Agreement To Build Greek Orthodox Church At Ground Zero/World Trade Center Site Reached

Lower Manhattan, October 14, 2011 - More than a decade after the destruction caused by the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, an agreement was signed between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the leadership of the Greek Orthodox St. Nicholas Church in Lower Manhattan. The only religious house of worship that was flattened, will be built at 130 Liberty Street instead of at their previous location.

The deal was brokered by Governor Cuomo’s office which effectively was a land swap for a tract of land the Port needed for security reasons. The church's previous site at 155 Cedar Street was exchanged for the nearby former Deutche Bank building plot at 130 Liberty Street. The agreement states that the Port will build a platform the church can build upon, at a cost not to exceed $25 million.

It is unfortunate that a lawsuit and an intervention by Governor Andrew Cuomo was needed to reach this milestone. I look forward to entering this new church dedicated to the patron saint of Bari, Italy - St. Nicholas.

Michael Moore Makes The Schlep To Downtown Brooklyn

Downtown Brooklyn, October 7, 2011 - October means autumn and cooler temperatures in the fading sunlight. Tonight, however, the light was bright and the heat turned up without raising the thermostat. Filmmaker Michael Moore made the trip to Downtown Brooklyn and packed the BookCourt bookstore not only with bodies willing to hear his gospel, but with T and BS (Talk and Book Signing - what else could that mean?) heat with a reading from his book, "Michael Moore - Here Comes Trouble". Mr. Moore is funny and appears to be a good, entertaining writer - a pleasure to hear from and see.

My problem with the seemingly entertaining show is that when this freelance photojournalist requested to take a couple of book signing photos, I was rebuffed. Initially, the body guards with earpieces that reminded me of the earpiece-wearing agents in The Matrix and replied 'no interviews'. When I replied that I asked to take photos of the book signing, I was told I could take photos from the bookshelf along the wall, some distance away. With this kind of treatment, I decided to leave the premises figuring that I would get more flack from the body guards that had no interest in my offer.

Somehow, I can't understand Moore's staff turning down a simple request from a photojournalist looking to make their client look good. But then again, the trip down there was a schlep in the first place!

Prohibition-Era IRT Lo-V Cars As Vintage Limos To Yankee Stadium

Manhattan and Bronx, NY, September 30, 2011 - The cars that were built about the time the old Yankee Stadium was constructed, are once again being used as a private limo for Yankee fans headed to the famed new home for the Bronx Bombers.



Departing about 1 1/2 hours before game time, these wonderful examples of the mass transit days of yore begin the journey from Grand Central-42 Street of the IRT Lexington Avenue line and operate making the usual Woodlawn-Jerome Avenue #4 line stops to the big ball park.

The cost to you? Free with your paid NYC Transit fare. Ride it and enjoy!