For a New York Sightseeing Tour, Helicopters May Not be the Best Option

Hard on the heels about the ruling on bus sightseeing tours (tour buses will have to revert to headphones rather than loudspeaker systems) comes a ruling about helicopter tours in the city.
Yesterday, the city’s Economic Development Corporation announced that helicopter tours would be cut down significantly in response to complaints about the noise generated by the choppers. The five helicopter companies that operate out of the Downtown Manhattan Heliport will no longer will be allowed to fly over Brooklyn, the Empire State Building, or Central Park. In addition, tours under eight minutes, which make up about 15 to 20 percent of all flights, will also be a banned. The latter tours have represented the biggest hassle for residents in Brooklyn; they often went by the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
Helicopter operators will have to follow one of two new routes, which are designed to keep the copters flying higher over the Hudson River. The new plan would also make it easier for city residents to call 311 to complain about helicopter noise and for the calls to be tracked.
Complaints about the frequency and level of nose from helicopter routes have increased since April 1, when helicopter flights were relocated from the West Side Heliport. As a result, the number of flights--and the amount of noise--has increased exponentially.
The Economic Development Council and the Eastern Region Helicopter Council will enforce the regulations. Operators who don’t follow the new rules could have their licenses taken away and also face fines.
If you’re planning a day out in New York, you might want to consider your own two feet.

You Still Have Time: Rediscover Your Poetic Impulses

Today (April 30) marks the end of National Poetry Month--not just in New York, but also across the country. You still have time, however, to catch a few poetry-related events throughout the city in the next few days.
For starters, check out “How Does a Bird Imagine? What Does a Tree Know?” on May 1 with famed children’s poet Richard Lewis at Poet’s House (10 River Terrace; 212 431-7920.) Lewis is the author of such books “All Of You Was Singing,” which is based on an Aztec myth.
The performance art and writing workshop is offered in conjunction with an exhibition, and offers a springtime parade of hats. Lewis is also offering a workshop for adults at Poet’s House tomorrow entitled “It’s About Nature: Children’s Learning and the Poetic Experience”; he will focus on creating poetic spaces,
For the poetry-loving AND the adventurous, you can still catch “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 poems in 60 Minutes” at the Kraine Theater at 85 East 4th Street (Call 212-352-30101 for ticket information). Offered tonight and tomorrow night, the performance is a poetry-themed version of the play, with performances by the New York Neo-Futurists.
If you happen to be in Brooklyn tonight, wander over to Goodbye Blue Monday (1087 Broadway; 718-453-6343) and catch six poets performing.
For more information about poetry events throughout the year, check out the Poets House website at poets.org.
And you can always stop by your local pubic library in New York--poetry books are always there for the reading.

Speak Softly, and Point Out Those Sights in a Whisper

What did she just say? Carrie Bradshaw did what over there? Who ate at that Italian restaurant?
If you’re planning on hopping aboard a New York City sightseeing bus for a tour, questions like that may become more commonplace in the future. The City Council is expected to vote into law today a new rule banning open-air tour bus guides from conversing with the tourists aboard with a loudspeaker. City councilwoman Gale Brewster, who represents part of the West Village, sponsored the bill, saying that the noise from the loudspeakers is so loud it can be heard inside buildings.
Another supporter points out that the bus engines also contribute a huge amount of noise. Residents from a number of (largely upscale) neighborhoods have protested the noise from the buses for quite a while, saying that if you live on or near a bus route, the noise can be heard no matter what floor you live on. The noise also affects those who live near historic districts that are often pointed out on bus tours. Areas such as SoHo and the Village are among those affected.
The tour bus companies, not surprisingly, are not too happy about the proposed law; some officials estimate that it will cost between three and five million dollars to install a new system in which riders would listen through headphones to the guides.
New York has 250 licensed tour buses, about 150 of which have tops that are open in warm weather.
Mayor Mike Bloomberg is expected to sign the bill into law; if it passes, buses will have several years in which to comply.

