Shake Shack $$$: Bad for City Parks? by Arun Venugopal - WNYC

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I've only recently started eating at Shake Shack, and have fallen hard for their frozen custard (the blueberry, so very creamy). And after generally avoiding beef for years, I've made return trips for their cheeseburgers, which I've concluded are superior to those of Five Guys — certainly less unwieldy.

But let us set aside such childish pursuits as all-beef patties, and consider this article by Patrick Arden in Next American City, asking "whether the city’s reliance on private-funding schemes was creating disparities between parks in wealthy and poor neighborhoods."

In 2009 Shake Shack collected revenues of $4.9 million; $220,256 of that went to the city and $348,389 to the park. Concessions in other parks pay as much as 20 percent of their take to the city, but not [owner Danny] Meyer, whose company adds to its profits by catering private parties in the park for $15,000 an hour. When Meyer opened his fast-food stand, he was the director and co-founder of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that oversees the public park.

Just to be clear, I've never eaten at the notoriously over-patronized Madison Square Park Shake Shack, only the UWS and Times Square locations — but I digress.

Arden gives numerous examples of the "big business" that public parks have become:

Few may object to the $364,000 salary paid to Central Park Conservancy president Douglas Blonsky, because his group is responsible for raising 85 percent of Central Park’s $27 million annual operating budget....

But those two parks now exemplify how lucrative the conservancy model can be. The Bryant Park Corporation took in more than $8.8 million in 2007 and its executive director, Daniel Biederman, picked up $210,000 for overseeing its 9.6 acres. Over at the Madison Square Park Conservancy, president Debbie Landau pulled in $185,000 — and her sister Maggi made $114,962.

Arden also notes that Robert Hammond, executive director of Friends of the High Line, earned $280,000 last year — "$75,000 more than the salary of [Adrian] Benepe, the city’s parks commissioner."

The problem, as Arden sees it, is not so much the fat paychecks in the private sector, it's the continuing cuts in public funding:

In 1960 parks maintenance and operations claimed 1.4 percent of city funds. Mayor Bloomberg’s new $63.6 billion budget would send parks’ percentage to a record low of 0.37 percent, or $239 million. (Chicago spent almost $150 million more last year on 21,000 fewer acres.) The mayor’s cut would drop the full-time workforce below 3,000, less than half the number employed by the Parks Department in 1970. “No other city agency has lost a greater percentage of its workforce over the last 40 years,” says [Geoffrey Croft, president of the watchdog group NYC Park Advocates]. “Private money will never make that up."

Arden and parks advocates say the “Golden Age for Parks” that Adrian Benepe claims is more like a Gilded Age, "with wide — and growing — disparities between lavish, showplace parks for the haves and cast-off parcels for the have-nots. For every Madison Square, Bryant Park or High Line, there are hundreds of parks that depend solely on the city, and many suffer from scandalous neglect."

New Yorkers Don't Fear Terrorists! Won't Change Lifestyles Over Fears of Another Attack: Poll by Corky Siemaszko - NY Daily News

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MTA emergency service officers patrol Grand Central Terminal. Bedford for News

Take that, terrorists!

Nearly nine out of 10 New Yorkers said they're "going about life as usual" despite the recent attempt to bomb Times Square, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday.

Seventy percent are worried about the possibility of another terror attack, and they're split on whether the city is ready to deal with one.

But New Yorkers aren't quaking in fear or hiding out in their apartments, said Maurice Carroll, who heads the university's Polling Institute.

"Are New Yorkers naive, saying it won't hit me, or are they just being New Yorkers?" said Carroll. "Whatever, we won't let concerns about terrorism change how we live our lives."

Even more remarkable, the rate of people refusing to bend their lives to terror was highest in Manhattan, the site of the 9/11 terror attacks.

It was lowest in The Bronx, where a still hefty 76% insisted they were living "life as usual."

Also, New Yorkers appear very satisfied with how their leaders are dealing with the terror threat.

