April 25th - April 29th, 2011

Falcons Hatch over Water Street

April 26 – Four baby Peregrine falcons hatched last weekend on the ledge of a building overlooking the East River, reported NBC-New York. The webcam at www.falcons.55water.com provides live video of the falcon family and offspring.

NYPD Surveys Bridge Security

April 27 – Al Qaeda has long had an interest in bringing down suspension bridges, especially the Brooklyn Bridge, reported the New York Times. New documents reveal that before September 11, 2001 terrorist were being taught methods for bringing the bridges down. Realizing that certain components of the bridges were vulnerable, the NYPD responded with several tactics to deter the bridge as a target. With increased surveillance, checkpoints and support on land and in the river the scrutiny around the bridge continues to deter an attack by saboteurs.

Judge to Split Time

April 28 - The family of Mark Bavis, is scheduled to begin their trial in a wrongful-death lawsuit against United Airlines and other defendants. Mr. Bavis was a passenger on the second plane to hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.  The family believes it was negligence, and has resisted attempts to settle the case.  The trial is scheduled for later this year. In an effort to keep the trial moving, the judge, Alvin K. Hellerstein of Federal District Court in Manhattan, has set a time limit.  In an effort to avoid the obstacles of minutiae and technical arguments piling up, and keep the jury interested, he will cap the hours each side has to present their case. It is estimated that each side will receive 50 to 60 hours.

PA Downplays Report Budget

April 28- The Port Authority downplayed a report that the cost of the new World Trade Center Transit hub's price tag could be $400 million over budget, saying the project is on track, reported NY1. Currently budgeted at $3.4 billion, a recent report from a federal oversight agency suggested the cost could balloon to $3.8 billion. While there are risks that the budget could increase, PA officials believe they can keep construction costs down. The project’s completion date remains to be late 2014.