Want to Film in New York? You May Have to Pay a Fee

Film and TV crews are a common sight in New York City, as a slew of TV shows, commercials, and movies are regularly shot all across the five boroughs.
Until now, however, the right to film here has largely been free.
That’s right--access to city-owned parks, streets and other locales have been there for the taking to TV and movie producers and even students making independent films or music videos.
Budget cuts, however, are forcing the city to come up with new ways to make up the lost revenue, and film permits may now be subject to a $300 fee.
If the fee is approved, TV producers would have to pay the amount once per season, while filmmakers would pay the fee once for the duration of shooting--no matter if it’s an NYU production or the sequel to a major zillion-dollar blockbuster.
While the fee may seem surprisingly low, it’s meant to make it easier for smaller producers and directors to be able to come up with the money and not look elsewhere to film.
Some exceptions would apply: Films using hand-held cameras or taking up a tiny amount of space wouldn’t have to pay the fee, and producers can apply for an exemption based on financial hardship.
The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting had to cut $155,000 from its $2 million budget this year. Most city agencies were ordered last month to cut 7.2 percent of their budgets
TV Shows like “Gossip Girl” and big-budget films such as “Sex and The City” regularly film in New York.

Like Salt? Salty Foods May Be Easing Out in New York

Do you love French fries, potato chips, salty pretzels…do you see where this is going, New York? If you’re a fan of salty foods (and who isn’t, really), you probably know that all that salt isn’t great for you. Now, the National Salt Reduction Initiative aims to do something about it.
New York City wants you to reduce your salt consumption, and for starters, 16 companies and restaurants have committed to help you do just that.
The initiative is voluntary, and participating companies, restaurants, and chains include Starbucks, Heinz, Au Bon Pain, Subway and Goya. They have agreed to reduce salt in their products by 25 percent over the next five years. Other restaurants and companies have been urged to join the initiative as well.
According to New York’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Americans get 80 percent of their salt intake from packaged foods and restaurants in the form of preservatives. Adding salt yourself only accounts for about 1 percent of salt consumption. About nine percent comes from sodium that occurs naturally in food. Health organizations recommend about 1500 to 2400 milligrams of salt per day per healthy adult.
Reducing salt intake has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes; city officials say that as many as 23,000 New Yorkers could reduce their risks of dying from those problems.
Officials promise that the reduction will be gradual--and that New Yorkers won’t even notice the difference.
The city already has mandatory rules for posting calorie counts as well as a ban on trans fats.
The ultimate goal? To reduce American’s salt consumption by 20 percent by the year 2014.

The Journal and The Times: Now Going Head to Head

It may be called “The Wall Street Journal”—but the New York newspaper hasn’t really written about local New York events or happenings—until now.
Starting today, “The Journal” will offer a New York section that aims to be direct competition for “The New York Times.”
Although “The Journal” has a larger circulation than "The Times,” “The New York Times” reaches more New York City households, as well as more women. And women may be the key to “The Journal’s” plan: To reach the coveted advertisers that appeal to the female population, such as department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Macy’s, and Bloomingdales.
The new New York metro section will have areas that cover culture, local real estate, business, local sports teams, society, and happenings in the Albany government and at City Hall. It will also feature color pictures. Famed businessman Rupert Murdoch is the chairman of News Corp, which owns “The Wall Street Journal.” He took over "The Journal” in 2007, with the aim of competing directly with “The New York Times.” New editors and reporters were hired for the new section. The launch is expected to cost about $30 million over the next two years.
Newspaper sales in general have dropped substantially over the last few years, damaged in large part by the internet and the easy, constantly updated availability of news. Advertisers--and readers--may now have to make a choice as to which paper they decide to focus their attention--and money—on.
Last year “The Wall Street Journal” passed “USA Today” as the most widely circulated publication, with over 2 million subscribers.