"Mayor Bloomberg, President Obama, and, most of all, the cops - we think they're doing a good job fighting terrorism," Carroll said.

A majority of New Yorkers also believe anti-terrorism measures that violate civil rights are a victory for the terrorists.

"The city's true-blue liberalism extends to dealing with terrorists," Carroll reported. "By better than 2-1, New Yorkers think it's more important to protect civil liberties than to take all possible steps against terrorism. Only Republicans feel the other way."

The survey of 797 registered New York City voters was done two weeks after Pakistani immigrant Faisal Shahzad was busted for trying to detonate a car bomb at the Crossroads of the World.

Eric Holder Remarks on the Arrest of Shahzad Faisal

Breaking News - U.S. Arrests Connecticut Man in Times Square Bomb Plot by William K. Rashbaum, Mark Mazzetti and Peter Baker - NY Times

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A Connecticut woman said she sold the S.U.V. used in the failed bombing to a man she described as Middle Eastern or Hispanic.

Federal agents and police detectives Monday night arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, in connection with the failed Times Square car bombing on Saturday night, two people briefed on the investigation said.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was believed to be the one who recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, the people said. Charges against the man, who had returned recently from a trip to Pakistan, were not announced.

The authorities began focusing on him after they tracked the vehicle to its previously registered owner in Bridgeport, Conn., who had advertised it for sale on several websites. He paid cash, and the sale was handled without any formal paperwork.

The former owner told investigators that the buyer was of Middle Eastern or Hispanic descent, but could not recall his name. It was unclear how agents from the Joint Terrorist Task Force identified him. Federal authorities Monday night provided few details about the arrest, the suspect, or the scope of any conspiracy in the failed attack.

The authorities have been exploring whether the man or others who might have been involved in the attempted bombing had been in contact with people or groups overseas, according to federal officials. The investigation was shifted on Monday to the control of the international terrorism branch of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, a multiagency group led by the Justice Departmenthttp, according to two federal officials.

Officials cautioned that the investigation of possible international contacts did not mean there was a connection to a known terrorist group, but they said they were exploring all possibilities.

"It's a prominent lead that they're following, the international association," said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. "But there's still a lot of information being gathered."

On Monday, there was a sweeping response to the attempted attack in the tourist-packed city-within-a-city of Times Square — including an increased police presence, vehicle inspections and a touch of panic from veteran New Yorkers when a manhole fire flared five blocks from the scene of the failed bombing. Consolidated Edison blamed faulty wiring for the fire.

The recent sale of the Pathfinder began online. An advertisement that appears to be for the vehicle, which had 141,000 miles on the odometer and was listed for sale at $1,300 on at least two Web sites, emphasized that it was in good condition — “CLEAN inside and out!!” — with a recently repaired alternator and a new gas pump, distributor and front tires. “It does have some rust as you can see in the picture,” the seller allowed on NothingButCars.net, “but other than that, it runs great.” The other advertisement appeared on Craigslist.

In Bridgeport, the seller refused to answer questions. “You can’t interview her,” said an unidentified man at the woman’s two-story, white clapboard house. “She already talked to the F.B.I.”

The police continued sifting through footage from 82 city cameras mounted from 34th Street to 51st Street between Avenue of the Americas and Eighth Avenue, and from untold number of business and tourist cameras.

But investigators appeared to have begun to assign less significance to a man who appeared to be in his 40s who was seen on one video. That man was seen walking away from the area where the Pathfinder was parked and through Shubert Alley, which runs between 44th and 45th Streets. He looked over his shoulder at least twice and pulled off a shirt, revealing a red T-shirt underneath.

The New York police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, said investigators still wanted to speak to that man, but acknowledged that he might not be connected to the failed bombing. Paul J. Browne, the department’s top spokesman, said the police had stopped looking for additional video in the area that might have tracked the man’s movements.

“It may turn out that he was just somebody in the area, but not connected with the car bomb,” Mr. Browne said.

