Copyright 2012 The New York Sun Thu, 03 May 2012 06:31:27 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Hope Hodge :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Hope+Hodge admin@nysun.net (Seth Lipsky) webmaster@nysun.com en-us HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/cricket-draws-city-teenagers-toward-police/84249/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST While few American teenagers would rank cricket among their favorite sports, it is wildly popular in much of the world, and the police department has used it to reach out to high school-age boys in New York's South Asian, Guyanese, and Caribbean communities. When the NYPD launched a youth cricket league last month, bringing a taste of a familiar culture to many youth, organizers were forced to turn players away as the rosters filled to capacity. Today, the championship match will take place... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/nightclub-sued-over-death-of-man/83954/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The Times Square nightclub where a woman was murdered this month is being sued for permitting another murder to happen earlier this year. The administrator of Samir Wilkens's estate sued Spotlight Live yesterday for $10 million, saying the negligence of employees led to his involvement in a deadly knife fight on January 21. The lawsuit alleges that club employees allowed Wilkens, 20, to be assaulted, forced him outside the club into an "unruly, violent, and macabre" crowd, and ignored warnings... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/hydrogen-car-fleet-makes-stop-in-new-york/83768/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The nation's quest for alternative fuel has led to Central Park, at least for a morning. A cavalcade of hydrogen prototype vehicles from nine American manufacturers stopped at the park early this morning, as part of a coast-to-coast road trip sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The tour, intended to demonstrate the cleanness and safety of hydrogen, began Monday in Portland, Maine. It will continue throughout the country for two weeks, stopping 31 times along the way to perform... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/artists-family-sues-sothebys-therapist-over-works/83686/ Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The family of a deceased American artist is suing a retired therapist and Sotheby's auction house for keeping and attempting to sell works they say were stolen from him. Martin Ramirez Salinas and Maria de Jesus Reyes Ramirez Miller, grandchildren of Martin Ramirez, say that during the three decades in which he was involuntarily held in a Los Angeles mental hospital, his pencil drawings were confiscated from him. A psychologist visiting the hospital, Tarmo Pasto, discovered Ramirez's talent and... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/subsidies-to-private-business-targeted-as/83381/ Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A group of New York residents is suing the state in an attempt to end the government's growth subsidies for private business, saying they violate the constitution. The more than $1 billion in state subsidies to stimulate or protect local businesses violate Article VII of the New York constitution, according to a lawyer representing the residents, James Ostrowski. Governor Paterson, the Legislature, the Empire State Development Corp., and the largest subsidy recipients are violating the state... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/red-sox-fan-sues-yankees-over-assault/83291/ Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A Boston Red Sox fan is suing the New York Yankees, saying the team failed to protect him while he attended a game between the two rivals. Charles Hillios, 40, of Chicopee, Mass., filed a suit yesterday in Manhattan Federal Court, claiming that two Yankee fans assaulted him during a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in 2007. According to the complaint, Mr. Hillios was cheering for the Red Sox on August 29, when two New York residents began to verbally harass and insult him. An employee of the... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/ex-tishman-accountant-faces-jail-time-fine/83199/ Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST A former project accountant for the New York-based Tishman Construction Corp. faces prison time and a large fine for embezzling millions of dollars from the company with forged invoices. A statement issued yesterday by the New York County District Attorney's Office described how 47-year-old John Hoeffner spent more than two years submitting false work invoices to Tishman while on a construction project at Yeshiva University's Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Hoeffner would alter paychecks... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/woman-dies-after-fall-from-5th-floor-window/83095/ Mon, 4 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The companion of a former mayoral official tumbled to her death from her Lower Manhattan apartment, authorities said. Police do not know if 53-year-old Frances Tracey jumped or fell from her fifth-floor apartment window on 58 W. 8th St. early yesterday morning. Tracey, who had lived for eight years with Mayor Dinkins's retired bodyguard, Arnaldo Segarra, may have been psychologically or emotionally disturbed, authorities said. According to police, the couple woke up around 6 a.m. After... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/body-found-in-prospect-park/82953/ Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A man found dead yesterday in Prospect Park, with evidence of head trauma, may have been murdered. Authorities said a park officer found an unconscious man, in his 40s or 50s, near Lookout Hill on 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest at 8:15 a.m., with lacerations to the back of his head. The man, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner will determine the identity and cause of death today. A representative for the Prospect Park Alliance said they... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/torso-found-in-duffel-bag-near-east-river/82855/ Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Note: Correction appended. A duffel bag containing a human torso was found on the Hudson River shoreline Monday morning, police said. A local fisherman made the discovery at West 156th Street and Riverside Drive in Washington Heights just before 11:30 a.m., according to police reports. The torso, which appeared to be that of a woman, was swathed in a trash bag and stuffed in the duffel bag. A spokesman for the Lower Washington Heights Neighborhood Association, John Culpepper, said community... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/discovery-of-body-at-queens-beach-disrupts-press/82792/ Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A body discovered on a Queens beach yesterday put an announcement about increased funding for lifeguards on hold. A crowd had assembled for a press conference on Jacob Riis Beach, a federally funded beach in the Rockaways, when police reported that a body had washed up on shore, a spokesman for Rep. Anthony Weiner's office, John Collins, said. The body of a male, who has not been identified, could be that of a 23-year-old who was swept away in the surf Friday night. The Coast Guard called off... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/man-in-critical-condition-after-shea-stadium-fall/82703/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A 2- 1/2-story tumble from a Shea Stadium escalator left an out-of-state fan fighting for his life, authorities said. Justin Larson, a 26-year-old medical student and St. Louis, Mo., native, was discovered by police around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, lying unconscious near the Gate D escalators. He had been attempting to slide down the escalator's rail but lost his balance and fell 25 feet to the ground, according to police. Mr. Larson was taken to New York Hospital Queens with a collapsed lung... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/man-who-accused-police-of-racism-is-arrested/82707/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A Harlem man who said he witnessed a display of police racial insensitivity last week was arrested Saturday, according to police reports. Police arrested Clarence Jones, 28, on counts of opposition to government authority and disorderly conduct Saturday morning, authorities said. According to reports, police attempted to issue Mr. Jones a court summons for his Lincoln Navigator, which was parked illegally on 116th Street and Madison Avenue. Mr. Jones reportedly appeared on the scene, said the... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/simon-schuster-sues-lil-kim-and-foxy-brown/82633/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Two local hip-hop artists have come up short on literary talent, but not on avarice, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday. Rappers Kimberly Jones, known commonly as Lil' Kim, and Inga Marchand, who goes by Foxy Brown, were sued by the publishing company Simon & Schuster Inc. in New York State Court. According to two separately filed lawsuits, the provocative rap stars were each contracted by Simon & Schuster to complete books for the company. Ms. Jones's prospective work was to be titled... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/body-found-on-beach-may-be-that-of-missing/82524/ Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A body that washed up on Rockaway Beach yesterday may be that of Tiara Coaxum, a 16-year-old girl from Jamaica, Queens, who was pulled under while swimming with a friend on Friday. The body of an African-American teenage girl was discovered on the shoreline, having washed up from under the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, on Beach 169th Street and Rockaway Point about five minutes after noon, officials said. The police have not yet identified the girl, but they presumed the cause of death was... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/former-city-building-inspector-gets-6-month/82446/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A former city buildings inspector, Dean Massari, will serve six months in a federal prison and pay fines for his part in a three-year bribery scheme, the Brooklyn District Court ruled yesterday. Between 2000 and 2003, Massari was paid thousands of dollars to overlook city construction regulations in a dozen Brooklyn sewer sites, according to a Department of Investigation statement... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/2-motorcyclists-struck-by-out-of-control-car/82357/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST An out-of-control car collided with two motorcycles in Battery Park City last evening, leaving one motorist dead and two others injured, officials said. A man driving south in the right lane on South Street passed a parked MTA bus and then struck the motorcyclists at the intersection of South and Whitehall streets at about 5:05 p.m., according to police reports. After hitting the motorcycles, the car, a black sedan, came to a halt against concrete barriers in front of the Staten Island Ferry... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/harlem-residents-politicians-paint-over-violent/82071/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A group of Harlem residents donned paint clothes yesterday and joined the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, Reverend Al Sharpton, and other local officials to obliterate a piece of pro-violence graffiti. Before yesterday, the wall of a Harlem bodega on 110th Street bore the image of a rat with a noose around its neck saying, "Stop snitching." But that message keeps killers on the streets, Cherise Smith, who lost her 15-year-old son, Nathan Allsbrook, to a stray bullet from an... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/passenger-sues-airline-claiming-humiliation-by/82079/ Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club is suing Continental Airlines, claiming that a vindictive flight attendant had her detained and interrogated by the FBI without cause. In a complaint filed yesterday in state Supreme Court, Carolyn "Lynne" Meadow said she was harassed and humiliated on a transoceanic flight to New York from Rome last August 9. Just after takeoff, having fallen asleep in her business class seat, Ms. Meadow claims she was woken by flight attendant Chris Boone's... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/the-door-store-is-accused-of-misappropriation/81998/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST An award-winning New York City furniture designer is suing the parent company of a furniture retail chain, claiming the Door Store commissioned another designer to copy his furniture for profit. In a complaint filed yesterday in state Supreme Court, John Kelly, of John Kelly Furniture Design in Manhattan, said the Door Store's CEO, Jodi Brinkman Fitzgerald, dismissed John Kelly Furniture Design as a supplier after finding that she could get "virtually identical" furniture from a competitor... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/worker-dies-after-falling-off-crane/81978/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A construction worker died from injuries after falling off a construction crane yesterday, after a dump truck collided with the crane, officials said. The collision, police said, happened at the intersection of Steinway Street and Broadway in the Astoria section of Queens around 5 p.m. The worker, a man in his 40s, fell from the crane when the truck, heading south on Steinway Street, slammed into the hydraulics of the crane. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in Queens, where he died a few... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/manhattan-athlete-aims-for-table-tennis-gold/81800/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Table tennis as an American sport has long been confined, under the unassuming name of ping-pong, to tournaments in basements and rec rooms, but if world championship competitor and soon-to-be Olympian Wang Chen has her way, all that will soon change. At her Wang Chen's Table Tennis Club on West 100th Street in Manhattan, a narrow hallway opens into a sky-blue room lined with regulation-size tables and wire bins full of hollow white balls. Ms. Wang, tall for her sport at 5 feet, 10 inches... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/eight-firefighters-injured-in-west-side-blaze/81787/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A fast-moving fire devastated the top floor of an Upper West Side residential building yesterday, injuring eight firefighters and one resident before it was controlled. The fire department responded to a call made just after noon from 254 W. 73rd St., a four-story brownstone between Broadway and West End Ave. The fire was extinguished relatively quickly; it was considered under control by 1:06 p.m., officials said, but not before the blaze had escalated to a two-alarm fire from a single alarm... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/missing-ex-columbia-student-is-found/81560/ Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A former Columbia University graduate student who disappeared three days ago from Washington Heights after withdrawing suddenly from school was discovered around 12:45 p.m. in upstate New York yesterday, police said. Toby Cohen, 25, who had just finished his second year at Columbia's College of Dental Medicine, left his girlfriend's apartment on Greenwich Street around 9 p.m. on Sunday night. He returned to his home on West 169th Street but left sometime after, leaving behind a cell phone... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/focus-on-math-writing-may-aid-other-learning/81398/ Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Fears that proficiency in science is decreasing among schools that emphasize math and writing may be unfounded, a new study shows. Released today by the Manhattan Institute, the study, "Building on the Basics," examines Florida schools that between 2001 and 2003 participated in the A+ Achievement Program, which assigns schools a letter grade based on overall student performance on high-stakes achievement tests covering math and reading. A Manhattan Institute senior fellow who was a co-author of... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/5-million-suit-filed-against-restaurant/81411/ Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A former employee of the Wakiya Restaurant, in a $5 million complaint filed in the New York State Supreme Court yesterday, is claiming that she was assaulted by a co-worker and later fired because she spoke Spanish. Natividad Alcantara, a Dominican Republic-born American citizen, was hired by the Chinese restaurant in the Gramercy Park Hotel in Midtown as a public area attendant in November. She claims in the complaint that she was sitting at a cafeteria table in the hotel on March 1 when a... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/90-year-old-man-survives-attack-by-pit-bulls/81120/ Wed, 2 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST A 90-year-old man who survived an attack by two pit bulls in the Port Richmond section of Staten Island yesterday morning was transferred to Richmond University Medical Center in critical condition. The man, Henry Piotrowski, was sitting on his property on 94 John St. around 11 a.m. when two male pit bulls ran up to him and attacked him, police said. New York City Animal Care and Control recovered the dogs on nearby Newark Street. A neighbor, Reginald Bell, said he saw the attack while parking... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/a-dance-of-lights-for-the-4th/81038/ Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST New Yorkers will be able to waltz on their rooftops Friday night in step with the theme of this year's Independence Day fireworks show: "America Dances." Digital synchronization, the show's creative director, Bill Schermerhorn, said, will allow fireworks to move in closer harmony than ever with a live sound track provided by the New York Pops, directed by Rob Fisher. The challenge with every July 4 celebration, Mr. Schermerhorn said, is "finding a way to be very Americana and patriotic. What... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/little-italy-businesses-issue-complaint-about/81039/ Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Two businesses that operate jointly at 192 Grand St. in Little Italy, Florio's Restaurant and the 192 Grand Street Cigar and Trading Company, filed a complaint yesterday in a Manhattan court against the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for issuing more than 50 smoking violations to the restaurant. The establishment, founded in 1962, used to bill itself as "smoking-friendly" but claims it changed policies to abide by the city's Smoke-Free Air Act. The violations issued by the... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/brooklyn-jail-opponents-speak-out/80846/ Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Elected officials and neighbors of the long-closed Brooklyn Detention Center are protesting plans to reopen and expand the facility. The jail at 275 Atlantic Ave. closed its doors in 2003, and since plans to reopen the facility and double its inmate capacity were announced in 2007, a tense tug-of-war between the city's Department of Correction and local officials has ensued. The city is expected to announce a developer and begin a $440 million redevelopment by the end of July. Yesterday, dozens... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/a-highbrow-battle-of-bands-is-set-tonight/80558/ Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST A scheduling oversight will result in the convergence of two orchestras performing free concerts tonight in Central Park. The New York Philharmonic will return to the Great Lawn for its 44th year to play selections from Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky, as well as three Sousa marches. Just about a half-mile south, at the Naumburg Bandshell, the Brooklyn Philharmonic will be performing pieces by Beethoven, Mozart, and Stravinsky. A spokesman for the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Adam Teeter... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/report-finds-city-schools-suffer-playground/80487/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST New York elementary schools are woefully lacking in outdoor play spaces, with nearly half of all schools having no playground for recess, and schools in minority communities are the worst off, a new report released yesterday by state Senator Jeffrey Klein finds. Mr. Klein introduced a bill that would ban the construction of any school without a playground and prohibit current schools from using yard space for any purpose that would result in less room for play areas. On Wednesday, a nonprofit... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/owner-of-e-side-building-hit-by-crane-sues/80411/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The owner of an Upper East Side building damaged in a fatal crane collapse is suing the crane's owner, operator, and lessee for $100 million. In a complaint filed yesterday in New York State Supreme Court, First & 91 LLC, which owns 1749 First Ave., says "recklessness, carelessness and negligence" caused the crane to collapse. The company faults owner New York Crane & Equipment, operator Sorbara Construction, and general contractor Leon D. Dematteis Construction, as well as the owner of the... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/true-costs-of-early-retirement-pension-bill-are/80294/ Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST After a union-friendly city actuary underestimated the costs of early-retirement pension legislation to the tune of possibly several hundred million dollars, New York's Independent Budget Office released its own study on the costs of the bill. IBO calculates the cost of the bill to the city at $68.1 million for the first year alone, including pension and fringe benefit costs for employees. Previous cost estimates of the bill, which would allow certain public employees who had worked at least 25... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/cross-bronx-westbound-has-worst-bottleneck-in-us/80307/ Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Frustrated travelers on the Cross Bronx Expressway will be gratified to learn that their commute can't get any worse. A survey released yesterday by the navigation data company INRIX found that, of the 10 worst bottlenecks in America, five are in New York and four are in New Jersey, with the Cross Bronx Expressway westbound in first place. This stretch is congested 94 hours each week, during which time travel speed averages 9.8 miles an hour. In terms of overall traffic, New York City is no. 2... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-wants-new-phrase-the-bronx-is-building/80198/ Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is giving a boost to the gentrification trend that has been rapidly transforming the character of the South Bronx. Atop the steps of the Bronx Civic Center, with Yankee Stadium at his back, the mayor yesterday layid out a three-part South Bronx initiative that is expected to bring more than 8,000 housing units, 800,000 square feet of commercial space, and greens to areas surrounding Melrose Commons, the Bronx Civic Center, and the Grand Concourse. The All-Star Game is coming to... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/city-will-close-five-miles-of-manhattan-road/80058/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's next big idea: Shut down Park Avenue. A five-mile stretch of road running from Lower Manhattan to Central Park will be closed to automobiles for three days in August, as part of a city Department of Transportation program that, if successful, could lead to regular street closings. The proposal, expected to be announced by Mr. Bloomberg at an event today, is intended to provide New Yorkers and visitors with a safe place to jog, stroll, and ride without the congestion normally... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/report-majority-of-sellers-in-city-are/79468/ Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST More than 85% of milk sellers in the city are charging illegally high prices, a new report says. The "Milk Money" survey, released yesterday by elected officials at City Hall, found that an overwhelming majority of milk distributors, from supermarkets to bodegas, overcharged an average of $0.40 for the grocery staple. New York State's 17-year-old milk price-gouging law regulates the price of milk based on the size of the retailer and costs of production, among other factors. The price threshold... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/report-school-custodial-workers-stole-60000/79458/ Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST A report released yesterday by the special commissioner of investigation, Richard Condon, found that former Department of Education custodial workers had together stolen more than $60,000 from the Grover Cleveland High School in Queens. The report finds that Karen Nowaski, 37, forged and cashed paychecks with the help of John Lotito, 45. Ms. Nowaski, the report claims, also increased her pay rate without authorization and extorted $9,000 from Mr. Lotito for her silence about his part in the... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/batali-show-involved-in-lawsuit-by-daily-show/79236/ Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST A former staff writer for Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report," Ben Karlin, is suing the company of food television producer Charles Pinsky, founder of Frappe Inc., for reneging on a contract for a book that was to have accompanied the upcoming PBS series, "Spain ... on the Road Again." The show stars chef Mario Batali and actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Mr. Pinsky asked Mr. Karlin in summer 2007 to conceptualize and oversee the book, according to a lawsuit filed... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/two-central-park-eagles-found-30-years-after/79153/ Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST Two large bronze eagles stolen from a Central Park monument more than 30 years ago have been seized by federal agents. Part of a set of four eagles affixed to the corners of the City Employees War Memorial at the northwest end of the mall at Central Park, the pair disappeared in 1976. The city replaced the stolen eagles with bronze replicas about eight years ago. According to a civil complaint issued yesterday by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District, Michael Garcia, an unnamed source... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/business/american-flag-lowered-at-herald-tribune/78945/ Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 EST American flags were hoisted and flown across the nation on Memorial Day, less than a week after the New York Times-owned International Herald Tribune took one down. The Herald Tribune replaced its 142-year-old "dingbat" masthead logo in favor of an all-text header in English Towne-Normal, the same font the Times uses. The old front-page banner featured an eagle atop a clock, surrounded by an hourglass and implements of manual labor: an Asian farmer pushing a hand plow; camels standing in... HOPE HODGE http://www.nysun.com/new-york/city-prevents-trinity-schools-exit-from-real/78826/ Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 EST The elite Trinity School on Manhattan's Upper West Side would like to get out of the real estate business, but administrators are finding that is easier said than done. The school was attempting to sell a rent-controlled apartment building it owns to a private developer, Pembroke Properties, but the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development is rejecting the sale. The building, an apartment complex on 91st Street called Trinity House, falls under the city's supervision because it...