Get Ready to Be Dazzled: King Tut Comes to New York

Tut, tut, New York, get ready to catch King Tut fever: Not one, but two exhibitions celebrating the legendary Egyptian boy king have landed in New York.
In midtown’s Discovery Times Square Exposition Center (Discovery TSX; 226 West 44th Street; 888-988-8692), “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” has just opened, and will be in the city through the beginning of next January before returning to Egypt. The exhibition includes both treasures unearthed from his tomb as well as scientific findings about King Tut.
The crown that was on his head in the tomb, along with a gold coffinette, are on display. King Tut died when he was 19 in about 1324 BC: the latest scientific evidence shows that the cause may have been malaria combined with a degenerative bone disease. An entire gallery is devoted to scientific studies, including DNA information, surrounding his life and death.
Two family days are coming up: Sunday, May 9, and Sunday, June 13—they will include special tours and a mummy-wrapping activity.
Over at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street; 212 879-5500; through September 6), “Tutankhamun’s Funeral” is on display; it looks at the funeral rites and materials associated with Tut’s burial. The exhibition serves as a nice complement to the one at Times Square. Materials that were used at his burial and funeral rites—including bowls, linen sheets and bandages, jars and floral collars--are on view at the exhibition, as are archival photographs that provide background. A sculpted head of the boy king is also on view, as are facsimile paintings showing funerary rites.
Get wrapped up in Tut and go!

Get Ready, Union Square and 34th Street: Changes are Afoot

Following on the heels of the much-disputed pedestrian plaza near New York’s 42nd Street and Times Square, another such plaza is in the works for the area between 17th and 18th Streets, north of Broadway near Union Square. The plan is expected to be brought before the local community board on Monday.
Also in the works: A walkway along 34th Street, between Herald Square and the Empire State Building, which would turn the thoroughfare—one of the city’s most crowded--into a one-way street. Buses would still run in both directions, in specific lanes that would be separated from pedestrians by concrete barriers. The plan is intended to give pedestrians more room to navigate, and also to speed up ponderously slow cross-town buses—some of the slowest in the entire city. Travel time for the buses could improve as much as 35 percent.
Riders would be able to pay for their ride before they boarded, and the buses could send a signal that would keep the traffic lights green as they approached an intersection. Cars, however, would not be allowed on the block between 5th and 6th Avenues; they would go westbound from 6th Avenue the West Side Highway, and eastbound from Fifth Avenue to the FDR Drive.
Not surprisingly, many bus riders support the plan, while drivers of cars are less optimistic, fearing that the closures will make their commute even worse.
The project is expected to be finished at the end of 2012, with final designs due next year; it’s expected to cost about $30 million. The plan was first proposed back in 2008; a public hearing was held last week.
The change would significantly alter both the traffic patterns and the layout of the streets in midtown Manhattan.

Keep Saving the Planet: Museums Help Save the Earth

For those of you concerned abut the planet (and seriously, that should mean you), Earth Day has now morphed into Earth week. (And hey, New York, shouldn’t it really be Earth Day every day?)
In the city, museums and arts organizations have gotten into the act with installations designed to highlight the environmental issues facing the planet.
PS 1 and The Museum of Modern Art took on the issue of rising sea levels, with the resulting “Rising Currents: Projects for New York’s Waterfront,” on display through October 11. (MoMA is at 11 West 53rd Street in Manhattan; 212 708-9400.) The creative solutions include water-absorbing sidewalks and apartment buildings that dangle above the water. (We said creative, not necessarily realistic.)
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum (145 Brooklyn Avenue; 718-735-4400), which is being certified as the city’s first “green” museum, is offering the “Celebrate Earth!” Festival, a two-day, earth-focused extravaganza this weekend, April 24 and 25. An eco-fair and bark-painting workshop are among the offerings.
Also in Brooklyn, the Waterfront Museum and Showboat Barge offers “A Thousand Thousand Slimy Things,” a play focused on the problems facing our oceans and ocean life. It’s offered through May 9 for older kids and adults. (290 Conover Street; 718- 624-4719). The museum promotes historical preservation and the city’s maritime past.
Exit Art, (at 475 10th Avenue; 212 966-7745) is presenting “What Matters Most?”, through April 28. The exhibition was inspired by a "New York Times" blog that asked the question “What Matters Most?” Artists contributing to the exhibit either created works that related to a particular blog entry or presented relevant works.
So take in an exhibit--and keep saving the planet.

