NYC Waterfall Gets Turned On!Late last night, a tipster spotted a test run of the waterfall on Pier 35 and snapped a picture. Our intial thoughts: So wet! So artsy!
photo op
Oil and Water
One advantage of that flooding that’s bound to overtake New York? Deeper waters will presumably make it all the more difficult for oil tankers to run aground off Coney Island, as this one, the White Sea, did this morning. (Reportedly no oil was spilled.) See, a benefit to global warming: It’ll make it easier to import oil. Perfect!
Oil Tanker Runs Aground Off Coney Island [AP via Crain’s]
photo op
When Days Are Hot, When Days Are Cold…
The Floating Pool, the four-foot-deep pool-on-a-barge that’ll be anchored off Brooklyn Heights for the summer, welcomes the public tomorrow. But opening-day celebrations were held today, as notables including Parks Commish Adrian Benepe, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and — of course — Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz all took dips, as did 9-year-old Nayhira Baird. The barge also features a beach, volleyball courts, and space for sunbathing — plus, we must say, a pretty awesome view.
Related: Floating Pool’s Opening Signals Start of Brooklyn Bridge Park [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]
party lines
Sarah Jessica Parker Wants You to Hydrate
New York City, as we all know, has the best tap water in the world — it does, dammit! — so it should be no problem for you to drink a big ole glass or two when you eat out today. As Sarah Jessica Parker pointed out by downing the clear stuff in front of photographers at the Hearst Tower last night, today is World Water Day. When you order a glass at participating restaurants around the city, you’ll be asked to donate a buck to UNICEF’s TAP Project, which provides clean drinking water to the 21 percent of developing-world children who have none. So go ahead. Chug. —Jada Yuan
The TAP Project [Official site]
in other news
One Solution to the City’s Water-Bill ProblemsToday’s Times brings the news that the city’s water bills are so profoundly screwed up that it’s impossible to collect on millions and millions of dollars worth of overdue fees. We’ve uncovered a memo recently sent by the Public Works Department in an attempt to rectify things:
To: Alan G. Lafley, Chairman, President, and CEO, Proctor & Gamble
From: Public Works Department, The City of New York
Date: December 12, 2006
Re: Water bills
Dear Mr. Lafley:
No less than the great American humorist Mark Twain once quipped, “Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody.” In light of our recent troubles, the City of New York could not agree more. And, as recent initiatives have made Charmin one of the premier users of our most precious resource, we hope you feel the same way.
