The Ball Must Come Down But It Should Not Bounce

As final preparations are put into place to greet 2013, a million people are expected in Times Square tonight.  All there and those watching through other media sources will be focused on the work of master rigger, Tony Calvano.  He’s the man given the responsibility of dropping the ball at 11:59pm to usher in the new year.  Mayor Bloomberg and the Rockettes will push a button to signal Tony to begin the ball’s descent (The mayor always seems to be pushing someone’s button, doesn’t he?).  Since 1988, Mr. Calvano and his team have successfully, “dropped the ball” but in a good way.  Back then, they did it manually.  Now, a computer controls the winch lowering the 12,000-pound, 2,688-piece Waterford Crystal sphere down towards the future.  Thanks to all involved in this effort and longstanding New York City tradition.  And thanks to all New York City residents for keeping this city, on the ball.

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Royalty Arrives On New Year’s Eve

At precisely the moment when the Times Square, New Year’s Eve ball dropped to ring in 2011, Princess Avana Andrews was delivered at SUNY Downstate Hospital. She was presented to her loving parents, Helena Ross and Dwayne Andrews. This adorable little "princess" now has the official/unofficial distinction of being the first baby born in New York City in 2011. Just five seconds after Princess arrived; "Baby #2" was born in Coney Island Hospital. No names required for the 2nd place finisher. New York is a tough town, people. Better, our kids learn that lesson right from the moment they’re born than later on the streets.

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[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments on this blog and reply to the comments that other viewers have posted. This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]

Green Coca-Cola

Coke’s famous red Times Square sign is going green for ecology. The company will pay 10% more to have wind power light it up than plugging it into the wall. Upon Coke’s approval, sponsors of 29 other billboards in New York City decided to go green, too. This new power approach for all 30 signs will somehow prevent the release of 2,056 tons of carbon dioxide annually. That's equivalent to 75 fewer passenger vehicles on the roads, 38 homes converted to wind power for a year or the positive effect of planting 470 acres of trees. It's not known for sure if all of those numbers are accurate, but there's one thing for certain. Coke is now on board drinking Al Gore's Kool-Aid!

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IMPORTANT NOTE: This piece was written today about an older New York City news headline. NYCo site delays prevented its publication before now. In an effort to entertain and educate this blog’s devoted viewers, 100’s of older headlines will be posted in chronological order until this blog is discussing current events again. Though some stories may no longer be as relevant as they once were, they remain interesting news items worthy of mention and viewer comments.

[This is a copyrighted editorial, originally published on http://www.NEWYORKCITYonline.com/NYC-Online/blog.php. We invite you to post your comments and reply to others. This piece may be duplicated or printed with permission.]

TKTS For The Best Seat In Town

There’s a new "smash hit" on Broadway … Broadway and 47th Street, that is. The star is a new TKTS booth in Duffy Square, Manhattan. Not only does it sell discounted tickets to Broadway shows inside, but it offers free seating on its stepped-roof enabling viewers to look down on the world-famous "Broadway and Times Square Show" below. Customers and pedestrians are equally enthusiastic in their praise of this unique edifice. Though the project was beset with delays and cost overruns, it’s a welcome addition to NYC; another bright light on Broadway.

Chomping Champ Chestnut Swallows Victory

Look out stomach! There he goes again! Nathan’s two-time and defending champion hot-dog eater, Joey Chestnut, ate 45 slices of pizza in 10 minutes to win the Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship. That’s the equivalent of 5 ½ 16” diameter cheese pies! Godzilla eating his way through Tokyo had a snack compared to Chestnut gorging on "cheesy triangles" in formerly sleazy Times Square! It’s his first pizza pie contest victory. Joey’s chestnuts may soon be in the fire though from new competition. With the fast-rising cost of food in New York City, many city residents may soon be looking to enter food contests just for the “free eats!”

TKTS Booth To Raise Curtain

Shakespeare wrote that, “All the world’s a stage and all of us, merely players.” Well, New York City taxpayers were bit players in the production of the new $19 million TKTS Booth in Manhattan’s Times Square. This state-of-the-art and visually spectacular booth will sell discount Broadway and off-Broadway tickets like the old booth did. Not unexpectedly for public projects in NYC, this facility is 18 months late and $11.4 million over budget. "Unforeseen" business hardships and "poor" project management by the Times Square Alliance are to blame. The group’s Board of Directors however places the blame with its president, Tim Tompkins. The play and the way we’re constantly played, goes on.