Shut Off a Light, Save the Planet: It's Earth Day

OK, New York: Flick off those lights, turn off that faucet, pick up that litter. Yes, you should do that every day, but today is Earth Day (the 40th anniversary, no less) so it’s time to take stock of your impact on the planet.
For starters, you can head over to Grand Central Station (42nd Steeet and Park Avenue). Two days of Earth Day events start tomorrow: The Earth Fair (Friday; 12-7 pm; Saturday; 11-5 pm) celebrates with music, art, “green” vendors and more. But you don't have to wait until then: Earth show images are being projected onto two of the north columns of the concourse, and will run 10 hours a day.
In New York’s Central Park, free Earth Day events are happening all day. Check out the Chess & Checkers House (mid-Park at 64th Street); where you can participate in eco-friendly crafts from 2-4 PM. (Call 212 794-4064.)
You can also view an exhibit called “Under the Canopy: Caring for Central Park’s Trees” at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (110th Street and Lenox Avenue); learn about the Park’s 24,000 trees. (Go to centralparknyc.org for more information on Earth Day events.)
Stores around the city are also getting involved: you can visit a green pop-up shop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (625 8th Avenue) through May 1; or, for a larger-scale event, stop by Times Square between 11am and 2 pm for a public celebration today
FYI, Earth Day began in April, 1970 as a way to raise awareness about such environmental problems as pollution and ozone depletion.
Forty years later, everyone’s involvement is no less important.
Tomorrow: How museums and arts organizations around the city are getting involved in preserving the planet.

Gun Control Laws Use Haunting Images to Make Their Point

Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a gun control organization partly overseen by New York's Mayor Mike Bloomberg, is using footage from the Columbine High School shootings to get their point across. The organization counts more than 500 mayors from across the country as part of their group, which seeks to prevent the purchase and dissemination of illegally obtained guns by criminals. Their aim is to develop laws, practices, and policies that will allow Americans to own guns, but prevent criminals from possessing them illegally. Mayors who belong to the group come from a diverse range of locations , including Orlando, Florida; Portsmouth, VA; St. Paul, MN; and Vista, CA.
More than $250,000 will be spent on ads to air on cable TV stations. The ads, which feature video shot by surveillance cameras at Columbine High School, started running yesterday in states including Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and Virginia, in order to reach the senators of those states.
The ads make the point that four of the guns used in those horrific shootings were purchased at gun shows, where background checks are not required when purchasing a firearm.
Last year, more than $1.5 million was spent by New York City on detectives who went undercover at gun shows and bought weapons. The detectives even told the sellers that they wouldn’t pass a background check.
Congress has not been able to push through laws requiring background checks for gun purchasers. A spokesman for the National Rifle Association (NRA) said that background checks at gun shows would take too long, and also hamper the rights of gun owners who purchased their weapons legally.

A Volcano Erupts: Will New York Tourism Benefit?

The eruption of the volcano in Iceland has done more than provide exciting color photos of fire and lava, and disrupt flights across the United States and Europe: It has affected tourism in New York.
Because flights have been canceled to and from Europe, a number of tourists are stranded in the city. Some travel agencies are covering the cost of hotel stays for stranded travelers; while other tourists are footing the cost of the extra days of their enforced vacation themselves.
City officials announced last Friday that 30 New York hotels would offer 15 percent discounts to stranded tourists; they include the Skyline and the Comfort Inn near Penn Station. Other hotels are offering even higher discounts. The travelers who are stuck here are helping somewhat to offset the missed revenue of Europeans who booked hotel stays and haven’t been able to fly in. The travelers who are here, of course, also have to eat and amuse themselves somehow, so restaurants, shops, movie theaters and shops are liable to feel a bump in revenue as well.
After the ban on airspace is lifted, it could take up to six days to resume flights to and from Europe. Thousands of flights have already been disrupted.
The eruption of the volcano Eyjafjallajokull (don't worry; no one else can pronounce it ether) has caused massive disruptions not just for vacationers but for package and mail deliveries as well. The volcano erupted twice this month; hundreds of people were also forced to evacuate because of rising floodwaters.

