

DOT is one for four on its promises.

Bloomberg spent loads on donuts & pizza

From the Daily News:

Mayor Bloomberg's $102.1 million campaign for a third term was powered by pricey ads and consultants - and fueled by lots of pizza and coffee, spending records show.

Bloomberg, whose fortune is estimated at $17 billion, easily broke his own record for spending personal cash to get elected.

From Oct. 20 to Nov. 26, he spent $18.7 million - and more than $12 million of it went to ad makers Squier Knapp Dunn for creating ads and buying TV air time.

That outlay would cover first-semester tuition for about 8,000 students at Borough of Manhattan Community College (or for 319 freshmen at Bloomberg's alma mater, Johns Hopkins).

The reports show visits to some upscale joints, but pizza and Dunkin' Donuts fare were definitely Team Bloomberg staples.

The total paid to pizza places during that period was more than $17,000 - enough to pay a minimum-wage worker for 310 days or buy 5,556 gallons of milk.

Wait...I thought fast food high in saturated fat was bad...

Hitchhikers' guide to jail

Hitchhikers attempt bribe
By Victor Mimoni, Queens Courier

An anti-crime cop in the 111th Precinct observed three hitchhikers near the corner of Springfield and Northern Boulevards in Bayside - who were "obstructing pedestrian and vehicular traffic."

When Police Officer Spyros Karellas stopped and confronted the trio at about 5:30pm on Tuesday, November 17, he said he "smelled the pungent aroma of marijuana coming from a backpack," allegedly belonging to Christopher Evans, 22, of Tipp City, Ohio. Evans was traveling with San Francisco resident James Kessler, 23 and Seth Ulrich, 17, of Spanaway, Washington.

Karellas detained them and found a bag containing "about 25 grams" of the controlled substance in Evans' backpack, and $18,510 in cash in his jacket pocket.

Cops said that a search of Ulrich's backpack yielded another bag with approximately 25 grams of pot and $15,000 in cash. Kessler's backpack allegedly yielded $13,960 in cash.

According to police, "Evans offered all the money [$47,470 in total] and the marijuana in exchange for not being arrested. The other two, hearing the bribe offer, did not object."

The trio was charged with two counts of bribery, both felonies, and misdemeanor possession.

The hitchhiking trio was jailed and arraigned before Judge Lenora Gerald on Thursday, November 19, who released them in their own recognizance. If convicted of the most serious bribery charge, they could go to state prison for seven years. They are due back in court December 3.

Video: Robert Moses - Master Builder

This answers some of the questions that you may have about why certain things are the way they are in this city and beyond. Great video. Bravo.

Deer swims to Governors Island

From Fox 5:

The NYPD Harbor Unit is trying to rescue a deer stranded on the shores of Governors Island.

SkyFoxHD was over the area at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The deer could be seen moving back and forth over rocks near the water on the western shoreline.

It's not clear how the buck - a male deer- ended up there. Deer are considered good swimmers.

Carjacker foiled by petite woman

From the NY Post:

Anne Justima, 31, of Jackson Heights, was heading home at around 7:15 p.m. with her husband, Peter, 33, after working on their new restaurant, Tiny Thai, when a knife-wielding lug lumbered up to their black Volkswagen on Madison Avenue between East 71st and East 72nd streets.

"We stopped at the light, and he came right over," Peter recalled. "He was 6-foot, thin."

"Get out of the car!" the crook barked at Anne, who stands 5-foot-3 on her tiptoes.

The creep then forced down the window on the driver's side -- and stuck his long arm in the car.

"He used a knife to cut my hand" and then swiped Anne's iPhone, she said.

Things went from ugly to ridiculous by the time the light changed, the couple recalled -- and the would-be carjacker's luck ran out.

"I said, 'I'm OK -- I'm going to get out of the car, ' " Anne recalled, her hand stinging from the knife wound.

"She kicked him," her proud spouse reported.

But the best revenge was yet to come.

"I'm small -- he cannot fit in my car," she said.

"And I don't think he could drive the stick shift!"

So, stolen iPhone in hand and his tail between his legs, the driving-challenged car thief took off on foot.

Eminent domain in Albany

From Althouse:

New York spent $2 billion to demolish 98 acres of 19th century buildings, displacing 9,000 human beings, in order to build a sickeningly ugly collection of government buildings. Is there a worse architectural crime in the history of the world? I'm sure there must be, but...

... it destroyed a neighborhood, isolated downtown from Center Square and created a stark mall that is lightly used and segregated from city life....

Pure evil.

More municipalities protecting trees on private property

From the NY Times:

“It seems like every time someone moves onto the block, they begin cutting down trees,” said Ms. Sunshine, 38, a stay-at-home mother of a 2-year-old girl. Three neighbors have deforested parts of their yards in the past two years, she said.

