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ESPN, MLB atones, moves Yankees game out of Yom Kippur
ESPN and Major League Baseball yesterday changed back the start time of the Sept. 27 Red Sox-Yankees game after getting backlash for moving it to the middle of Yom Kippur.
The game will now start at its original time of 1 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.
“I am pleased we were able to resolve this sensitive issue that impacted many baseball fans and are able to move the game at Yankee Stadium to 1:00 p.m.,” Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement.
The game will be shown exclusively on ESPN.
Starting at the later time would have left observant fans holding useless tickets or unable to even watch the game on television. Yom Kippur, considered the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, begins at sundown on Sept. 27.
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn and Queens), who wrote a letter to ESPN and the Commissioner of Baseball yesterday asking for the switch, said they did the right thing.
Meanwhile, the Yankees announced that the majority of postseason ticket prices will be less than what was charged in the 2007 postseason. Regular season ticket prices, excluding suites, will be charged for the American League Division Series.(With AP)
Tags: yankees, espn, yom kippur
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Five lesser-known farmers markets
Mother Nature’s horn of plenty is on full display at your local farmer’s market, as summer corn and tomatoes make way for winter squash and Brussels sprouts.
There’s no need to jostle with the crowds at Union Square to check out these locally grown delights; the five markets below sell the same great produce, meat and fish in more friendly local settings.
Abingdon Square Greenmarket
Eigth Avenue & 12th St., Saturday 8-2
Laid-back and full of neighborhood charm, this market also showcases some of the region’s most savory meats and cheeses: Hoosic River Poultry sells handsome pork chops, duck breasts and even pre-marinated fowl; Valley Shepherd Creamery is known for its golden Manchego, smooth Pecorino and delicate Crème de Bleu. After you’ve stocked up, enjoy a freshly baked scone or miniature pie from Meredith’s Bread in quaint Abingdon Square Park.Fort Greene Greenmarket
A great alternative to crowded Grand Army Plaza, this tree-canopied market alongside Fort Greene Park boasts ample samples and a wide variety of produce. At the Wilklow Orchards stand, bulbous, tie-dyed heirloom tomatoes share the spotlight with their plump, beefsteak brethren; down the block, D+J Organic Farm sells punchy Kimchee cabbage, beets, tofu and radishes.
Southeast corner of Fort Greene Park, Saturday 8-5
Harvest Home Union Settlement Market
104th St., btwn Second and Third aves., Thursday 8-4. For more info or to volunteer, go to harvesthomefm.org Upper East Siders are wise to head north to this long-standing market in East Harlem, one of several operated by Harvest Home, an organization whose mission is to increase access to fresh food in low-income communities (a Sunday market takes place at 106th St. & Third Avenue). Start with the luscious bunches of mustard greens, Swiss chard and basil at Migliorelli Farm. Then head to the expansive spread at RG Produce for white-violet eggplants, towering bunches of scallions and a rainbow of lettuces. On your way out, pick up some mini watermelons or purple plums at Troncillito Farms.Inwood Greenmarket
Isham and Cooper St., Saturday 8-3
This lovely market at the base of scenic Inwood Hill Park offers a full cornucopia of earthly delights, including heaps of corn and bright yellow zucchini from Glebocki Farms; petite, juicy New York strawberries from Samascott Orchards; and delicious vegan carrot raisin cookies from Breezy Hill Orchard.Jackson Heights Greenmarket
34th Avenue & 77th St., Sunday 8-3
Along the perimeter of family-friendly Travers Park lies this recently expanded market, home to nearly 15 vendors selling produce, honey and even exotic mushrooms. Check out American Seafood Inc. for impossibly fresh, affordably priced cuts of swordfish, cod and more. Nolasco Farm is the place for sweet and spicy peppers. .
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MTA to ramp up station inspections after ceiling collapse
The MTA will conduct tougher station inspections in the wake of last month’s ceiling collapse at the 181st Street stop on the No. 1 train, transit officials said Tuesday.
Engineers are beefing up NYC Transit’s protocol for station inspections to include new technology that can “spot potentially serious latent defects,” transit spokesman Charles Seaton said. Officials yesterday did not further elaborate.