The Muppets are in Town--But Don't Expect Kermit or Miss Piggy

These are not your parents’ Muppets...or maybe they are. "Stuffed and Unstrung,” an adults-only show now playing at New York’s Union Square Theater (100 East 17th Street; 212 505-0700), presents the Muppets the way many people have never seen them. The lead puppeteer is Brian Henson, son of famed Muppets' creator Jim Henson. And while the Muppets are most famous for their TV show, movies, and break-out characters like Fozzy Bear, Sam the Eagle and of course, Kermit and Miss Piggy, the original Muppets actually started life as a group of characters aimed at adults. (Early appearances on “The Tonight Show” and “Ed Sullivan” were aimed at adults, not kids.)
The new show is totally improvisational and relies heavily on audience participation. Unlike many puppet shows (even good ones) the audience actually gets to see how the puppets work. There’s also a large screen for those in the audience who merely want to watch the sketches and not the in-between stuff.
Though billed as a kind of wild comedy/variety show for grown-ups, it’s also a chance to watch the performers working on the fly and off the cuff. The six puppeteers improvise songs and routines based on the audience’s suggestions, right then and there. The show morphed from a class for the puppeteers to work on their skills.
Caveat: Do not expect the kind of humor that permeated “Sesame Street” or the Muppet Show at Disney World. Puppets have found a fair amount of success in the New York theater world during the last few years, with such shows as “Avenue Q” making it big.
For more information, you can go to their website: stuffedandunstrung.com.

Take Out Their Own Garbage? As a Strike Looms, New Yorkers May Have to

A million New Yorkers may soon be opening their own building doors, taking out their own garbage, doing their own repairs, and hailing their own cabs, as 30,000 workers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island prepare to go on strike. The contracts for the workers at 3,200 apartment buildings across the city expire on Wednesdays; workers include doormen, concierges, porters, and handymen.
The workers, who largely serve upscale buildings, are members of 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union. They have voted to walk off the job if contract negotiations reach an impasse.
Meetings were held across the city this past week, as they discussed both picket line rules and legal issues.
Building owners say they have been affected by the recession, and are asking that the workers reduce the number of sick days from 10 to five, and also pay for 10 percent of family health insurance. Eliminating pensions for new employees is also under consideration, as is denying new workers full pay for five years. The Realty Advisory Board, which represents the building owners, says that costs are going up and income is going down, with real estate taxes rising, rents being cut, and apartments losing value.
Workers say that their current salaries are not enough to cover the costs of raising a family in the city. In addition, they worry that older workers have a strong chance of being laid off, since hiring new ones would ultimately cost less.
Contract negotiations are taking place at the Sheraton Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
Stay tuned—and get ready to pick up your own dry cleaning…

As St. Vincent's Closes Its Doors, New Proposals are Already Circulating

St. Vincent’s, the economically troubled hospital forced to shut down, sent home the last baby born there on Friday. Four health-care organizations have already submitted proposals to turn the facility into an urgent-care center. The new center would not admit patients, but would handle emergencies that were not life threatening.
According to Dr. Richard Daines, the state health-care commissioner, the new facility would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and doctors would see patents without an appointment. Doctors would be able to perform basic tests, like x-rays, and also to perform minor medical procedures, from removing cysts to making incisions. The facility would also provide transportation to other facilities for patients who had life-threatening conditions.
One of the hospitals that submitted a proposal was Beth Israel Medical Center, which already has a facility in the west 20s that provides some urgent-care services.
The decision on whether to develop a new urgent-care center could come in the next few weeks.
St. Vincent’s has been in economic trouble for a number of years now, and various proposals have surfaced with ways to either save it or convert it. Neighborhood rallies were held with increasing frequency. The hospital is closing because of a $700 million debt. In 2008, the hospital came close to being sold and moving across the street; the property would have been developed into a luxury residential building.
The facility may still be turned into luxury apartment buildings.
Closing St. Vincent's means that other hospitals will have to bear the burden of an increased number of patients. Ambulances have already stopped bringing patients there—and expectant mothers are having to scramble for new hospitals in which to have their babies.

En Garde! Swashbuckling Arrives at the New York Public Library

When you pop by the main branch of the New York Public Library, you can read about the escapades of the Three Musketeers and other daring adventurers—or you can (sort of) live them.
Friday afternoons at 1 pm until June 25, free, hour-long fencing classes are being offered outside the Fifth Avenue branch of the library.
When New York was competing to be the home of the 2012 Olympics, fencing demonstrations were given outside the library in order to to raise interest in and awareness of the sport, and the idea grew from there.
Instructors from the Manhattan Fencing Center provide the equipment and teach the classes.
Swordfighting, in one form or another, has existed for thousands of years; the history of fencing is both complicated and multi-faceted. Fencing made its debut at the 1896 Summer Olympics; unlike other sports, professionals were allowed to compete. (Ah, if they had only known about NBA players…) They were considered to be the first Olympic Games held in the modern era; fencing is one of the four sports that have been held at every Modern Olympic Games.
Three types of weapons are used in fencing: Foil (a light thrusting weapon); Epée (a heavy thrusting weapon); and Sabre (a light cutting and thrusting weapon.) Rules about when and how they are allowed to be used are plentiful.
Fencing competitions at the 2012 Olympics in London will be held from July 28-August 5 at the ExCel Exhibition Centre. Ten events are tentatively scheduled.
Suffice it to say, it’s harder than it looks.
Call (212) 382-2255 in order to register for the classes ouide the library(registration opens a week before the class date.)

