43: Occupy Wall Street Marches and Seized Bagels

A Great Big City — New York City News, History, and Events

• On previous episodes we've covered the threat of measles and West Nile virus, but this week another mosquito-borne virus took the spotlight as Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or EEE, was found in mosquitoes in the surrounding area. The CDC describes the disease as rare, with only a few cases per year, but one out of three people die from the resulting flu-like symptoms. Even though the weather is getting colder and will eventually end the mosquito season, take steps to protect yourself if you'll be in an area with mosquitoes. Wear clothing that covers your skin, use a mosquito repellent containing the chemical repellents DEET or Picaridin, or use a natural repellent containing oil of lemon eucalyptus. You can even do your part by calling 311 to report standing water, defined as a place on public or private property where water gathers and remains for more than five days, creating a habitat where mosquitoes may breed.

• 7 years ago — The Bagel Store in Williamsburg brought back their candy corn bagels. Long before the rainbow bagel would make the shop world-famous, The Bagel Store was experimenting with new color and flavor combos. The shop premiered the orange-and-white swirled candy corn bagel the year before, and in 2012 it was back again, this time paired with marshmallow chocolate-chip cream cheese and alongside the equally-festive pumpkin pie bagel with pumpkin cream cheese! Unfortunately, when I checked in again to see what 2019's fall flavors would be, it looks like the shop has fallen on hard times, and photos posted on their Yelp page show New York state tax seizure notices posted on the closed store's roll-down gates. It's the same tax seizure notices that recently shut down Di Fara pizza and dozens of ice cream trucks in the city. The shutdown hasn't shut down bagel maker Scot Rossillo, who is still posting photos of new creations like rainbow-filled chocolate chip cookies, a waffle bagel, and modified bagel recipes suitable for a Keto diet!

• 2 years ago on September 27, 2017 — 18-year-old Abel Cedeno stabs two other students at Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation in the Bronx, killing one and injuring another — In September 2019, Cedeno received a 14 year prison sentence for manslaughter, 8 years for assault, and 90 days for criminal possession of a weapon, all of which will be served simultaneously. \n\n The stabbing became the first killing inside a NYC school in over 20 years. \n\n Listen to Episode 41 of the podcast to hear more about the attack and Cedeno's sentencing.

• 5 years ago on September 30, 2014 — Three parachutists make an early-morning jump from 1WTC, landing on nearby street — Three parachutists make an early-morning jump from 1WTC, landing nearby in front of the Goldman Sachs building \n\n The breathtaking video of the stunt shocked viewers as to how the jumpers accessed the city's tallest building while it was under construction and were able to glide down to the street on parachutes. The answer would come five months later when four men were arrested for the parachute jump. \n\n One of the men arrested was revealed to have been a construction worker at the site, and they gained access to the site via a hole in a fence. The parachute jump and an earlier trespassing teenager who dressed as a construction worker led to criticism of the building's security practices and the resignation of the site's head of security. \n\n The four men arrested were fined $2,000 and sentenced to community service, but did not receive jail time for the stunt.

• Well, we've been tricked before, namely back on Episode 37 in early August, but the Department of Transportation will again try to turn 14th Street into a restricted busway beginning on October 3rd. 14th Street was originally scheduled to convert to a traffic-restricted busway on July 1st to quickly move buses across the city during the L Train shutdown, but then L Train plans were modified to keep the subway open and community groups took legal action against the Department of Transportation's plan. A judge agreed to stop the busway from going into effect until the DOT provided more information, which they did, and it appeared that the buses would be allowed to roam free until another last-minute legal ruling kept cars on 14th Street. The busway was scheduled to begin on August 12th, when traffic would be restricted and buses given priority to increase transit speeds, but downtown community groups submitted a petition renewed their complaints on August 9th, claiming the Department of Transportation hadn't done sufficient studies into the impact that removing traffic from 14th Street would have on the surrounding area. \n\n This week, an appeals court ruled against the complaints and cleared the way for the busway to take effect, three months later than originally planned. \n\n Beginning on Thursday, October 3rd, only buses will be allowed on 14th Street between Third and Ninth Avenue from 6am to 10pm, with all other vehicles able to enter the street only for one block to make a local trip. Those vehicles will be required to exit immediately at an intersection to keep the street clear for M14A and D buses, one of the most heavily-used bus lines in the city. Left turns will be banned to keep traffic from backing up in front of the buses and automated traffic cameras will be used to monitor vehicles. The DOT estimates that the changes will increase the speeds of buses by 30%, and the plan is expected to run for 18 months.

• 8 years ago on October 1, 2011 — 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters are arrested after trying to cross the Brooklyn Bridge by walking on the roadway — 700 Occupy Wall Street protesters are arrested after trying to cross the Brooklyn Bridge by walking on the roadway \n\n It was the largest number of arrests during an Occupy protest and was one of the largest mass arrests since the 2004 Republican National Convention protests. There was controversy over the tactics used by police, who did not actively prevent the marchers from walking to the bridge roadway but then conducted a mass arrest a few hundred feet up the Manhattan side of the bridge while others on the narrow pedestrian walkway watched from above. The Occupy camp in Zuccotti Park would be cleared a month and a half later but the group would continue various protest demonstrations through the next year.

• Just a week earlier, the Occupy movement had held a protest march near Union Square, where the large numbers of protesters brought attention to the group and the NYPD's use of mesh nets to corral protesters into makeshift pens. Just south of Union Square, eyewitness video showed a group of young women being sprayed with pepper spray while on the sidewalk, which brought worldwide press coverage and criticism of the NYPD's handling of the growing protest group.