In The Middle Of It All

New York City’s newest pedestrian-friendly islands won’t be making good buddies of midtown drivers anytime soon. Broadway’s pedestrian plazas merge four traffic lanes into two between Herald Square and Times Square. They’ll undoubtedly create additional traffic problems and pollution for midtown. For those who wish to be surrounded by speeding traffic and vehicle exhaust fumes, “Welcome to Fun City!” Other new traffic-related projects in Manhattan include a bicycle lane on Ninth Avenue between West 16th Street and West 23rd Street, bike lanes on both Washington Street and Greenwich Street and a bus-only lane along 34th Street. Let’s hope city officials are monitoring the popularity, safety and impact all these new initiatives have on both foot and vehicular traffic. It's not smart to play in traffic, or with it.

Cowboy TV That Ain’t Roy Rogers Re-Runs

New York City’s “Naked Cowboy” may temporarily leave Times Square for Hollywood and places unknown. Our strumming strutter in shorts may soon be taping his very own reality-TV show. Robert Burck, cowboy crooner extraordinaire, said he’s spoken with several producers about doing a talent show. It will feature street singers from around the world. The white underwear wonder will be the show’s judge … without the black robe of course! He said he’ll search more for "character" in the performers than talent. If they’re anything like him, program contestants will be more character than performer! The program sounds like it will be like an outdoor version of the 1970s-1980s hit, The Gong Show. I wonder if there’ll also be an updated version of the Unknown Comic wearing a recyclable plastic bag instead of a brown paper one.

Bike Racks By Byrne

Former Talking Heads band frontman and avid NYC cyclist David Byrne has designed nine artistic bike racks. Passersby are definitely turning their heads and talking about them. The rack design concepts are fitting to the particular New York neighborhood they’re in. There’s a shoe rack outside Bergdorf Goodman, a busty woman’s profile rack for Times Square, a dollar sign rack design for Wall Street and an electric guitar in Williamsburg. Timeless art they’re not, but who would want to padlock a bicycle to the Mona Lisa anyway?

San Fran Arrests Our Times Square Man

SFO police officers busted NYC’s Naked Cowboy for sidewalk singing in a “restricted” area of their version of Union Square. Liberal as they are on the “left coast,” a New Yorker in his underwear is somehow offensive to their society. Radicals can disrupt church services, illegal aliens are embraced by the local government, but our Robert Burck can’t belt out a ballad in the “city by the bay.” Perhaps a singing cowboy from New York is only welcome out there when part of a larger singing group like the Village People.

Naked Cowboy Can Seek Mars Millions

Blue M and M shouldn’t be seen on a large NYC billboard impersonating a city cowboy-crooner. Manhattan federal court Judge Denny Chin’s decision permitted Time Square’s “Naked Cowboy,” Robert Burck to sue Mars Inc. to sue Mars Inc. for compensatory and punitive damages to the tune of $4 million. So far, Mars has not melted in Burck’s hand.

Two Times To Times

First it was Alain Robert, 45 (aka “French Spider-Man”). Hours later and not connected with Monsieur Robert's deed, Renaldo Clarke, 33 of Sunset Park, Brooklyn did it too. What they each did still boggles the mind and stretches the imagination beyond normal limits. Both of these men climbed, by hand and foot (without any special tools or safety gear), the façade of the 52-story New York Times building in Times Square! Mr. Robert ascended to the roof in about an hour; unfurling a banner along the way to "end global warming." Mr. Clarke's climb was motivated to end malaria (sporting a “Malaria No More” t-shirt) and also because he saw Mr. Robert doing what he had long been making plans to do. Both climbers were taken into police custody. Both were later sent to Bellevue for psychiatric evaluation. So, who is really crazy here? Mr. Robert and Mr. Clarke for daring to promote causes in which they believe? Or perhaps, many of us for believing in causes and not going above and beyond like the two of them. Or maybe, not taking any action at all.

Naked Cowboy Sues Chocolate Coated Cowpoke

Robert Burck, Time Square’s Naked Cowboy, thinks the Mars Candy Corporation has stolen his image to create their Singing Cowboy M and M. Burck, 37, is known to mosey around Times Square, singing songs while entertaining all who see and interact with him. Wearing his white hat, white boots and skimpy white underwear (with a guitar strategically hung in front), he’s been a unique sight in a unique city. That is, until this Melodious M and M rode in on a video billboard at the Mars store on 42nd Street. Honest Injun, the resemblance, right down to their white boots is obvious. Now there’s two troubadours in town. Now, it’s "The Cowboy vs. The Marsians" in a $6 million legal battle over trademark rights and other claims. I wish New York's Naked Cowboy the best of luck with his lawsuit. Originality and those who dare to walk the streets of Manhattan in their underwear need to be protected.