December 26th - December 30th, 2011

Water Main Project Delayed

December 28 -- Repairs to a landmarked building have created another delay for the water main project on Fulton Street, city officials said last week DNAinfo reports the city has had to stop work on a section of the Fulton Street water main project because of urgent repairs needed on a landmarked building at 150 Nassau Street. Because of safety concerns, the city cannot resume excavating the street in front of the 116-year-old building until the repairs are complete and the scaffolding comes down. Work is expected to resume when the scaffolding comes down in spring of 2012.

City Proposes Changes to Street Fair Rules

December 27 – The DNAinfo reports, the city has quietly proposed new rules governing the street fairs and other special events, increasing permit fees and limiting nonprofits and community groups to just one fair per year. In lower Manhattan, the new rules would force Community Board 1 to cut back on its usual six or seven annual street-fair fundraisers. The board usually raises approximately $30,000 a year by sponsoring the fairs, which it says offsets city budget cuts and allows the board to buy office supplies and equipment. CB1 passed a resolution last week strongly opposing the city's proposal and voicing concern that it will force groups to hold one large fair each year rather than several smaller ones.

Court finds 9/11 toxins likely caused NYPD Death

December 28-- The widow of a city cop who died of lung cancer after two months of post-9/11 duty won a bitter four-year fight Tuesday to collect enhanced line-of-duty death benefits, reported the New York Daily News. The Appellate Division of State Supreme Court ruled in favor of Nilda Macri, whose husband Frank was an iron-pumping, non-smoking housing officer. The decision overturned rulings by the police Medical Board and the Police Pension Fund Board that Macri’s lethal cancer was pre-existing — despite a clean X-ray taken when Mr. Macri was injured by debris from the falling towers on 9/11.

9/11 Scenes May Trigger Flashbacks

December 27 -- The Tribute WTC Visitor Center is warning family members of people killed on 9/11 to be mindful when choosing to watch "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close," a new movie out in select theaters about a boy whose dad died in the World Trade Center on that day, DNAinfo first reported. The movie features Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. The Tribute WTC Visitor Center said that the film contains images that might trigger flashbacks.  "If your intentions are to go and see this film, you should be prepared to possibly relive past issues or have difficulty handling those you have currently, due to [the] 9/11 attacks," DNAinfo reported the Tribute Center as saying in an email.

1 million visitor expected at 9/11 memorial

December 28—The Associated Press reports, officials at the National September 11 Memorial plan to announce Thursday that the site has had 1 million visitors since opening to the public this year. The memorial plaza and its two fountains are now bringing approximately 10,000 visitors each day, even as construction continues on the rebuilt World Trade Center. The memorial opened on September 12, after its dedication on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Empty Syms Building Viewed at School Option

December 28 – The Tribeca Trib reports, some members of Community Board 1 believe after the Syms clothing store on lower Trinity Place, could relieve some of the school overcrowding in Lower Manhattan. The Syms Corp. declared bankruptcy last month and its chain of retail outlets, including the flagship store at 42 Trinity Place, are expected to close next month. Members of CB1’s Youth and Education Committee believe that a vacant 62,000-square-foot building may help ease what they and other Downtown school advocates see as a coming crowding crisis. However at this time a DOE spokesman reiterated to the Trib the department’s position that there is no money in the city’s capital plan for providing another school building in Lower Manhattan.

Museum Won't Open on September 11, 2012

December 29 -- A funding dispute has pushed back the planned opening date of the September 11 Museum at the World Trade Center site, a museum official said Thursday. DNAinfo reports, even if the Port Authority and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum resolve their money disagreement soon, there isn’t enough time to allow for the completion of the museum by the 11^th anniversary of the attacks. "At this point, it is not realistic that the museum is going to open on Sept. 11, 2012," said Joe Daniels, president of the memorial and museum Thursday morning. The museum will feature educational exhibits about the events leading up to 9/11, the attack itself and the aftermath. Multimedia displays will tell the first-person stories of those who were most affected, and there will also be a space for visitors to learn about each of the nearly 3,000 people who were killed.

Woman Charged With Taking Gun to 9/11 Memorial

December 29 -- A tourist charged with bringing a gun to the 9/11 Memorial also appears to have been carrying cocaine, reported DNAinfo. She has yet to be charged with drug possession pending the results of a toxicology report.

Meredith Graves, 39, of Tennessee, was arrested and arraigned on felony charges of criminal possession of a weapon after the Dec. 22 visit to the World Trade Center Memorial during which she allegedly brought her licensed handgun and asked officials there if she could check it.

Police who arrested Graves at the scene also allegedly found "two glassine envelopes of alleged cocaine," according to her arrest report released by the mayor's office. She faces a minimum of 3½ years in prison if convicted.

PAC Board Named

December 30 — The Wall Street Journal reports, Mayor Bloomberg named the Word Trade Center performing arts center board before the December 31, 2011 deadline to avoid losing the $155 million it has received. The board members are: Christy Ferer, founder of video content provider Vidicom; Julie Menin, chairwoman of Community Board 1; Zenia Mucha, executive vice president of the Walt Disney Company; Larry Silverstein, president of Silverstein Properties; and John Zuccotti, co-chairman of Brookfield Properties. First Deputy Mayor Patricia Harris will also serve on the board as Bloomberg's representative. The board will be responsible for raising the funds to build the Frank Gehry designed center, overseeing the center's programming and confirming the location on the WTC site.