Happy Birthday, Fire Island Lighthouse

When the first lighthouse built on Fire Island in 1826 proved too short to be effective, Congress authorized a replacement. The beacon atop the 168-foot tower was illuminated Nov. 1, 1858, an event that will be commemorated this weekend with a 150th birthday celebration.

The schedule of free events includes a 150th anniversary ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday with a birthday cake that guests will be able to sample. There also will be ranger-led walks, exhibitions of crafts such as decoy carving, tower tours, sea chantey singing, book signings, and Coast Guard boat and helicopter rescue demonstrations.

Fire Island celebrates lighthouse's 150th anniversary

Rat Tracker debuts

The city wants to make sure rats have no place to hide, at least online.

A Rat Information Portal, complete with a searchable map of rat inspections and violations, debuted Thursday on the city's Web site.

Beyond providing advice on rousting the rodents, the site aims to encourage residents to act as rat watchdogs, using the map to track trouble spots and pressure property owners who are slow to address them.

The rat portal, which also offers everything from photos of rat droppings to tips on choosing an exterminator, is the city's latest move to turn up the heat on the rodents.

In recent years, the city has dispatched inspectors with handheld computers to canvass neighborhoods for signs of the vermin, hired a renowned rodent expert and stepped up efforts to evict the pests from parks.

NYC Residents: Use Your Mouse to Track Rats Online

Searching for Queens subway perv

Woman Captures Picture Of Alleged Subway Flasher
By: NY1 News

An alleged subway flasher may have picked the wrong target – a woman armed with a cell phone camera.

Police have released photos taken by a woman who told police the man exposed and touched himself in front of her on a Queens-bound V train between Grand Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard Tuesday evening.

The suspect is described as between 45 and 50 years old, 5 feet 4 inches tall, and 140 pounds with a mustache. He was wearing a black leather jacket and skull cap, a blue collared shirt and beige pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or text TIP577 to CRIMES.

The puma and the pumpkin

Action at the Queens Zoo.

How'd you like to live next door to this?

A construction nightmare in Carroll Gardens nicknamed the "Hell Building" by critics could remain an eyesore for the foreseeable future - if it's ever built.

Nearly three years after a Buildings Department permit was granted to convert the Regency Service Carts building on Carroll St. into a five-story luxury condo tower, construction has ground to a halt.

The result is a messy construction site with no major work going on for more than a year and a half - and neighbors fear it will remain an eyesore for months to come.

The most recent Buildings Department stop-work order was issued after controversial architect Robert Scarano had inaccurately claimed the building was zoned to allow for the additional stories.

In Carroll Gardens, 'hell' tower freezes over as eyesore still unfinished