The Standard of Living Goes Up--At Least for the Carriage Horses

Two weeks off each year, larger living quarters, and regular doctor’s visits--doesn't seem like a bad deal, huh?
Especially if you’re a carriage horse.
New York’s carriage horses got a bump in their living conditions when the City Council passed a bill yesterday that substantially improves the standard of living for the horses.
Rates will now go up from $34 for the first 20 minutes of the ride to $50. After that, passengers will be billed at the rate of $20 for every 10 minutes, a jump from $10 for 15 minutes. (It’s the first rate hike in the carriage-horse industry in 23 years.) In addition, automatic cost-of-living increases will now occur every three years.
Other changes? The horses will receive five weeks off each year, an additional vet visit, larger living quarters, and warm blankets. New lights and reflective materials will also be added to the carriages, as will an emergency brake system.
In addition, you’ll have to find another way to impress your date below 34th Street--carriages won’t be allowed there. And you’ll also have to find something else to do between 3 am and 7 am—no carriage rides will take place then.
Members of the Horse and Carriage Association say they support the bill. The carriage horse industry in New York has repeatedly come under fire for what critics say is inhumane treatment of the animals; many people have tried to completely shut down the industry. Although animal advocates say the bill doesn’t go far enough, Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign the bill into law.

Opening Day, and A Good Omen for New York's Home Team

They’ve already been playing for few weeks, and the playoffs are months and months away, but Opening Day at home carries its own special significance, and the defending World Series champion New York Yankees carried it in decisive fashion with a 7-5 win over the Angels in their home stadium.
George Steinbrenner was among those in attendance at the huge opening-day crowd--49, 293 people--the largest at any regular season game at the new ballpark.
Derek Jeter and Nick Johnson hit home runs, Jorge Posada had three hits, and Mariano Rivera was the closer for Andy Pettitte. (The final game at Yankee Stadium last season also involved, you guessed it, Mariano Rivera closing for Andy Pettitte.) The Angels’ 2009 season ended at Yankee Stadium, when they lost the 2009 American League Championship series.
The day was significant for another reason--World Series rings were handed out. Former Yankee Hideki Matsui, who was the series’ MVP, got a huge ovation. Matsui, ironically, now plays for the Angels. He signed with them in December.
The first World Series ring was given to Gorge Steinbrenner. It’s made of white gold and has a blue stone under a diamond-embossed Yankee logo. Hall of Famers Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra helped pass out the rings, along with Yankee manager Joe Girardi.
A new World Series flag flew with 26 others atop the stadium.
The Yankees play the Angels today and tomorrow as part of their three-game series. They play another three-game series against the Texas Rangers starting on Friday.
Play ball!

New York Journalism Proves Its Worth When Pulitzers are Announced

The 2010 Pulitzer Prizes were announced yesterday, and New York's own New York Times was honored in several categories.
The Times won Pulitzers in three categories: National Reporting, Explanatory Reporting, and Investigative Reporting, for a collaboration between The New York Times Magazine and Pro Publica, a non-profit journalism service. The latter was given to Sherri Fink of Pro Publica, in collaboration with The Times, for a story that detailed the decisions made by doctors cut off by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina. Matt Richtel and members of The New York Times staff won in the National Reporting category for their work on the dangerous use of cell phones and other devices while operating cars and trucks. (In response to the articles, a number of legislators proposed bills trying to reduce distractions while driving.) For Explanatory Reporting, Michael Moss and members of The New York Times staff won for food safety issues.
The Broadway rock musical “Next to Normal” won the award for Drama. The show had previously won two Tony Awards--for best Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Alice Ripley)--and deals with the subject of metal illness in a suburban housewife.
The Pulitzer Prize awards are given each year by the President of Columbia University, on the recommendation of the Pulitzer Prize board.
Other winners include The Seattle Times staff for Breaking News Reporting; the novel Tinkers by Paul Harding for Fiction; and Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed, which won for History.
Pulitzer Prize winners receive $10,000--and of course, the right to brag to their neighbors.

