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For many residents on the Gowanus low-line, heavy rains mean no water. |
Outside, flooding from the polluted canal plagues the streets and many are familiar with the stench and muck left by rising waters of the Gowanus Canal. |
But indoors, backed up pipes mirror the situation. |
The capacity of the city’s combined sewer system is tested every time it rains, and there are frequent overflows with heavy rain or snow. |
Once wastewater treatment plants can no longer handle the amount of water coming in, untreated water and excess stormwater goes back into the city’s waterways. It causes flooding in the streets, and it causes whatever was going down residents’ pipes to come right back up various drains. |
In 2012, Brown had to deal with the smell, water damage, and clean up of these backups all throughout the holiday season at 572 Warren Street. Other residents on her street experienced the same. |
Brown was able to resolve her own problem through a court order allowing a move and has been trying to help others do the same. |
A few days ago, Brown said on Monday, a court order allowed the last resident experiencing problems this severe to move into another unit. |
And relief is on the way, she added. “Slowly but surely, it’s going to get fixed,” Brown said, but it won’t happen for a few years to come. |
A spokesperson from NYCHA said backups are frequent in those buildings, which are just a block from the Gowanus Canal and at low elevation, but no units have recently been vacated at 572 Warren Street. |
Wastewater treatment infrastructure is expensive. In the last decade the city has invested $10 billion in upgrading wastewater treatment plant capacity, but the benefits per dollar are diminishing. In 2010, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) launched a plan to use alternative methods and capture ra... |
The DEP has a goal of creating over 6,000 bioswales [drainage systems] in the next five years as part of a $2.4 billion green infrastructure program to address stormwater treatment. Some of the first bioswales were put in Gowanus to pilot the program, and a total of about 500 of these are slated for the neighborhood. |
These bioswales look no different from the planters found on sidewalks all over the city, but the rainwater runs into the sandy soil to underground basins holding up to 2,500 gallons. The water is then stored for the plants’ use and never makes it to the sewer system, taking pressure off the energy-consuming wastewater... |
The DEP looks for public land with underlying soil to build right-of-way bioswales to meet with state requirements, so neighborhoods can’t currently apply for them. |
But for private properties, the DEP has a grant program for owners of properties in combined sewer areas, regardless of whether they are designated priority areas or not. The minimum requirement is to manage one inch of stormwater runoff. |
The DEP reviews applications twice a year, once in the spring and fall. The fall due date for applications this year is October 21. |
Individual condominium owners cannot apply, but Home Owner Associations and co-ops are eligible in most cases. |
Certain projects, like green roofs, will require feasibility studies. Applications should also include a maintenance plan. |
The application and other resources for applying for green infrastructure grants can be found on DEP’s website. |
This chair, donated in memory of terror victims US-born Dr. Applebaum and his daughter Naava, was stolen from the Kotel by Arabs, who took it to the Temple Mount. |
Several of the Arabs who cursed Jews on the Temple Mount Wednesday were sitting on chairs stolen from the Western Wall, where they were donated in memory of an American-Israel doctor and his daughter who were murdered in a terrorist attack 11 years ago. |
Police prevented the Jews from trying to take the chairs back to the Western Wall but promised they would make sure the return is carried out. The spokesman for the police told The Jewish Press he is not aware of the incident and although he will try to find out if the chairs were returned, he doubts he will be to succ... |
They were among the victims in the September 9, 2003 suicide bombing at the Café Hillel restaurant in Jerusalem, where the American-born doctor took his daughter for a meal the night before her planned wedding. |
The question remains how police allowed the Muslims to bring the chairs to the Temple Mount while they carefully search Jews to make sure they do not bring forbidden objects, such as an Israeli flag or a prayer book. |
If you see a brick missing from the Western Wall the Kotel, you know where it was taken. |
Sue them for stolen property! |
idiots!!! They can’t read English!!! |
Arabs and there religions should get off there horses. When you hate and kill and attack others. Are you really working your religion? Is that what GOD wants for everyone to be a bunch of ignorant jackasses. |
