February 5, 2018 Weather: Sunny, with a high of 36 degrees.
Notices:
Free readings and concerts, a housing clinic and more local events are on our calendar.
The TKTS booth at the Rubenstein Atrium will get extended hours.
News:
A driver had a big surprise when he tried to start his car on Sunday: a cat was in his engine. “The spotted brown short-hair was discovered when the owner of the car heard a strange sound as he tried starting his vehicle on 104th St. near Amsterdam Ave. about 2 p.m. When the driver popped the hood, he startled the flighty feline, prompting the animal to burrow deeper inside.
Bronx man Clifford Jones’ conviction for a rape and homicide on the Upper West Side in 1980 was vacated by the courts after he served his full term, spending nearly 30 years in prison. Now he’s suing the city. “He’s suing for malicious prosecution, deprivation of liberty and other claims.”
A reviewer enjoyed a Taiwanese food stand under the Columbus Circle subway station. “Generally speaking, Zai Lai is among the more crowded stalls at Turnstyle, with folks lining up for steamed pork buns, rice porridge breakfasts (pro tip: it’s less crowded in the mornings), meatball rice bowls, and oyster omelets — a staple seafood dish of the island nation. On a recent morning I opted for niúròu miàn ($13), the beef noodle soup that’s practically Taiwan’s national dish.”
A horse and a taxi cab collided near Central Park on Sunday after the horse was spooked by an umbrella and took off. “An official with the Horse and Carriage Association said a pedestrian in Central Park on the Center Drive abruptly opened an umbrella in front of the carriage horse, which then jackknifed.”
After recent reports of extraordinary MTA construction costs, will anyone in state government attempt to hold the agency accountable?
One more reason to stop having horses in the city. It is cruel to the animals.
What kind of jerk opens an umbrella right in front of a horse?!
Agreed Joan. Noisy polluted cities are not suitable environments for horses. A sad failing on de Blasio’s part that he has not banned horse carriages despite his election promise to do so. It’s long overdue!
Kate –In your fantasy world, do you think the horses would then get whisked off to horse paradise? If the previous owners (I guess many Amish) can’t sell them as carriage horses once they are done with them, they go to the dog food factory or some other worse fate than being a nyc carriage horse.
Didn’t DeBlasio originally run on taking these horses off the street?? Major fail and downhill from there.
Thanks for highlighting the link on state agencies’ silence so far on controlling runaway MTA construction costs. It’s really galling! The share of our MTA fares and other operating revenue that goes to pay interest on existing debt is already at a high level, the system is crumbling and poses a threat to the entire city, and yet the state agencies responsible for oversight for construction costs don’t say a word?! NYC’s MTA customers pay about 6x (six! times!) the per-mile cost to build the Second Avenue Subway compared to what Paris spends to build an extension of its line 14. And if you know Paris, that line is drool-worthy.
This money comes from our pockets, our kids’ pockets, and on and on. It keeps us from getting simple, common sense, efficient infrastructure upgrades we need. To be honest, I don’t really know that we have oversight agencies at all if they aren’t conducting immediate, impactful oversight right now. The Times laid out in clear detail how badly it’s needed.