The police, though, said they might release footage of a man running north on Broadway at the time that a fire broke out in the Pathfinder, Mr. Kelly said.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. seemed optimistic in comments he made Monday morning. “I think that we have made really substantial progress,” he told reporters in Washington. “We have some good leads.”

The materials found in the Pathfinder were to be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s laboratory in Quantico, Va., for analysis, the police said. “They’ve got the top laboratory in the world to do these sorts of examinations, and we’ll keep some samples here,” Mr. Kelly said.

Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, said on the “Today” show on NBC that it was premature to label any person or group as suspect. “Right now, every lead has to be pursued,” she said. “I caution against premature decisions one way or the other.” But the White House made clear that it considered the effort an act of terrorism, whoever its authors were. “I think anybody that has the type of material that they had in a car in Times Square, I would say that that was intended to terrorize, absolutely,” said the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs.

Michael Wilson contributed reporting.

Exploding Manholes Rock New York Times Building, Midtown Manhattan - Huffington Post

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Just two days after Times Square was shut down

due to a failed car bomb attack, two manholes have exploded in Midtown Manhattan.

According to the New York Times , flames shot three stories into the air on West 40th Street after a manhole exploded, while another cover blew off.

Following the explosion, which occurred in front of the New York Times building, a firefighter reportedly yelled: "It's not Disneyland, people. Get the hell out of the way."

Less than a month ago a massive manhole fire in the same area was caught on camera.

No word yet on the cause of the explosion

Police Evacuate Part of Times Square - NYTimes.com

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Crowds of tourists and theatergoers were cleared from Times Square as the police investigated a “suspicious vehicle” there on Saturday evening.

Officials were investigating a sport utility vehicle parked at 45th Street and Seventh Avenue that was emitting smoke. A bomb squad was sent to the scene.

Broadway was closed between at least 43rd and 46th Streets, and the police also appeared to be closing off part of Eighth Avenue.

Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, told Reuters that a vehicle had been left in Times Square and that a small fire was extinguished.

“We’re just trying to determine if it was anything other than a car fire,” Mr. Browne said. “We don’t know yet if it’s anything more than that.”

Onlookers crowded against the metal barricades encircling the area, taking pictures with cellphones and video cameras, although only a swarm of flashing fire trucks and police cars was visible.

Many people stayed to watch after being shut out of Broadway shows or prevented from getting back to their hotels, trading rumors about what was happening.

The Toys “R” Us, between 44th and 45th Streets, was empty.

Gabrielle Zecha and Taj Heniser, visiting from Seattle, had tickets to see “Next to Normal” at the Booth Theater on 45th Street but could not get into the 8 p.m. show because the area was blocked off. But they made the best of the spectacle. “It’s a whole different kind of show,” Ms. Heniser said, adding, “It’s almost the equivalent of a $150 show.”

In December, the police closed Times Square for nearly two hours as they investigated a suspiciously parked van, delaying the rehearsal of the New Year’s ball drop. However, the van turned out to contain nothing but clothing.

Times Square Bomb Investigation: Car Fire Prompts Emergency Response After Suspicious Package Found In Back Seat

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Times Square has been shut down and the NYPD bomb squad is investigating a suspicious package, reports WCBS.

Car and pedestrian traffic has been blocked off between 44th and 46th Streets, from Broadway to Seventh Avenue while police use a robot to inspect the package found in the backseat of a burning car.

The square was evacuated around 8 pm.

No injuries were reported.

For live footage from the scene, click HERE.

Keep checking back for more...

Police Officer Seen on Tape Shoving a Bicyclist Is Indicted by John Eligon and Colin Moynihan - NYTimes.com

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A police officer who was videotaped knocking a man off his bicycle in July during a monthly cycling event in New York City has been indicted, the officer’s lawyer said on Monday.

The officer, Patrick Pogan, has been instructed to report to State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Tuesday for the unsealing of the indictment, said the lawyer, Stuart London. Mr. London said he did not know what the charges would be.

