Photo by Swerz.
December 24, 2012 Weather: Cloudy, High of 39 Degrees.
Notices:
A free concert, a special showing of 2001: A Space Odyssey and a tour are on our calendar.
On Pastor Robert Brashear’s indispensable blog for West-Park Presbyterian Church on 86th, he remembers sexton Teddy Mapes, who just died, and thinks about Christmas: “Soon enough we’re back on the steps to finish our carolling. I lead a small group across the street with wine and hot cider for Dominic and les merchants de les arbres de noel. We sing for them. Share our refreshments. As they say thanks, Jamie swings into full negotiation mode. They offer a small wooden reindeer. We wind up with two Christmas trees…one for the church and one for a Puerto Rican lady passing by with her cart. With her dog, esparky. She takes off her watch cap to reveal badly singed hair from a gas burner. Dominic seems to be well acquainted with her. We head back across the street to finish our time of fellowship, bringing our tree with us. Later at the B, Ellen and Jamie and I will smile as Dominic strikes up a conversation with Carla the Brazilian bartender. A night in New York, getting close to Christmas.”
Get involved in the Audubon Christmas bird count, which lasts until January 5. (Audubon)
News:
The teens who were wrongfully convicted for raping a Central Park jogger in 1989 have been getting a lot of attention lately because of Ken and Sarah Burns’ movie The Central Park Five. But now one of the exonerated men is getting attention for another reason: he’s been charged with assault. “One of the exonerated “Central Park Five” was busted after allegedly flinging a brick at his girlfriend just blocks from the site of the infamous 1989 rape, the Daily News has learned.” (Daily News)
The police scanner broadcast a fire on 84th Street this morning:”Manhattan: FDNY Box #1150. Columbus Ave & West 84 St. All hands working for a fire on the 6th floor of a 6 story OMD. Fire is DWH. NY01.” (DWH means “doubtful will hold,” meaning further units may have to be assigned). No further details yet.
A townhouse on 87th with a rent-controlled tenant who refused to move just sold for $5.1 million after sitting on the market for two years. (Commercial Observer)