God is watching and they will ultimately pay for all their sins against His people Israel. |
The “secret weapon” is not a secret. It’s called Anti-Semitism. The sad fact is that there are many people who are predisposed to hate Jews. Recent attacks on Jews in various countries proves this. We must point out the incongruence of those who protest against so-called “civilian” casualties in Gaza, yet ignore greate... |
I wish I could say they were ALSO opposite of any other political system of the world too, but that would be a lie. |
You are not talking about Arabs, Islam is world wide now, all majority Muslim countries are Islam. The Christians being driven from their countries can ALSO be counted as Arab, they are much more Arab than Muslim Arabs. |
thats all they can do.what else can they do?pagans!!! |
hahahaha, praying that God will change their hatred into love. |
Broncos' receiver Demaryius Thomas holds on to a touchdown catch during an Oct. 14 game at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver. |
The first domino in the NFL receiver trade market toppled Monday when Oakland traded receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2019 first-round pick. |
Might the Broncos’ Demaryius Thomas be attractive to a playoff contender or a team short on receivers? |
A career Bronco, Thomas is third in team history in catches (662) and second in yards (9,025) and touchdown receptions (60). But Emmanuel Sanders has become the team’s No. 1 receiver, and rookie Courtland Sutton is emerging and is expected to take over Thomas’ role next year. Which makes Thomas, in his ninth season, ex... |
Give Thomas credit for his honesty, knowing that his contract and Sutton’s emergence make it unlikely he is with the Broncos next year. Thomas said it is a “good thing” if other teams are interested in him. |
Thomas has 33 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns this season. He leads the Broncos with six dropped passes. The issue in trading Thomas is his contract. His salary cap number climbs to $17.53 million next year, so an interested team would have to feel comfortable that Thomas could help them in 2019 but also be ... |
Coach Vance Joseph downplayed the Thomas-related chatter. |
Joseph said general manager John Elway has not told him of an imminent trade. |
New drone has no pilot anywhere, so who's accountable? |
Copyrighted Image? DMCA Although humans would program an autonomous drone's flight plan and could override its decisions, the prospect of heavily armed aircraft screaming through the skies without direct human control is unnerving to many. |
Tornadoes ripped through Nebraska yesterday, killing one and injured dozens more, officials say. |
According to USA Today, one person from Pilger, Neb. was brought to Norfolk's Faith Regional Medical Center, and as many as 16 more were taken there as well with injuries. Gregg Moeller of Wisner told the Omaha World-Herald that it felt like "God dragged two fingernails across the the land." |
USA Today adds that Stanton County Sheriff Mike Unger believes roughly "50 to 75 percent" of Pilger sustained heavy damage. Unger noted that the town's local school is probably damaged beyond repair, calling the entire scene "total devastation." |
Updated and light-infused ranch in Merriman Park. Greeting you upon entry is a completely open floor plan. Attention is drawn toward the wood-burning fireplace creating the focal point for the living and dining area. The adjacent breakfast room flows into the kitchen that features white cabinetry, granite counters, sta... |
John Gagliardi is the legendary football coach of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Gagliardi has been a Minnesota institution for as long as I can remember. Today, on his seventy-seventh birthday, he stands poised to tie Eddie Robinson as the all-time winningest football coach in college history if his... |
UPDATE: The Johnnies tied a bow on it for Coach Gagliardi’s birthday, edging the Tommies !5-12 on a field goal with eight seconds to go in regulation. Click here for the St. Thomas press release on the game. Next week Coach Gagliardi seeks to break the record he now holds with Eddie Robinson as the Johnnies go for the ... |
Sometimes, being punny feels so right it can’t be wrong. And while we know your friends and family are probably going to moan and groan at a pun-based dog name, we can’t get enough of these silly names with a double meaning. We’ve also added in some totally nonsensical doggie names to keep things interesting. |
Because honestly. Clever dog names like Billie Howliday, Bark Obama and Sasha Fierce are way too good to pass up. At the very least, one of these snappy names will make for a great icebreaker at the dog park. |
Alistair Darling's 2009 Budget has been derided as a stew of unrealistic forecasts and missed opportunities, after the Chancellor conceded the current slump is comparable with the Great Depression but insisted it would be over by Christmas. |