But people with direct knowledge of the case said they believed that prosecutors were seeking felony charges of filing false records in connection with the police report that Officer Pogan filed after arresting the bicyclist, Christopher Long. Officer Pogan also could be charged with a misdemeanor count of assault.

“My client denies any wrongdoing in this matter,” Mr. London said in an interview on Monday. “I would have people withhold judgment until all the evidence comes out about the bicyclist’s actions prior to my client taking action.”

Alicia Maxey Greene, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, declined to comment on the case.

David Rankin, a lawyer for Mr. Long, said the indictment was “some good vindication for his client.”

“I’m very pleased with the district attorney’s office taking this matter as seriously as it has,” he added. “What this really shows is that once you’ve committed some type of bad act, going ahead and lying on a charging document to cover it up is not something that’s going to be tolerated by the district attorney’s office.”

The bike incident, which gained widespread attention after someone captured it on videotape and put it on YouTube, occurred on July 25 during a monthly event known as Critical Mass, in which hundreds of cyclists ride their bikes through the city to advocate nonpolluting forms of transportation.

While Mr. Long, 29, was riding through Times Square, Officer Pogan lowered his shoulder and shoved him off his bike as Mr. Long tried to steer out of the way, the video shows.

Officer Pogan arrested Mr. Long and charged him with attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. In his police report, Officer Pogan wrote that Mr. Long was obstructing vehicular traffic as he rode southbound on Seventh Avenue. After instructing Mr. Long to stop, Officer Pogan wrote, Mr. Long rammed him with his bicycle, causing the officer to fall to the ground and receive cuts on his forearms. Mr. Long then resisted arrest, Officer Pogan wrote.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office dropped the charges against Mr. Long in September, citing a lack of evidence.

Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, said that if Officer Pogan were arrested, he would be suspended without pay. Mr. Browne declined further comment on the matter.

Tensions between Critical Mass riders and the police have long existed.

Shortly before the Republican National Convention in 2004, a large number of officers arrested more than 250 riders on charges that included parading without a permit. In 2006, a state judge turned down a request by the city to forbid Time’s Up, an environmental group that promotes the monthly rides, to take part in them, to gather at Union Square Park beforehand and to mention the rides on its Web site.

In a statement, Time’s Up applauded the indictment.

“We hope that higher-ups at the N.Y.P.D. will now discontinue their pattern of using excessive force and dangerous tactics against cyclists, and instead work with cyclists to make the ride safe and encourage nonpolluting transportation,” the statement said.

Woodhaven Clubber Killed During Party by Howard Koplowitz - Howard Beach Times - YourNabe.com

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A man who worked at a Manhattan nightclub where a Woodhaven woman was last seen Aug. 4 confessed to killing her with a metal pipe, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said last Thursday.

Syed Rahman, 24, admitted to the murder after 24-year-old Ingrid Rivera's body was discovered around 5 p.m. Aug. 6 in an electrical closet on the fifth floor of the Spotlight Live club in Times Square, Kelly said.

Rivera, of 74-32 90th Ave. in Woodhaven, was at the club Aug. 4 during a birthday party for the rapper Lil' Kim that drew more than 500 patrons, Kelly said.

He said bouncers ejected Rivera from the club after she "inadvertently went into the men's room." She was drunk, according to Kelly.

Rahman, who works as a bartender's assistant at the club, saw Rivera getting ejected and said he could get her back into the club.

He then got Rivera back in through an employee entrance and admitted to striking her in the back of the head with a 2-1/2-foot metal pipe, killing her, Kelly said, citing statements Rahman made to police.

Police found a pipe at the scene, he said.

The commissioner said 20 minutes before Rivera was murdered, Rivera's friend was looking for her and was told by Rahman that she could be found in the penthouse. But instead of taking Rivera's friend there, Kelly said, Rahman allegedly took her to the fifth floor rooftop, where he made sexual advances toward her.