Currently, inspectors primarily eyeball a station to determine its soundness. After the ceiling collapse on Aug. 16, relying on visual inspections is “obviously inadequate,” NYC Transit President Howard Roberts stated in internal communication Friday.
The collapsed had shuttered the 181st Street station until Monday, and transit officials also had closed the 168th Street station for two consecutive weekends to deal with structural problems in the ceiling. Crews will continue working to replace the bricks at both stations in the coming weeks, and scaffolding will limit the space on platforms. Weekend service is not expected to be disrupted again, a transit spokeswoman said.
Transit advocates are hoping the MTA will start using devices that can detect water damage through sound waves. Water seepage is believed to have played some role in the ceiling collapse, which knocked out service for two weeks.
A 2008 survey of 50 stations by the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA found that more than half had water leaks.
Tags: MTA, ceiling collapse, 181st street
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MTA Bus Company lines lack schedules, fueling rider complaints
City buses are notoriously late, but many New Yorkers can’t even find out when they’re supposed to arrive.
None of the MTA Bus Company local lines have timetables posted on polls at stops and the Guide-A-Ride listings won't be coming soon. The MTA just doesn’t have the money to put up schedules along the 46 routes serving the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, NYC Transit spokesman Charles Seaton said.“You never known when they're coming, and you just end up standing here forever,” said Eleanor Dezam, a rider waiting for the Q65 to College Point recently.
Moreover, the new glass shelters added along some of the MTA Bus Company routes haven’t solved the problem as none of them have paper timetables.
The MTA has two separate bus lines: NYC Transit and MTA Bus Company. The buses on the latter were privately run before the MTA took them over in 2005.
Most of the shelters are located next to polls serving NYC Transit lines, which usually have paper schedules (and some have digital ones), city Department of Transportation spokesman Montgomery Dean said. A DOT contractor maintains the shelters while the MTA is in charge of the timetables.Riders who use express buses, though, have it easier. Transit put up timetables for the MTA Bus Company express routes running from Brooklyn and the Bronx in the last two years, Seaton said. Timetables will go up along the 17 Queens routes in the next few weeks, he said.
But most of the MTA Bus Company's 376,000 riders use the local buses, not the express lines. Local community board members say they repeatedly receive complaints about the missing information.
“It's ludicrous,” said Andrea Crawford, chair of Community Board 9 in Richmond Hill. “You know the bus schedules aren't always that correct, but it gives you some knowledge of when the bus may come.”
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New pizza blogger's goal: To try every plain slice in NYC
There’s a new pizza blog out there, SliceHarvester.blogspot.com. This one has an original goal: to try a plain slice in every pizza place in the five boroughs. We spoke to Slice Harvester’s Colin, 26, of Brooklyn for the scoop.
What made you want to do this?
I was out tramping around the country, just kinda bumming around and visiting friends. And I went to Colorado Springs to visit my cousin. He took me to the New York Pizza Delicatessen. We ordered pizza and a waiter asked me to talk about it. The guy was taking notes about what I said. I’ve been talking about and eating pizza my whole life.Do you have food writing experience?
No, hell no.What have you discovered so far?
I’ve gone to 30 places so far in Manhattan. I’m doing it geographically, starting uptown.There’s not a single good slice of pizza in Inwood above 207th. Pizza Palace or Palace Pizza — everyone in the neighborhood calls it Johnny’s — on Dyckman is great. On 187th and Fort Washington, Fivo’s had a totally phenomenal slice, and Rap Pizza at 181st and St.Nicholas.How long will the project take?
It’s going to take a good six years. I go one day a week and have about 7-9 slices.What’s the criteria for a good slice?
The dough should be about half the size of the crust, and it should fold well. Sauce shouldn’t be too sweet and it shouldn’t be cheap cheese. It should smell good.I’m not going to find the best slice of pizza in New York, cause there’s no one best place. And it’s not the same place for everyone. Pizza is such a subjective thing.
Why plain slices only?
If a place doesn’t have a good plain slice, it’s f—d. Pizza is food you eat on the street and get grease all over the place.How do you take your pizza?
With red pepper flakes, oregano and black pepper. That’s how I’ve been eating it since I was a kid.