“I’m not a nosy neighbor, but every time I hear the saws, I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, there it is again,’ ” she said. “These trees were not sick or a safety hazard; these people just wanted to rearrange the landscape. I thought, ‘If this continues, what’s Yorktown going to look like in 30 years, the Lower East Side?’ ”

Ms. Sunshine never confronted her neighbors, but she joined a group of like-minded residents who are pushing for a town ordinance requiring property owners to get approval before removing certain trees on their property.

Protecting trees on public land and parkland, and on property under development, is standard in municipalities in the New York area. But more local governments — Larchmont and Rye in Westchester County, and Chatham, Madison and Rutherford in New Jersey, to name a few — have considered or are debating more controversial restrictions on what homeowners can do with the trees on their own property.

Protecting the tree canopy and preventing soil erosion and flooding — as well as preserving a town’s character — are among the aims of the rules.

In many places, these ordinances were a backlash to the building boom that preceded the recession, when developers were clear-cutting many lots for housing.

As a result of the new regulation of private trees, homeowners in many municipalities who assume they can chop impulsively and ask questions later may have to rethink their plans. Or they may have to at least familiarize themselves with the intricacies of their town codes to prove that a candidate for cutting is not a specimen that merits government protection. The criteria include the age and species of the tree, as well as arboreal intricacies like D.B.H. (diameter at breast height).

Fines and penalties for failing to obtain a tree removal permit can be stiff. In Yorktown Heights, for example, the proposed fines for violators are laid out in detail: up to $250 a tree, plus $25 for each inch of tree diameter up to 18 inches, measured at the stump. The fine rate would be increased for bigger trees, and multiple offenders could face a $1,500 civil penalty, doubled fines or, in some cases, jail.

Concern over artificial turf at Hunters Point South

From the Times Ledger:

The blueprint for Hunters Point South’s waterfront park was unveiled to the public last Thursday to mostly positive reviews, although plans for an artificial turf common area were met with skepticism.

The 10-acre park is also slated to include dog runs for both large and small canines, a children’s playground, hard-surface ball courts, a canopied pavilion area with staff offices and a concession kitchen, sloped picnic areas, running paths, a raised beach area and a small boat launch at the extreme south end of the park.

The plan now comes up for a vote at next month’s Community Board 2 meeting.

But Long Island City resident Peter Johnson asked if the Parks Department had considered the environmental impact of droppings from the seagulls he believed the turf would attract.

“It’s going to be an area of warmth,” he said, warning that artificial turf cannot absorb and break down the birds’ fecal matter like natural grass. “They’re going to be perching there.”

Charles McKinney, design chief for the Parks Department, said they would have to wash the turf regularly. The agency is switching to turf for active recreation fields because grass is too expensive to maintain in heavily trafficked areas.

Tom Paino, an architect and advocate for controlled development, complimented the Parks Department on the design but also urged the agency to use grass for the common area.

“The new products still produce VOC’s,” he said, referring to the gasses released by the turf materials.

Paino also warned about the heat from the turf being in direct sunlight. “This green, this common space will be unusable during the summer months,” he said.

Question: How do you wash artificial grass? Do you shampoo it like a carpet?

Judge turns the table on debt collector

From the NY Times:

The phone rang. A woman from a law firm representing a collection agency wanted to know if Mark Hoyte was Mark Hoyte, and he said he was. They were calling to collect.

Mr. Hoyte said he never had that credit card.

Then the woman wanted to know if his Social Security number ended in 92, and Mr. Hoyte said no, it ended in 33.

“She says to me, ‘Your date of birth is in 1972,’ ” Mr. Hoyte, 46, recalled in an interview.

Clearly, they had the wrong Mark Hoyte. But that did not stop the lawyers at Pressler & Pressler from suing him. They swore out a complaint and sent a summons to Mr. Hoyte, ordering him to be in court last Monday.

Then things took a rare turn.

The judge turned to Mr. Hoyte, who works as a building superintendent, and asked him how much a day of lost pay would cost. Mr. Hoyte said $115.

“Do you think that’s fair?” Judge Dear asked Mr. Wang. “That he should lose a day’s pay?”

“My personal opinion,” Mr. Wang said, “would not be relevant to the application being sought.”

The judge said he was prepared to dismiss the case and wanted Mr. Hoyte compensated for lost wages.

Squatters and evictions run rampant in South Jamaica

From the Daily News:

Last spring, Pamela Chappell saw a man sweeping the stoop next door at 114-02 Inwood St. in South Jamaica. At first she thought, "That's nice, somebody bought the foreclosed house and moved in."

Then came reality.

"I find out it's a squatter," she said.

The home had been empty since early 2008, which was not helpful to Chappell, who has owned her home next door since 2001 and has paid her bills on time.

