Must-read headlines from around the city, curated by the WNYC Newsroom.
POLITICS
Juan Reyes Blasts Eric Ulrich for Having Dinner With Gay Friends (NYDN)
Lisa L. Colangelo and Glenn Blain report: “Queens Republican Juan Reyes, a former aide to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, sent a mailing this week blasting his ‘gay-friendly’ primary opponent, City Councilman Eric Ulrich, for having dinner with an ‘openly gay Democratic councilman and his husband.’ The reference was to Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, a fellow member of the Queens delegation. The mailer did not stop there, however. ‘Ulrich hired an openly gay chief of staff for his City Council office as well as at least one other gay staffer,’ it stated.” Meanwhile, opponents of state Sen. Mark Grisanti, of Buffalo, also sent out controversial anti-gay marriage ads. See images of the ad here. Warning: NSFW.
POLITICS
Ethics Panel Issues Lopez-Probe Subpoenas, Eyeing State Bigs (NYP)
Three Post reporters write: “The Joint Commission on Public Ethics has issued subpoenas to several staffers in Silver’s office, another source said. Two attorneys in DiNapoli’s office, chief counsel Nancy Groenwegen and lawyer John Dalton, also received subpoenas, sources said.”
POLITICS
The Prosecutor Plays Defense (Observer)
Daniel Geiger reports: “The election for district attorney in Brooklyn isn’t until next year. Still, the revelations have left Mr. [Charles] Hynes in what would appear to be one of the trickiest positions of his long career as Brooklyn’s D.A. On the one hand, he must dispel the now-widespread impression that his office is playing politics and doling out special treatment to a critical voting bloc. And yet, for a position that is decided based on notoriously thin voter turnout, it would appear essential to maintain the allegiance of these reliable supporters. Just how well Mr. Hynes can strike a balance between these seemingly conflicting mandates will be on full display this fall, when his office is expected to try one of the most contentious of the recent molestation cases: accusations against Nechemya Weberman, an unlicensed therapist who is alleged to have sexually abused a 12-year-old girl during sessions.”
EDUCATION
Schools Look to Weed Out Non Residents (NYT)
Jenny Anderson reports: “Officials with Greenwich Public Schools are doing more than just making house visits to ensure their students live in the district. A new policy this year requires parents or guardians registering their child for school to complete notarized affidavits testifying to their address. Lying, the document points out, could result in criminal prosecution.”
MEDIA
Manhattan Media Hits the Block (Crain’s)
Matthew Flamm reports: “Manhattan Media, publisher of local weeklies Our Town and The West Side Spirit whose CEO Tom Allon is running for mayor, is on the block, according to two people with knowledge of the situation. Since its founding 11 years ago by Mr. Allon and Richard Burns, managing partner of Isis Venture Partners, the company has grown to become New York City's largest independent owner of community publications.”
TRANSPORTATION
East River Ferry Struggles to Stay Afloat (NYT)
Joseph Berger reports: “Riders almost universally love the seven-stop ferry service, and the city has bet $9 million in subsidies that over a three-year contract, the service will win converts and prompt development in the vicinities of five ferry landings along the reviving industrial waterfront in Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Long Island City, Queens. But after more than a year of operations, the verdict on whether the service will sustain itself is far from clear.”
POLICE
NYPD Issues First Social Media Rules for Investigations (NYDN)
Rocco Parascandola reports: “The NYPD has for the first time laid out rules for using social media during investigations — but critics say the guidelines raise questions about privacy issues. The five-page memo issued by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly last week says officers involved in probes involving social media may register their aliases with the department and use a department-issued laptop whose Internet-access card can’t be traced back to the NYPD. Trolling the Internet can give police a tipoff to an imminent threat or give cops a leg up if they are conducting undercover work that requires deception, such as posing online as a teen to nab a rapist.”
ECONOMY
NJ Jobless Waiting Months For Unemployment Benefits Appeals (New Jersey 101.5)
Kevin McArdle reports: “State Senator Ray Lesniak and Assembly members Joe Cryan and Annette Quijano are blasting the Christie Administration over a backlog for out-of-work New Jerseyans appealing the denial of unemployment benefits. They say for some the wait can be up to six months. ...Labor Department spokesman Brian Murray acknowledges the backlog, but points out it pre-dates Governor Chris Christie’s Administration by three years. He says the Department is working with the federal government to resolve the issue which would include the hiring of 12 new employees to help the 46 currently working on appeals cases.”
EDUCATION
NJ Schools Prepare to Implement New Teacher Evaluations (NJ Spotlight)
John Mooney reports: “New Jersey’s plans for having a statewide teacher evaluation system in place by 2013-2014 goes full throttle this year, with every school district in the state being required to start putting the key pieces in place. Much of the attention has been on the more than two dozen districts that have signed on to be pilots of the new program, 11 last year and another 10 this year. An additional 14 districts are also piloting a new principal evaluation system.”
TRANSPORTATION
You’re Being Hacked! Taxi TV to Tell Riders of Scam (NYP)
Jennifer Fermino reports: “Taxi TVs in 6,610 cabs will be able to flash a message when a cabby dials up a toll charge — informing riders and instructing them to call 311 if the charge was added illegally. Existing alerts inform passengers when the meter is switched to more-expensive out-of-town fare pricing. More than 1,500 cabs already have already been outfitted with the warning system, with the remainder of city cabs getting them soon.”
CULTURE
Envy Grows in Brooklyn Over Proposed Observation Wheel in Staten Island (SI Advance)
Ken Paulsen reports: “What's your problem, Brooklyn? One of Coney Island's biggest boosters is growing increasingly concerned that Staten Island will steal its thunder if the wheel becomes a reality on Richmond Terrace. ‘The city needs to stay focused on rebuilding Coney into a first-class major tourist destination,’ Dick Zigun, the ‘unofficial mayor of Coney Island,’ told the Brooklyn Paper in a report posted Tuesday. ‘It shouldn't encourage competition with Coney within the five boroughs.’ In other words, Coney Island should have a monopoly.”