Sewage concerns close NYC’s Coney Island, Manhattan beaches

October 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - Infrastructure development firm Subhash Projects has bagged an order worth Rs.211.95 crore from Uttar Pradesh for setting up a sewage network in Kanpur on a turnkey basis, the company said in a statement here Wednesday. The project is a part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission -- a central government initiative aimed at hastening development in some cities.

October 8th, 2009 Lloyd Weber makes new Phantom set at Coney IslandLONDON — Andrew Lloyd Weber has announced a sequel to his massively successful "Phantom of the Opera" that will be set at Coney Island. Weber's new production, "Love Never Dies," is due to open in London in March of next year.

September 8th, 2009 Freedom Tower cornerstone gets home on Long IslandHAUPPAUGUE, N.Y. — A 20-ton block of granite once envisioned as the cornerstone for New York's Freedom Tower is getting a new home on Long Island.

September 4th, 2009 In water since 1911, Coney Island bell retrievedNEW YORK — A 500-pound brass bell that sank to the ocean floor in a 1911 fire has been pulled out of the water off Coney Island. The 3-foot-by-3-foot bell sat on the pier during the amusement park's heyday.

August 19th, 2009 Cesspool sewage dumped into Capri's Blue GrottoROME — Police in Italy say they have arrested two people for dumping raw cesspool sewage into the waters of Capri's Blue Grotto. The intense blue shade of the cave's waters attracts tourists, who crouch in rowboats to enter the small natural opening.

July 23rd, 2009 Texas cleaning up oil blobs on South Padre IslandSOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas — Gooey oil blobs as big as basketballs have been washing up on the sandy beaches of South Padre Island in Texas, officials said Thursday. The Texas General Land Office said it doesn't know what is causing the tar-like blobs, but authorities were working to clean up the popular tourist destination.

July 13th, 2009 Book offers guide to Manhattan architectureNEW YORK — Interested in New York history and architecture? Check out the walking tours offered by the Municipal Arts Society on everything from Beaux Arts buildings on the Upper West Side to the neighborhood around the city's new High Line, an old elevated train track reclaimed as a park. But if you can't fit a tour into your schedule while you're in town, the Municipal Art Society has just come out with a guide that allows you to do it yourself: "Ten Architectural Walks in Manhattan." The $30 paperback was co-written by art and architecture critic Francis Morrone and Matthew Postal, an architectural historian, both of whom frequently lead tours for the Municipal Arts Society.

July 4th, 2009 Chestnut wins NY hot dog eating matchNEW YORK — Reigning champ Joey Chestnut has logged his third consecutive win in Coney Island's annual hot dog eating contest with a world-record 68 franks. He defeated his archrival, six-time titleholder Takeru Kobayashi (tah-KEHR'-roo koh-by-YAH'-shee), in Saturday's bout.

July 4th, 2009 NEW YORK - An eating competition held in Coney Island saw three elephants downing 505 hot dog buns, while three of their human contenders downed only 143. Eric "Badlands" Booker, 40, Juliet Lee, 43, and Gravy Brown did their best in the first-ever Elephants and Humans six-minute eating competition, but they were no match for the three circus elephants, Bunny, Susie and Minnie.

June 15th, 2009 10 secluded beaches from Coastal Living magBIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Looking for a beautiful beach without the crowds? Coastal Living magazine recommends 10 secluded beach destinations in its June issue.

June 12th, 2009 Canadian city to stop dumping untreated sewageSEATTLE — For years, the British Columbia capital of Victoria has dumped tens of millions of gallons of raw sewage every day into the waters separating Washington state and Vancouver Island. The resulting bad publicity stood in contrast to the city of prim and proper homes, shops, gardens and tea rooms worthy of its royal namesake.

June 10th, 2009 College official in NY convicted in grades-for-payNEW YORK — A former official at New York City's Touro College has been convicted on charges of creating and falsifying student transcripts for money. Andrique Baron of Elmont, Long Island, was found guilty Tuesday in Manhattan of computer tampering, bribe receiving and falsifying business records.

June 3rd, 2009 Hanalei Bay in Hawaii tops list of 10 best beachesHANALEI, Hawaii — Here is the list of top 10 beaches for 2009 from Stephen P. Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research, also known as Dr.

May 29th, 2009 Prince Harry visits WTC site in 1st US tripNEW YORK — Prince Harry has arrived in lower Manhattan on his first official visit to the United States. His first stop was the World Trade Center site, where he laid a wreath with a handwritten note and bowed his head for several minutes at a spot overlooking the Sept.

April 30th, 2009 Building collapses in NYC's lower ManhattanNEW YORK — The New York City Fire Department says a building at a construction site in lower Manhattan has collapsed. Fire officials say it appears no one was inside.