By Alyson Footer It turns out Joe Torre is quite the storyteller. A reading by Torre of the poem “Casey at the Bat,” along with a performance by Mariah Carey and the New York Philharmonic, took place at the 2013 MLB All-Star Charity Concert. …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at MLB
New York Road Runners is enhancing baggage security measures for a 4-mile race on Sunday in Central Park in response to the Boston Marathon bombings — and the New York City police department is bringing in extra cameras for added surveillance.
The NYPD purchased 100 mobile cameras it will use at the race as a result of the bombings, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Friday. There will also be significantly increased police presence at the race as well as at a 5K run/walk to the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum on Sunday, he said.
Runners were being encouraged not to bring bags to the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks, but people who do will be asked to put all their belongings in a clear, plastic bag provided by race officials. The NYRR cautioned runners that any unattended bags will be confiscated.
Runners in shorter-distance events have traditionally been allowed to use their own bags to stash their clothes and other post-race items, which are stored in a designated area staffed by volunteers. But many longer, larger races tightened their gear-check policies several years ago, requiring all runners to use a bag — often clear — provided by organizers. Organizers of the half-marathon and marathon in Austin, Texas, for example, have been providing runners with clear plastic bags for their belongings for almost a decade.
At Sunday’s London Marathon, only gear stored in the official bag provided by race organizers will be accepted. Next weekend’s Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and Half-Marathon, organized as a tribute to the victims of the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people at that city’s federal building, only accepts gear in the clear plastic bag it provides runners.
New York Road Runners puts on dozens of races a year, including the New York City Marathon. The club did not say if the policy for Sunday’s run will extend to future races.
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/ENa3EcPm8pA/
Sometimes the bait is a small amount of cash in a stray wallet. Or a credit card. Even a pack of cigarettes can do the trick.
Police in New York City leave the items unattended — on subway platforms, on park benches, in cars — and wait to see if someone grabs them.
The New York Police Department says the practice has been a valuable tool for catching career criminals and deterring thefts in public places. But a recent court ruling throwing out a larceny case against a Bronx woman cast a harsh light on a tactic critics say too often sweeps up innocent people.
Judge Linda Poust Lopez found that there was no proof Deirdre Myers tried to steal anything — and that she was framed by a sting that took the tactic way too far.
Upholding the charges “would greatly damage the confidence and trust of the public in the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system, and rightly so,” the judge wrote.
Myers, a 40-year-old single mother with no criminal record, has since sued the city, claiming she and her daughter were traumatized by a wrongful arrest in 2010.
“You know how embarrassing and humiliating this was?” Myers said. “I’d never been stopped by the police for anything in my life.”
The city Law Department is still reviewing Myers’ lawsuit, city attorney Raju Sundaran said in a statement. But, he added, “undercover sting operations are lawful and help reduce crime.”
The judge suggested that Myers’ brush with the law had its roots in the so-called lucky bag operation that the NYPD began in 2006 to deter thefts of wallets, shopping bags, smartphones and other valuables in the subways.
A typical scenario was for a plainclothes officer to place a handbag with cash on a train platform and briefly look or step away. Anyone who took the bag, then passed up chances to return it to the undercover cop or to report it to a uniformed officer posted nearby could be locked up.
At the time, police credited the subway operation with driving down crime there. They say they still use the tactic when they see a spike in thefts of personal property in public places such as Grand Central Terminal or Central Park. But they now require more evidence of intent — a suspect trying to hide a wallet or taking cash out of it and throwing it away — before making an arrest.
Last year, police arrested a tourist from Atlanta in Central Park after he picked up a purse and took out $27 stashed inside, according to court papers in another pending civil case. He ended up paying a $120 fine as part of a plea bargain.
Authorities began using “bait cars” about six years ago in the Bronx to combat a chronic problem with car thefts and break-ins in working-class neighborhoods. In most cases, police plant property — an iPad, a pack of cigarettes — in plain sight as the bait for thieves but make sure the car is locked so that a suspect would
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/yrI8WtaTBpQ/
A growing chorus of lawmakers is asking New York City to settle with the five men whose convictions were overturned in the notorious Central Park jogger case.
The five black and Hispanic men were convicted as teenagers in 1990 of raping and beating a white woman jogging in the park. They served six to 13 years in prison before a judge threw out their convictions because of new evidence linking someone else to the crime.