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NYers' anxiety fueled by economy, summer's end
Sure, a little anxiety is an inevitable byproduct of life in the city, but some therapists say New Yorkers haven’t been this jittery in years.
High anxiety has been fueled by rampant job losses and a collapsing economy. And cases of the nerves may only get worse now that summer is over and the eighth anniversary of 9/11 is around the corner.
“This is a period of time that traditionally brings anticipation with back-to-school as a baseline,” said Dr. Alan Manevitz, a psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “There’s a sense of the summer’s over and we’re going to see what’s going to happen. While there’s hope that things are going to be better, there’s a great deal of uncertainty.”
New Yorkers have been struggling to cope with growing stress. Gabriel Gonzalez, 31, a Manhattan resident, began suffering from migraines because of increased anxiety.
“Work and social life and living here in the city have been hectic. It has been to the point where I was thinking I want to start somewhere fresh, somewhere new,” Gonzalez said.
Evidence of over-the-top stress can be found at local pharmacies and therapists’ offices where some psychologists have seen the highest level of anxiety since the aftermath of 9/11. Two Zitomer Pharmacy locations saw about a ten percent increase of anti-anxiety prescriptions in the past nine months and between a five and 10 percent boost in antidepressants, which are sometimes used to treat anxiety disorders.
People who did not have a problem before the recession have been talking to doctors about anxiety issues and others who weren’t coping well before are also suffering, said Peter Kanaris, a psychologist and coordinator for public education for the New York State Psychological Association.
“The loss of jobs, the fear of loss of the home, this has ratcheted up the level of stress where people are responding to that with health problems--both mental and physical,” he said.
Some doctors believe that anxiety levels aren’t necessarily up, it’s people’s acceptance of taking psychiatric medication that has risen. A recent study showed that most people felt the drugs are helpful.
“There was a greater stigma in taking them,” said Dr. Lena Verkhovsky, a Manhattan psychiatrist. “Now there is a much greater social acceptance of both psychiatric illness and treatment.”
Physicians are also more comfortable prescribing medications that have been tested in the general population for a long time. Advertising has also played a role in people’s acceptance, which Verkhovsky believes is an overall good thing, but she’s also had to counsel patients who come in asking for a medication she might not feel is the best choice.
While the economic future remains unclear, some New Yorkers who suffered from anxiety are starting to cope in constructive ways. Jason Ewing’s mother was laid off in May, and volunteering at church and taking classes have helped her wade out of anxiety issues.
“She’s bouncing back,” said Ewing, 23, of Queens. “She’s feeling more confident because she’s learning more skills.”
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7 tips for Labor Day weekend grilling
If grilling steak is on your to-do list this weekend, take heed to these tips from John Schenk, executive chef of Strip House restaurants.
Make it marbled:
Flecks of fat give the meat moisture and flavor. But marbled meat can be too expensive for home cooks. “Rib-eyes and cowboy steaks [ie. bone-in rib-eyes], have a lot of fat in them, so with those, you get the effects of marbeling,” Schenk said.
Oil it:
Schenk recommended using canola oil or a canola-olive oil blend to coat the steak before seasoning it. “You don’t want to waste expensive oil in this process,” he said. The oil serves two purposes: it adheres seasoning to the meat and also helps the surface temperature get hot quicker, so the meat sears more quickly.
Season simply:
“When you’re doing filet, strip or any kind of rib-eye, you’re buying it for the flavor of the meat,” he said. Just add kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. “You don’t want to coat it, but you probably will use more than you think. Maybe 2 teaspoons per side of pepper. And about a teaspoon per side of kosher salt.”
It’s all about heat:
You want to get a very hot grill. “Some flame is good,” Schenk said. He suggested moving the meat away from the flame though so it doesn’t burn the meat. But flames can help with the charring.
Don’t flip out:
Schenk recommends flipping your meat no more than two times.
He said you’re probably looking at a total cooking time around 4-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness of the meat.
Rest and relax:
Once you’ve achieved the desired temperature, remove the steak from heat and allow it to rest for at least five minutes before cutting it. “You want the muscle to relax; once the juices relax, they’ll flow back through the steak.”
Sizzle and use sea salt:
After the steak has rested, and just before slicing, return it to the hot part of the grill for about 30 seconds per side, to get the surface sizzling.