Mr Darling cemented his reputation as the Chancellor with the worst forecasting record in modern history after he slashed his projection for British economic output this year to -3.5pc. |
Unveiling the biggest increase in government borrowing since the Second World War, he conceded that Britain's national debt will double to around £1.2 trillion in the coming years, and that the budget would not return to balance until 2018 or later. |
In what economists described as a "fantasy Budget", Mr Darling imposed swingeing new taxes on those who earn more than £150,000, which will raise as much as £5.5bn a year by 2012 – one of the biggest per-capita tax increases in recent history. |
But while he will try to trim some departmental budgets, he will nevertheless increase the total amount the Government will spend this year and the next by £37.6bn. This indicates that if he does intend to balance the nation's books, he will do so not with spending cuts but with tax rises. |
When all is said and done, this Budget will involve a giveaway of £5.2bn this year, largely comprised of extra capital allowances and employment funding for businesses, but the size of the stimulus nevertheless falls far short of the VAT cut introduced in last year's pre-Budget report or the various rescue packages ena... |
Moreover, according to the Budget plans, the Treasury will levy a combined £5.3bn over the following two years in a series of higher taxes. |
However, the proposed tax and spending measures pale into insignificance against the scale and extent of the economic and fiscal crunch mapped out in the Budget small print. |
The documentation reveals that this year's economic contraction will be the worst in any year since the end of the Second World War. Indeed, according to the International Monetary Fund, this year is likely to be the worst since the 1930s, as countries around the world slump into a synchronised slowdown. |
The Chancellor predicted that despite shrinking by 3.5pc this year, the UK economy would start growing again "towards the end of the year", with 1.25pc growth next year and 3.5pc from 2011 onwards. Last night economic historians were trying in vain to find examples of developed countries that had stomached so significa... |
As the IMF pointed out last week, recessions associated with financial crises tend to be more protracted and virulent than almost any other type, and that is precisely what the UK faces. |
Indeed, alongside many City economists, the IMF expects the UK economy to shrink by a further 0.4pc next year – significantly below even the Chancellor's revised forecasts. |
Dig a little deeper into the Budget and it becomes clear that the Treasury expects nothing short of a full-scale consumer recovery – if not boom – in order to satisfy its projections. Such a prospect seems unrealistic if not outlandish, according to City experts. |
"It's just wishful thinking," said Peter Spencer, chief economic adviser to the Ernst & Young Item Club. "It's impossible to find a period when that sort of recovery has actually come through … If you believe that, you'll believe anything." |
Even taking at face value the Chancellor's forecasts, the UK will have to borrow some £175bn this year and £173bn the next to make up for the shortfall in tax revenues and extra demands on the public purse from increased social welfare spending. |
At over 12pc of gross domestic product, these represent the worst years for the public finances since the 1940s. However, the optimistic economic forecasts are doubly significant in this case because higher growth means a lower deficit. Should the Chancellor's economic projections be proven wrong, the eventual outcome ... |
"This leaves the already horrendous borrowing projections looking too optimistic," said Ross Walker, an economist at Royal Bank of Scotland. Michael Saunders, chief UK econmist at Citigroup, said: "I shake my head in despair. As the Chancellor faces a terrible fiscal position no one outside the Treasury will believe th... |
The tidal wave of extra debt will push up Britain's net national debt from below 40pc – one of the ceilings set by Gordon Brown in 1998 but since abandoned – to almost 80pc. |
The Treasury said it still had no plans to reinstate any fiscal rules to bring its borrowing back under control in the future. In fact, it said it did not expect the budget to come back into balance until 2018 or beyond. |
The Budget came amid continuing bad economic news, with the Office for National Statistics announcing that unemployment jumped by 177,000 to 2.1m in the three months to February, taking the jobless rate to 6.7pc. |
Marc Ostwald, a strategist at Monument Securities said: "Whoever wins the election next year faces probably the most unenviable task in modern British history." |
Scott Morrison calls in to.. |
Neil Mitchell has taken issue with two points made by treasurer Scott Morrison arising from Wednesday’s interview. |
