New York Welcomes Namesake Ship

Posted on 23. Jan, 2010 by .

0

November 10, 2009 Rude? Cynical? No. New Yorkers are the friendliest, most patriotic people in the world. At least that’s how the Marines and sailors aboard the USS New York see it. The Navy’s newest ship returned to her roots last week when she docked in New York Harbor for her commissioning. Her bow stem […]

Continue Reading

The Singing Barber of Sheepshead Bay

Posted on 22. Jan, 2010 by .

0

By Emily Johnson November 17, 2009 Maury Reiss, 89, leans forward in the retro red-and-white barber chair, looks into the mirror and inspects his sparse, neatly-trimmed hair. He breaks into a grin. “Oh, that’s neat!” “That’ll be twenty-five,” says the barber. And as he waits for the money, he begins to sing. His voice, an […]

Continue Reading

Lady Rhea Bewitches Bronx

Posted on 15. Dec, 2009 by .

0

On a Saturday afternoon, Lady Rhea’s Magickal Realms shop in the Bronx bustled with the energy of a Manhattan coffee shop on a weekday morning. For years, Lady Rhea has offered spiritual advice to her clients. Unlike most botanicas in the Bronx, she draws from many pagan religions, not just Christianity. “It’s more of a spiritual center than just a store,” she said.

Continue Reading

Aboard the USS New York

Posted on 14. Dec, 2009 by .

0

By Amy Yensi- For members of the armed forces, sacrifice is as much a part of the drill as the uniforms they wear. Some sailors and Marines from the USS New York said they chose this tough life in hopes of securing a better future for themselves in the civilian world. But others said the […]

Continue Reading

Queens Parents Prepare for Second Season of Swine Flu

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by .

0

By Azriel James Relph Six women linger at their table after finishing lunch at The Cookoo’s Nest, an Irish Pub in Woodside, Queens.   They’re family and friends who meet in the neighborhood where they grew up to catch up a few times a year.  The conversation moves from what old neighbors and nephews are doing, […]

Continue Reading

On board the USS New York: a talk with marines

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by .

0

By Almudena Toral Dozens of marines showed off the USS New York, the newest ship in the navy’s fleet, last November. They also talked about their careers and their daily lives. The ship was built with 7.5 tons of steel from the World Trade Center. It was moored in Midtown Manhattan from Nov. 2 to […]

Continue Reading

Trans-Atlantic Tug-of-War Pulls Large Crowds in Midtown and Tel Aviv

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by .

0

by Shane Dixon Kavanaugh How, Sharon Shullman and her family wanted to know, is it possible to have a trans-Atlantic tug-of-war between competing teams in Times Square and the port of Tel Aviv in Israel. That’s the same question Burt Kirschner, 77, of Silver Springs, Md., asked as he and his wife stood in front […]

Continue Reading

The death of why: a book, many questions

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by .

0

By Almudena Toral Modern society has eaten up critical thinking. Inquiry is nowhere to be found. This is the essence of Andrea Batista Schlesinger’s book “The death of why: the decline of questioning and the future of democracy” that was released last spring. The author discussed questioning, education, civics, and the implications of critical thinking […]

Continue Reading

Greenpoint Trees. Same corner, same tradition

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by .

0

By Almudena Toral Stephen and Dorothy Leddick’s two-year-old daughter first uttered her favorite sentence last Christmas season: “Trees, trees, trees.” Green trees. From Greenpoint Trees, her parents’ business. “This is the only company here that has native Greenpointers,” said Dorothy, 35, selling Christmas trees at the corner of Calyer Street and Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn. […]

Continue Reading

Bronx teens party with a purpose

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by .

0

by Erin McCarthy

In a quiet basement room in the South Bronx, 15 teenagers and four adults sit in a semi-circle with their shoes off. Amid the white, purple-toed and mismatched socks, the high school students and their instructors talk about why they can’t wait to party.

It’s not just any party, but a “Red Party” where Bronx teenagers can dance, listen to poetry and music, watch a student-made documentary film and, the real reason for the affair, get tested for HIV.

Continue Reading