• 98 years ago on October 5, 1921 — A game between the NY Giants and NY Yankees at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan becomes the first World Series broadcast live on radio — A game between the NY Giants and NY Yankees at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan becomes the first World Series broadcast live on radio \n\n The Yankees won the first game, played in front of 30,203 attendees, but the Giants would win the overall series 5 games to 3. With two New York teams facing off, it was also the first World Series with all games played at one location, similar to the Subway Series that is played today between the Yankees and the Mets. \n\n

  https://img.agreatbigcity.com/mike-mcnally-steals-home-10-slash-5-slash-1921-world-series-game-at-polo-grounds-5th-inning-via-library-of-congress.jpg'>

  Mike McNally steals home, 10/5/1921 World Series Game at Polo Grounds, 5th inning via Library of Congress

• In AGBC history:

• 8 years ago — Ford Transit Connect Taxi Spotted in Lower Manhattan — Wednesday, September 28

• 8 years ago, New York Apple stores were mourning the loss of Steve Jobs, who died of pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011. At Tekserve in Chelsea, a memorial was placed in the front window of the store. At Apple stores in the Meatpacking District, SoHo, and on Fifth Avenue, makeshift memorials formed, with flowers and apples placed in front of each store. People used post-it notes to write their own memorial messages, forming colorful displays on the windows of the stores. The walls of post-its would continue to grow, and by the next week, street artist and muralist The Me Nobody Knows would put a custom piece of memorial art at the SoHo Apple store — 8 years ago — Steve Jobs Memorials at Apple Stores in NYC — Thursday, October 6

• 2 years ago — Suspects Arrested in Terror Plot to Strike New York — The Joint Terrorism Task Force charged two 19-year-old suspects, one Canadian citizen and one from the United States, and one 37-year-old from the Philippines in a terror plot that had advanced to the point of purchasing explosives. All three were charged with terrorism, with the 37-year-old communicating online with the two younger suspects and actively providing funding for an attack against the city. The group acquired bomb-making materials and a cabin outside the city and planned to bomb Times Square, the subway, and conduct random shootings within the city. The Canadian citizen received a 40 year prison sentence, but Pakistan has refused to extradite the American citizen accused in the plot, who had been living in Pakistan at the time of the plot. The older suspect was arrested in the Philippines and the United States has been attempting to secure his extradition since 2017.

• 1 year ago — Central Park Squirrel Census Will Give City Rodents a Proper Head-Count — The census set out to count the number of squirrels roaming around Manhattan's center. 323 volunteers divided up the park and recorded their squirrel sightings, with the data becoming part of a printed art project with maps and photos from the survey. The final statistical analysis revealed about 2,373 squirrels in Central Park based on the project's observations. It seems a bit low, but it's interesting nonetheless. While nearly 82% of the squirrels were the gray variety, count yourself lucky if you see a squirrel with black or cinnamon-colored fur: They were much more rare in Central Park, with black fur being the least common.

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Park of the day

• Clearview's Tail — Clearview Expressway at Whitehall Terrace, Queens — A small slip of a park, this land lies at the "tail" of the Clearview Expressway at Hillside Avenue.

Parks Events

• Bronx Fit Fest — Date: October 5, 2019 Join us for free fitness and dance classes, healthy living tips, wellness screenings, and more at Bronx Fit Fest! Activities may include: Yoga Roller and Silent Disco Outdoor spin classes Chairobics Zumba Learn to Salsa Tennis Obstacle Course Line Dance* Healthy living workshops There will also...

And now let's check in with our robot friend for the concert calendar:

Concert Calendar

Here's the AGBC Concert Calendar for the upcoming week:

• Tedeschi Trucks Band is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Tuesday, October 1st at 7pm.
• Maggie Rogers with Empress Of is playing Radio City Music Hall in Midtown on Tuesday, October 1st at 8pm.
• Madonna is playing BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in Boerum Hill on Tuesday, October 1st at 8pm.
• Carrie Underwood with Maddie & Tae and Runaway June are playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Wednesday, October 2nd at 7pm.
• Maggie Rogers with Empress Of is playing Radio City Music Hall in Midtown on Wednesday, October 2nd at 8pm.
• Sandy & Junior are playing Barclays Center in Boerum Hill on Wednesday, October 2nd at 8pm.
• Madonna is playing BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in Boerum Hill on Wednesday, October 2nd at 8pm.
• Incubus with Wild Belle is playing Radio City Music Hall in Midtown on Thursday, October 3rd at 8pm.
• Madonna is playing BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in Boerum Hill on Thursday, October 3rd at 8pm.
• Tedeschi Trucks Band is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Friday, October 4th at 8pm.
• Maluma is playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Friday, October 4th at 8pm.
• The Avett Brothers with Lake Street Dive is playing Barclays Center in Boerum Hill on Saturday, October 5th at 8pm.
• Tedeschi Trucks Band is playing Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side on Saturday, October 5th at 8pm.
• Madonna is playing BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in Boerum Hill on Saturday, October 5th at 8pm.
• Phil Collins is playing Madison Square Garden in Midtown West / Chelsea / Hudson Yards on Sunday, October 6th at 8pm.
• Madonna is playing BAM Howard Gilman Opera House in Boerum Hill on Sunday, October 6th at 8pm.

Thanks for listening! Find more fun things to do at agreatbigcity.com/events.

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New York Fact

Here's something you may not have known about New York:

• The Hudson River is the longest river in New York State, at 315 miles

Weather

The extreme highs and lows for this week in weather history:
Record High: 94°F on October 5, 1941
Record Low: 35°F on October 5, 1881

Weather for the week ahead:
Light rain on Wednesday through Friday, with high temperatures peaking at 87°F on Wednesday.

Intro and outro music: 'Start the Day' by Lee Rosevere — Concert Calendar music from Jukedeck.com