Governors Island Finally Has a Plan--and College There May be an Option

New York’s Governor David Paterson and New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a plan yesterday for the future of Governors Island, the former military base that sits a half mile off the edge of lower Manhattan. It served first as an army base, and later, as a base for the Coast Guard. Negotiations over the future of the island went on for more than a year.
A 2.2 mile promenade will be developed along the waterfront, and 87 acres will be preserved as open space. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2012. Other possible additions include a high school, some commercial areas, and a satellite campus of New York University. Other tenants are also being sought.
Mayor Bloomberg will appoint nine of the Board's 13 new members, and the redevelopment is seen as a huge coup for his administration--and his legacy.
Under the transfer agreement a casino is not an option.
In 2003, most of the island was given to New York State; New York City will be primarily responsible for developing the island. A battle for control of the island has been waged for some time.
The 22-acre Governors Island National Monument is managed by the National Park Service.
The island can be accessed by a free ferry service and is open to the public during the summer and early fall. It opens in June for the season.
Last year, more than 275,000 visitors took the ferry to Governors Island, to attend concerts and festivals, visit the monument, which includes two historic forts--or simply hang out and admire the views.
The redevelopment is expected to cost $200 million.

Call it Table Tennis or Ping Pong, But the Championships Are On

While some people may be breathlessly glued to their TVs, watching the Masters Tournament and Tiger Woods’ return to the world of golf, others are watching the championships of another sport—the New York City Open for table tennis is being held this weekend in Manhattan, on New York’s Upper West Side.
About 250 players, among the best in the world, are competing for the title up at Columbia University. The U.S. National men’s single champion is 15-year-old Michael Landers, who lives in Long island and is a sophomore in high school.
The tournament also supports an after school table-tennis program run by the American Youth Table Tennis Organization. In addition to giving players a chance to compete, it’s also a way to spread the news about the sport on a grass-roots level and get more people interested in playing.
The championship match will be played today in the Frances Levien Gymnasium in the Dodge Fitness Center at Columbia University, 2960 Broadway. There’s no charge for spectators, but donations are welcome. (Go to nationaltabletennis.com for more information about both the tournaments and the sport itself.)
The JOOLA North American Tour goes on all summer. The Eastern Open takes place May 22 and May 23 at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea, and will be on view again at the 2012 games in London.
And yes, it's the same thing as Ping Pong. Ping Pong is actually a registered sports trademark (Note: It’s kind of like calling your tissues Kleenex.)

Even in This Economy, Trump Just Doesn't Stop Building

Perhaps you thought that what New York was missing during this faltering economy was yet one more luxury hotel? If so, Donald Trump agrees with you—the new Trump SoHo Hotel opened yesterday at 246 Spring Street in Manhattan. (Call 212 842-5500; or 877-828-7080 for reservations.)
The 46-story building cost more than $450 million. It's a combination hotel-condo--if you are so inclined, you can buy a unit and then rent it to guests. Prices start at $1.2 million, with hotel rates ranging from $400-$600 a night. The hotel has 391 guest rooms, many of which offer floor-to-ceiling windows. Trump and his three children presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the building, which took 3 1/2 years to complete.
The hotel is meant to appeal to a young, hip, downtown-type of crowd. It includes a library, called, yes, The Library, where cappuccino and wine can be sipped while perusing arty tomes; and Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, a northern Italian restaurant. The Spa at Trump will open this summer, and will feature a luxury hammam experience. (A hammam is a kind of Turkish bath, for those who wish to be au courant.)
Of course, guests can enjoy the outdoor pool deck in season.
In addition, a manicured open space along the east side of the building offers an area for guests to hang out.
Kids have not been left out of the equation—among the many amenities offered, kids can have their very own business cards, as well as access to a kiddie cocktail menu.
Extra swizzle sticks, please.
Can doggie margaritas and personalized kitty litter boxes be far behind?