The squatter had a partner, a pregnant woman. They jimmied the lock to the basement and lived in the house for more than a month until cops kicked them out in June.

The cops found a live pet hamster and a sonogram that had apparently been left behind by the pregnant woman. Since then, the house has been boarded up.

Once, Chappell's home was worth $425,000. Now, she says she's been told it's worth far less than half that.

"It's because of that," she said, pointing next door.

Also from the Daily News:

"Homeowners, desperate to avoid losing out on the American Dream, are more vulnerable to mortgage fraud schemes," he said, noting recent charges against 41 defendants who targeted "homeowners who were prepared to believe anything if it meant they could keep their homes."

Nowhere is this more evident than in South Jamaica, Queens, where the Daily News last year found one of the highest concentrations of foreclosures in the city.

In a return visit last month, The News found speculators snapping up foreclosed homes from debt-laden owners, using "straw" buyers to inflate prices and then abandoning or reselling them.

The most common tactic is a "short sale," in which speculators pay less than the outstanding mortgage and sell it for twice its value. Those houses often end up back in foreclosure.

In June 2008, The News examined how the collapse of the housing market visited despair upon a four-block stretch in Queens - from Linden Blvd. in the north, Foch Blvd. to the south, 145th St., Inwood St., 146th and 147th Sts. west to east.

At the time, 98 homes were in foreclosure there - a dire situation that broke up families, forced parents and children into the streets and hurt responsible neighbors who paid their bills on time.

A return visit last month discovered 27 more foreclosures in that four-block symbol of the long-lasting effects the foreclosure crisis is having on New York.

More proof that Bloombergian crime stats are B.S.

"Dear Crappy,

The e-mail below was sent out by Sister Rose of St. Stan's School in Maspeth.

I was told the student and his mom went to the precinct, but the desk officer would not take the report.

Is it true precinct staffing is based on statistics on crime in the area. Is that why they wont take reports. Two months ago, my car was vandalized, the side mirror was kicked off. (The police officers said it was a common thing) but they would not take a report.

Thank you."

- Anonymous

-----Original Message-----
From: Sister Rose Torma
Sent: Tue, Nov 24, 2009 1:01 pm
Subject: Be ALert...A Safety Warning

November 24, 2009

Dear Parents,

One of our upper grader students was mugged on Maspeth Avenue yesterday, Monday, and was threatened with a knife (although no knife was seen.) It is distressing to realize, that not only do things like this happen, but that they happen 'so close to home.'

The teachers will speak with the students in school, but I ask the parents also to reinforce the following with their children, especially those who walk home from school:

1. Students should always travel home from school with a partner and should never walk home alone.

2. Students should go home immediately after dismissal so that there are many people on the street at the same time, thus limiting the 'alone time' that the students who walk home from school would have on the street.

It took the occurrence of an unfortunate incident to reinforce safety precautions that all of our students should reminded of. We are grateful that our student who was approached on the street was not seriously hurt and I count on you, as a parent, as well as on our teachers, to reinforce that there is safety in numbers and that it is not wise to stay behind the group after dismissal time.

Thank you.
Sister Rose

Graffiti stencils and 'tree poop' on Pulaski Bridge

From the Restless:

The NYC DOT continues to do its best to run pedestrians off the Pulaski Bridge's only sidewalk. It was bad enough when the city turned the sidewalk into an official bike lane, but now -- in addition to more preschool illustrations and signage that promotes sharing... -- there's a thing in the turnout in the middle of the bridge that looks suspiciously like kids' playground equipment, below right. Or maybe the DOT wants to encourage lounging, and is going to install wi-fi and let a sidewalk waffle cart move in.

How can you expect people using a fast form of transport to slice safely through walkers, even if the biker is always calm and considerate? If all the decoration really works, why not let motorcycles use the sidewalk too? -- they're no wider than the shopping carts I've seen there.

Since it makes zero sense in any other way, the "bike lane" must be the result of a desire to connect the dots on the map of suburban bike lanes that cut through the Greed Belt of luxury condo towers along the Brooklyn / Queens waterfront.

How much has the DOT spent on this propaganda exercise? Why doesn't it quit insulting Pulaski pedestrians and go prettify, say, the Greenpoint Ave. Bridge (below right), further up Newtown Creek? Not enough luxury condos up there?

Wait, there's more to this insanity...From Miss Heather:

My buddy Bitchcakes (who took the above photograph) writes in an email entitled “UGH”:

>>>Have you seen this craptacular mess on the Pulaski Bridge? I don’t know when it went up, but I saw it today and I HATE IT!!!!!<<<

To answer your question, yes I have seen this “craptacular mess”. It would appear a number of people have. Many have questions about it, but few seem to like it.