Neil said it was ‘nonsense’ that the cap on tax-free income from super would bring in $100,000. |
And he said the treasurer was ‘totally wrong’ about the tax rate on withdrawn super. |
‘He’s the treasurer, and he seems not to understand the basics of superannuation,’ Neil said. |
But Mr Morrison called Neil, vigorously denying any error. |
‘I was referring to the earnings you would get in the next account you were putting into,’ he said. |
The online streaming-media company has been written off numerous times in its longstanding battle with Microsoft for market share. |
Once again, RealNetworks is fighting off news of its imminent demise. |
The online streaming-media company has been written off numerous times in its long-standing battle with Microsoft for market share. Its stock tumbled nearly 20 percent Tuesday on speculation that AOL Time Warner's America Online, the world's largest Internet service provider, is poised to dump an exclusive deal with th... |
The pummeling prompted RealNetworks Chief Executive Rob Glaser to go on a media blitz to defend the stock. In an interview on CNBC, he characterized the AOL relationship as strong and called on investors to ignore "hot air" and focus on the company's recent key technology deals. |
AOL also stepped in to effectively deny the speculation. A spokesman refused to comment specifically on the terms of the company's contracts but told CNET News.com that RealNetworks is "a good partner, and we look forward to continuing to work with them." |
Microsoft declined to comment. RealNetworks' shares recovered slightly Wednesday, gaining 68 cents to $11.30 by the 1 p.m. PDT close of regular trading. |
Analysts agreed that AOL is unlikely to dump RealNetworks anytime soon. But some also acknowledged that there are signs that it may be more receptive to increasing support for Microsoft streaming technology as it seeks to renew a key co-distribution deal within Microsoft's new Windows XP operating system. |
If those talks result in a deal that carves out a bigger place for Microsoft's Windows Media Player on AOL, it won't in itself spell the end of RealNetworks. But it could complicate RealNetworks' alliance with AOL and perhaps force it to cooperate more closely with its longtime enemy in new markets such as online music... |
"AOL recognizes that there is a lot more momentum behind Microsoft's digital media technology now than there was even six months ago," said John Corcoran, Internet/digital new media analyst at CIBC World Markets. "AOL is very respectful of that." |
Sources familiar with the AOL-RealNetworks deal said an exclusivity clause is set to expire in mid-July. Nevertheless, RealNetworks vigorously denied that the relationship is in danger. |
RealNetworks spokesman David Brotherton said the company's overall deal is multiyear and will not expire in 2001. |
Analysts agreed that RealNetworks holds an important strategic place for AOL in its rivalry with Microsoft, which competes with it in numerous markets. As such, most said that AOL has a vested interest in helping keep RealNetworks healthy. |
RealNetworks claims that 85 percent of streaming content on the Internet is formatted for its software. It also says its media player has been downloaded by 140 million Net users worldwide. |
Despite a downturn in the Internet streaming market that has seen many of its customers go out of business, RealNetworks has recently inked several important deals that could help position itself against continued pressure from Microsoft. |
It has struck a deal with Sony to have its streaming media technology integrated with the PlayStation 2 game console. |
In addition, RealNetworks has signed Internet content-distribution deals to stream audio broadcasts of Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association games as part of its GoldPass subscription service. |
RealNetworks is also a 40 percent investor in MusicNet, a partnership with three major record labels, including AOL Time Warner, aimed at creating a new commercial digital-music service based on RealNetworks technology. |
Nevertheless, Microsoft has proven itself a relentless competitor, offering significant improvements to its Windows Media technology in recent months. In a sign of Microsoft's growing confidence, the latest full-function version of its media player will not be offered as a standalone download, but will come exclusively... |
Microsoft's focus on digital media has also won big converts from the record labels for its Windows Media codecs--underlying mathematical codes that compress large audio files into smaller packages that can be streamed or downloaded efficiently over the Internet without damaging audio quality. |
RealNetworks has already licensed Window Media for use in its RealJukebox software, which allows people to organize digital music files for playback on a personal computer. |
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