After you’ve sliced it, just sprinkle a little bit of sea salt over the top. “It’s a super mild salt, but it has a little bit of the umami thing going on. It really does perk the palate,” he said.
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Wanna get away? New travel deals
AAA members stay in Vegas for less: The four-star Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is offering rates starting at $69 for AAA members, through Dec. 30. The deal includes a free room upgrade and $25 food and beverage credit. Go to hardrockhotel.com.
Mexican cruises from $39 a night: Expedia is offering weekend or longer-duration cruises to Mexico, with prices starting at $39. Some deals come with an additional $500 onboard credit. Book online at expedia.com or call 877-815-5446
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City's latest ads target soda, juice
The city’s latest gross-out ad campaign, which targets sugary drinks from soda to bottled iced teas, seems to condemn some of the same beverages once sold in schools and city buildings as part of an exclusive contract with Snapple.
The new subway ads, which went up Monday, feature a graphic image of a hand pouring human fat – yellow and viscous with red veins, blood vessels and all – into a glass accompanied by the words: “Are you pouring on the pounds?”
Under a controversial deal with the beverage maker Snapple that expired this year after lackluster sales, the city put vending machines in schools and municipal buildings that sold water and fruit juice.
The Health Department, while noting that juice is more nutritious than soda, said it “is just as rich in calories” and encouraged people to stick with water, seltzer or low-fat milk. Even sports and energy drinks like vitamin water should be avoided, health officials said.
City Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside), who supports the new ad campaign, said it is ironic that the city was promoting the Snapple drinks until this year.
“It was out of step from Day 1 with nutrition experts,” he said of the contract. Even though the contract is over, there’s still a Snapple machine in the basement of City Hall that sells mostly water with the exception of one fruit drink. The Education Department said in the spring it planned to put healthier drinks in schools starting this fall.
A spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg declined to comment and the health department did not address that issue.
Health officials did say the images used in the $277,000 ad campaign are meant to cause a jolt.
“It has a very strong effect and it calls attention to the issue that we want,” said Cathy Nonas, director of physical activity and nutrition at the health department. “We focus grouped this.”
The campaign, which includes 1,500 subway posters and will run for three months, is part of a trend in shock advertising by the health department, which has also run graphic anti-smoking spots.
“Oh, that’s disgusting,” said Sarah Sweeney, 26, of Manhattan, when shown a copy of the ad. “I don’t’ know if this is the most effective way of doing things.”
The health department said its surveys found more than 2 million adult New Yorkers drink at least one sweetened drink a day, adding as much as 250 calories to their diet from the beverages. The highest rates were in the Bronx, the lowest in Manhattan.
The ads, officials say, are to remind people that what you drink can be as fattening as what you eat.
A spokesman for the American Beverage Association called the ads “sensationalism.” “They’re bypassing an opportunity to have a more substantive discussion,” said the spokesman, Kevin Keane.
But Florajn Shotha, 23, of the Bronx, said she thought the ads did the trick. “It’s a good idea,” she said. “So many people die a year from sugar and diabetes.”
Marlene Naanes contributed to this story
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Sources: DJ AM died of a drug overdose
The drugs that DJ AM managed to escape for a decade ended up killing him, according to one published report.
Police sources told TMZ that Adam Goldstein did not commit suicide, but accidentally overdosed on a deadly mix of crack cocaine and prescription medication.
The celebrity DJ began taking anti-anxiety medication to cope with flying after surviving a plane crash that killed four people last year, but the pills caused him to crave crack after more than 11 years of sobriety, sources told TMZ.
Goldstein, 36, was found dead in his SoHo apartment Friday. Source told People magazine that a friend called 911 when he failed to answer his cell phone and show up for a flight to a Las Vegas gig.
A NYPD spokeswoman said there were no updates in the case and they were awaiting the results of a city medical investigation. A spokesperson for the city medical examiner’s office did not return a call for comment. An initial autopsy of Goldstein's body was inconclusive and more tests are being performed.
Goldstein's body was released to the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel on Saturday. A representative for the Upper East Side facility refused to comment on the funeral arrangements yesterday. But reports over the weekend said he would be buried in California.
