The Cyclone is getting some nausea-inducing company. Our Blau and Durkin report: Mayor Bloomberg announced Thursday the opening of two new “thrill” rides for Coney Island — the Boardwalk, a 110-foot-free fall that propels riders over the boardwalk at up to 60 miles per hour, and the Coney Island Raceway, a new 24-cart Go-Kart track with hairpin curves. Hizzoner said he’s not racing to try them out. “I’ve never been that big on roller coasters. I don’t know why. But I guess I could be talked into that,” he told reporters on the Coney Island Boardwalk. Italian amusement company Zamperla opened Luna park in 2010 with 19 family rides. Last year, it added Scream Zone, with two new roller coasters and two other thrill rides ... Continue reading →
Retweet this to your followers? Cancel Retweet Continue reading →
“Campaigns do what campaigns have to do,” Mr. James later told friends. But not everyone was as forgiving. “People were incredulous,” said one person who attended the dinner. “They could have waited a week.” Debates over how much to blame — and regulate — Wall Street have stoked tensions between Democrats and the financial industry ever since Mr. Obama took office amid a financial crisis. But now Mr. Obama is leveraging his bully pulpit and advertising dollars to argue that Mr. Romney’s career as a successful financial executive exhibited values that are not those of a good president. In doing so, he has not only drawn criticism from allies like Steven L. Rattner, the investor and former adviser on the auto industry, and Cory A. ... Continue reading →
At an East Flatbush middle school, flooding is so bad that the basement and cafeteria are unusable when it rains heavily. The basement at I.S. 285 fills with water after torrential downpours - most recently this Monday - and the school has turned into a soggy mess after storms for years, parents and local pols say. “Any time it pours we have a problem,” said parent association president Tamara Morris-Nelson, who said she is worried about her son’s health because he has allergies. “I want to make sure he’s in a safe environment,” she said. “I don’t want him ingesting the spores that could be in the air.” The cafeteria at the Beverley Road has to be cordoned off when it floods, and a music ... Continue reading →
Yesterday, 64 Kenowa Hill High School seniors biked to school in Walker, Mich. Nice, right? Well, the principal didn’t think so. She suspended the kids for the day and threatened to keep them from walking in their graduation ceremony. Somehow, this one story manages to encapsulate everything that is wrong with American attitudes towards biking. The group ride was conceived as a less-destructive alternative to traditional vandalize-the-school, get-everyone-out-of-class brand of senior pranks. Skipping lightly over the fact that a few dozen students riding bikes qualifies as a “prank” rather than a “Tuesday,” these kids actually deserve a lot of praise for organizing a group activity that’s healthy for them, the planet, and the community, instead of just pulling fire alarms. And indeed, they got some ... Continue reading →
Officials have scrapped a plan to give free MetroCards to patrons at the new Nets arena to discourage them from driving. Developer Forest City Ratner had vowed to give free subway fares to fans who would otherwise drive, but officials dropped that idea from a transportation plan presented Tuesday - saying it wouldn’t make any difference in preventing a traffic mess. Instead, they’ll focus on promoting the convenience of mass transit - printing information about the 11 subway lines that go to the site on every ticket and ad for the arena, and vowing to “scare” visitors away from driving. The MTA will also increase service after games. Many advocates say that isn’t enough and criticized the developer for dropping the free fares. “You sort ... Continue reading →