In 2003, they sued police and prosecutors for $250 million. The case has gone nowhere. But the attention — and the pressure on the city — could increase in the coming weeks with the broadcast of a documentary on the case by the filmmaker Ken Burns.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
By Kenneth Rapoza, Contributor
From an American vantage point, nothing is more expensive than New York City. Average incomes around Central Park are $200,000 annually, according to this great map produced by public radio station WNYC. Their data comes from the U.S Census American Community Survey and is as recent as 2011. Surely that doesn’t include bonuses… …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool
Filed under: Investing
432 Park Avenue Launches Official Sales Campaign with Over One Third of Residences Under Contract
Tower to Become Tallest Residential Building in the Western Hemisphere
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)– CIM Group and Macklowe Properties announced today the launch of the residential condominium sales campaign for 432 Park Avenue and the opening of the sales and marketing center located at 767 Fifth Avenue. The much-anticipated project has been quietly marketing units for sale and over one third of the residences are under contract. With an expected completion in 2015, the extraordinarily graceful 1,396-foot tower, designed by Rafael Viñoly, will become the tallest building in New York City and the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere.
A rendering of 432 Park Avenue. ©dbox for CIM Group & Macklowe Properties (Photo: Business Wire)
Located on Park Avenue between 56 th and 57 th Street, 432 Park Avenue is surrounded by world-renowned retailers offering the best of fashion, art and design. The slim and elegant square tower will ascend 96 stories and is being constructed using architectural concrete, steel, and glass. All windows measure an expansive 10 feet by 10 feet, flooding residences with abundant natural light and providing spectacular views of Central Park, the Hudson and East Rivers, Atlantic Ocean, and many iconic Manhattan buildings and avenues.
In the tradition of New York City‘s finest apartment houses and hotels, residents will enjoy 30,000 square feet of amenities including a private restaurant, outdoor garden for dining and events, spa and fitness center with sauna, steam and massage rooms, 75-foot swimming pool, library, lounge, billiards room, screening room and performance venue, children’s playroom, and boardroom. In-suite catering, concierge, 24-hour doorman, and valet parking services will be provided by the building’s handpicked staff.
Residences include private elevator landings, separate service entrances, eat-in kitchens, windowed his-and-her bathrooms and large master suites with adjoining dressing rooms. Interior finishes include 12.5-foot finished ceilings, solid oak flooring, custom hardware, and the highest quality natural materials. Kitchens feature custom cabinetry, Miele stainless steel appliances, Dornbracht fixtures, and marble countertops and flooring. Master bathrooms are fitted in book-matched slabs of Italian statuario marble and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance
I first met David Burstein in Argentina giving out shoes to children in need with TOMS Shoes. Our next meeting was in Abu Dhabi where he was producing a documentary on behalf of NYU. And then last night, I saw David again at a packed reception in a skyscraper overlooking Central Park celebrating the launch of his book “Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World.” …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
By Caroline Patek, Contributor What: Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Four Seasons Hotel New York stands as a shining example of elegant architecture and impeccable luxury in Midtown Manhattan. Famed architect I.M. Pei lent his skills to this Big Apple hotel, including the lobby’s massive 33-foot-high backlit onyx ceiling, dubbed “The Cathedral” by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Views run aplenty in the guest rooms—from Central Park to scenic shots of the Manhattan skyline. And if you’re looking for the most magnificent accommodations in town, book the $40,000-per-night Ty Warner Penthouse Suite (named after the hotel’s owner); its grandiose amenities include a chauffeured Rolls-Royce, an art concierge, an en-suite spa room and four glass balconies.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Forbes Latest
NEW YORK, Jan. 13 (UPI) — Workers in New York City’s Central Park discovered a loaded Revolutionary War-era cannon in a shed, officials said.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at UPI Odd News
New York City police say an 18th century cannon was found loaded with gun powder and a cannon ball during a routine cleaning at the Central Park Conservancy.
Police say residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed Friday from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS, circa 1763 to 1780.
Packing material, gun powder and a cannon ball are occasionally found inside cemented cannons when they are X-rayed during routine cleaning. A spokeswoman for the Central Park conservancy had no comment.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
New York City police say an 18th century cannon was found loaded with gun powder and a cannon ball during a routine cleaning at the Central Park Conservancy.
Police say residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed Friday from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS, circa 1763 to 1780.
Packing material, gun powder and a cannon ball are occasionally found inside cemented cannons when they are X-rayed during routine cleaning. A spokeswoman for the Central Park conservancy had no comment.
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News
