Other Cities Race Ahead of New York on Fire Technology

Six years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, New York City is said to be lagging behind other cities in creating technology to aid firefighters to safely do their jobs.

Since the attacks, the city’s Fire Department has built a state-of-the-art command center in Brooklyn and is installing Global Positioning System units in fire trucks, but a lack of “pre-planning” is putting first-responders in danger, according to some department officials and outside experts.

Bloomberg Backtracks on Parking Tickets

The Mayor on the John Gambling Show this past Friday

1010WINS: Bloomberg: ‘Deal With It’, Council Members ‘Angry’, Mayor’s Apology.

Click Here for NY1’s newscast of this event

A day after telling New Yorkers to stop “griping” over parking tickets issued to snowbound cars, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg issued a rare apology and promised to waive all tickets handed out today and Thursday for alternate-side-of-the-street parking violations.

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience to people, but you know you have to make decisions and each of these storms is different,” Mr. Bloomberg said in his weekly radio program on WABC-AM.

Starrett City Draws $1B Bid From Developer

Berkshire LLC submitted by far the highest bid — more than $1 billion — for the 5,881-unit Brooklyn housing complex Starrett City, according to two sources familiar the deal. Last night, work on finalizing the deal extended late into the evening.

Billionaire developer Lev Leviev controls Berkshire LLC. Also a diamond trader, Mr. Leviev is a former partner of active New York developer Shaya Boymelgreen and the owner of Africa Israel Investments, a publicly traded company.

New York may ban iPods while crossing city streets

New Yorkers who heedlessly cross city streets while listening to their Apple iPod or fumbling with other electronics devices, such as cell phones, may soon face a hefty fine from the city.

According to both NBC and the Associated Press, New York State Senator Carl Kruger is expected to introduce legislation today that would impose a $100 fine for people who continue to use their electronics gadgets — such as iPods, Blackberries, and video games — while crossing the street.

Orthodox Teenagers Indicted in Hate Crime

A New York grand jury indicted five Orthodox Jewish teenagers in a hate crime.

Shlomi Bitton, Yossi Friedman, Benjamin Wasserman and two juveniles were charged with second-degree gang assault and third-degree menacing, according to a statement issued Thursday by Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes and reported in Newsday.

Mayor Bloomberg And NYCHA Chairman Hernandez Announce That Section 8 Voucher List Will Open For First Time In Twelve Years

As City Prepares for Fifth Annual Homeless Street Count Tonight, Mayor Announces 22,000 New Vouchers Will Increase Access to Affordable Housing

Click Here to watch the Mayors press conference

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chairman Tino Hernandez today announced the availability of 22,000 new Section 8 housing vouchers for very low-income families seeking affordable housing in New York City. Because of the availability of new vouchers, NYCHA’s Section 8 voucher waiting list will reopen for the first time in 12 years. Individuals and families who secure Section 8 vouchers can seek housing in a neighborhood of their choice from any private landlord who accepts the vouchers. The Mayor also announced that 3,000 of these vouchers will be targeted specifically to households at risk of homelessness. With a voucher, qualified families pay 30% of their income toward the Fair Market Rent set by the federal government; NYCHA pays the remainder directly to the private landlord. The announcement was made at the Queens Section 8 Applications Office in Corona as the Department of Homeless Services and the City of New York prepares for the fifth annual Homeless Street Count tonight.

Mystery smell settles over Manhattan

Manhattan, NY — New York officials evacuated a number of buildings and shut down some trains after a mysterious gaslike odor was reported Monday.

A New York Police Department spokesman said an air quality test determined that the air is not hazardous, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said there is no indication terrorism was involved.

Click Here to watch the mayors press confrence

Comptroller Accuses Car Insurance Industry of Price-Gouging

New York, NY — The city comptroller released a report accusing the auto insurance industry of price-gouging.

Comptroller Bill Thompson says the car insurance industry has raised premiums between 2000 and 2005 by nearly 29-percent, raking in 10 and a half billion dollars from premiums in 2005 alone. He also found companies were decreasing payouts for claims by more than 20 percent.

Thompson’s report says drivers in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens are especially hard hit. He says it’s not just a matter of customers shopping around for lower rates.

Mysterious Tickets

New York City has another mess on its hands and this time someone’s hands may be to blame. Sloppy parking ticket writers and possibly fake counterfeit license plates could be behind a mysterious parking ticket blitz. Fox 5’s John Deutzman got on the case and got some answers.

Click Here to watch the disturbing findings

Coney Island’s Astroland Sold, Will Close Next Year

Astroland Amusement Park on the Coney Island boardwalk in Brooklyn, which offered rides and thrills to generations of New Yorkers, was sold to a developer planning to turn it into a year-round resort.

The park will close after the 2007 summer season as part of an agreement Thor Equities LLC, a New York-based development firm, according to a statement released by the sellers, the Albert family. Dewey Albert, father of the current owner Jerome Albert, opened the amusement park in 1962, the statement said.

NYers Get Lost In Translation

Almost one in four New Yorkers admit they can’t speak English well, almost three times the national average, according to U.S. Census data analyzed by The Post yesterday.

About 5.7 million of the 7.3 million city residents age 5 and older claimed to know the English language “very well.”

This compares to more than 1.6 million residents who know English “less than very well,” according to the U.S. Census’ 2005 American Community Survey.

TLC Gives Taxi Fare Increase Green Light

Click Here to watch a newscast of this event

In a unanimous vote the Taxi and Limousine Commission approved a fare hike Wednesday that will double the rate passengers pay for sitting in traffic.

“Drivers deserve as living, but right now, it’s a terrible struggle,” said William Lindauer of the Taxi Workers Alliance.

5 Years to the 9/11 Attacks

Today, Monday September 11 2006, Chai Elul 5766 we mark five years to the day 2,973 people lost their lives in terror attacks on our country.

9/11 resource links in the Extended Article.

Roof Collapses at Historic Lower Manhattan Synagogue

Click here for a news cast of the event

The roof of a 150-year-old synagogue in Lower Manhattan once renowned as the Cantors’ Carnegie Hall, where the choir had included Red Buttons and Eddie Cantor, collapsed yesterday, forcing evacuations from four adjacent residential buildings and throwing into doubt the future of one of New York’s historic religious structures.

The collapse at the First Roumanian-American Congregation, at 89-93 Rivington Street, began shortly before 4 p.m. in a cascade of timbers, tar paper and debris, after beams supporting the roof came loose, the authorities said late yesterday. There were no injuries. Water damage was detected on the roof several weeks earlier, and congregants were told to stay away until planned repairs were performed.

More pictures in Extended Article!