Preacher Wants to Bring Prosperity Gospel to Armory

Critics of a recently-released report on possible uses for the Kingsbridge Armory said it lacked for funding sources. There were lots of ideas, but no money to make any of them happen. Enter Creflo Dollar, an evangelical preacher from Georgia, a man with a vision for the Armory and the resources to bring it to reality.

Govt. Hopes Gruesome Warnings Will Scare Off Smokers

A series of new and graphic warning labels will start appearing on cigarette packages this fall, part of a federal effort to encourage more Americans to quit smoking and deter potential smokers from taking up the habit.

Rally for Clinton H.S. Shooting Victim Grows On Facebook

While 15-year-old DeWitt Clinton High School student Yvette Torres fights for her life at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, a group of people, many of whom have never met her, some from as far away as Massachusetts, are doing their best to track down the person who shot her in the back of the head and bring them to justice.

Legislature Passes Gay Marriage, Rent Laws in Overtime

Lawmakers in Albany spent all of last week scrambling to address a long list of items on its agenda before breaking for the year, staying four days past the scheduled end of the legislative session and passing a number of high-profile laws in its final few days. Among the legislation was a historic bill to legalize same-sex marriage, which after days of intense lobbying in Albany from parties on both sides of the debate, was passed by the State Senate late Friday night.

Shelter Plan for Vacant Muller Center Blasted at Hearing

Father Richard Gorman ripped into the city's homeless shelter plan at a hearing las week. (Photo by Alex Kratz)
During his lengthy and impassioned testimony at a public hearing concerning the fate of the vacant Muller Army Reserve Center in Wakefield, Father Richard Gorman compared the Bloomberg administration to a) Josef Stalin and b) a group of slave owners (with Wakefield residents being the slaves). Gorman, the longtime chairman of Community Board 12, which includes Wakefield and Woodlawn, made those comparisons in the course of blasting the city’s controversial proposal to house a 200-bed homeless shelter for men in the Muller Center. The mayor’s office says the city’s homeless needs outweigh the desires of community residents and stakeholders.

Op-ed: Unlikely Heroes and Other Joys of Youth Baseball

Richard, hands in the air, celebrates with his Athletics teammates after a thrilling season-ending victory. (Photo by Jarrett Murphy)
My son, Owen, and I were supposed to miss this game altogether. It was originally scheduled for back in April, for a day when we were in Ireland. But it rained that day, and the game was called off. So the second and final meeting between the Athletics and Pirates of the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s baseball league’s Bantam Division was instead set for Saturday, June 18 at Shandler Field in Van Cortlandt Park.

Ethics Reform Aims to Heal Albany’s Trust Issues

Weeks before the furious finale in Albany that brought the legalization of gay marriage, slightly strengthened rent regulation and a property tax cap, the state legislature passed an ethics reform package that freshman State Senator Gustavo Rivera, who replaced Pedro Espada, says will help the restore integrity and credibility to Albany.

From the DR to Walton, Softball Star Tears It Up

Claritza Caceres, 17, is a junior at the International School for Liberal Arts at the Walton campus. Quiet and modest, with a petite frame, her appearance hardly lets on that she is what many would consider a softball prodigy. This past season, Claritza muscled a .696 batting average with 45 runs batted in and 29 stolen bases. A pitcher, she had an earned run average of 3.68.