Even an Urban Spring is Pretty Impressive: Check Out the Botanical Garden

Even in New York City, it’s possible to appreciate spring, in the parks, window boxes, and even small areas on streets where trees are in bloom.
But if you really want to appreciate it, a trip to the New York Botanical Garden may be in order.
For starters, you can catch the Orchid show before it closes on Sunday (“The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower.”) It looks at the exotic tropical flowers of Old Havana.
Also there through Sunday: “The Presence of Trees: An Exhibition of Photography” by Larry Lederman. The images on display were taken mainly at the Botanical Garden as well as in Westchester; it’s in the Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery.
Opening on April 16, check out the 4th Annual Auricula Theater of Primroses, where primroses galore will be ablaze in the Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden. The Auricula is a type of primrose with amazing flowers—presenting them is a tradition that goes back to 17th Century England. The show closes May 9, 2010.
Coming up at the end of the month: “Emily Dickinson’s Garden: the Poetry of Flowers” (April 30-June 13, 2010.) Spread across 250 acres, the exhibition offers a look at Dickinson’s love for nature, as well as her life story.
All this, of course, is in addition to ongoing permanent collections and programs, from the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden to a Home Gardening Center and displays of flowering cherry trees (catch them before they’re gone!)
The New York Botanical Garden is at the Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Road. Call (718) 817-8700 for more information, or log onto their website at nybg.org.

Want a Space Shuttle? Sign the Petition!

Think New York City should have its very own space shuttle?
So, apparently, do 45,000 other people--that’s the number of folks who have (so far) signed a petition to have a space shuttle given to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum in Manhattan.
NASA is retiring their current space shuttle fleet, and three of them will be made available to different institutions across the country. The three shuttles are the Discovery, Endeavor and Atlantis.
The Intrepid is asking people to sign a petition in order to bring one of the shuttles to the city. The Intrepid's president, Bill White, says the petition will be sent to NASA once they have 50,000 signatures. White has been making the rounds of radio and TV shows to promote the Intrepid as a home for the shuttle.
The museum wants to display the shuttle along the aircraft carrier and the Growler submarine docked at Manhattan’s Pier 86.
In the 1960s, the Intrepid served as a spacecraft recovery vessel. It also recently served as the final stop of the “Legends of Aerospace Tour,” and was visited by Neil Armstrong and Gene Cernan (the first and last astronauts to walk on the moon.)
Current exhibitions at the Intrepid include “Mission to Mars” (through June 30), which shows a full-scale replica of the Mars Rover. Viewers can also get a peek at Curiosity, the probe that will launch in March 2011.
For more information about the museum or the petition, go to the museum’s website at intrepidmuseum.org, or call 212 254-0072. The Intrepid is on 46th Street and 12th Avenue.

New Phantom Will Remain a Phantom, At Least Until Next Spring

Fess up: Even if you haven’t seen the mega behemoth Broadway musical spectacle known as “Phantom of the Opera,” you can undoubtedly hum a note or two. Sadly, that’s all New Yorkers will be able to do for a while, at least in regards to the long anticipated Andrew Lloyd Webber sequel ”Love Never Dies.”
Although the London production of the sequel opened last month, the US version won't be coming to these shores in November, as originally planned. The musical’s producers now say that it will open in the spring of 2011 at the Neil Simon Theater in New York City.
Composer Andre Lloyd Webber is recovering from a battle with prostate cancer and won’t be up to the rigors of traveling this coming fall. Lloyd Webber is also the composer of “Evita,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Cats,” and “Starlight Express,” among other musicals.
The original “Phantom” opened in 1986, and is the longest-running snow in Broadway history.
The reviews for the London show were overwhelmingly, surprisingly positive.
The sequel picks up in 1907, 10 years after the original “Phantom” ended, with the Phantom now based (or rather, lurking) in New York’s Coney Island, and still pining for soprano Christine Daae. The soprano is invited to perform in Coney Island, and travels there with her husband and son. It will come as no surprise to fans that it was, of course, the Phantom who arranges for her appearance there.
Expect gothic gloom, dramatic revelations, violence, melodrama, and no conventional happy ending.
And somewhere, someone is humming “The Music of the Night…”