A city council committee opened hearings this week on a
proposed ordinance that would require costumed adventurers to
register their identities with the NYPD before operating
within city limits. Supporters, including several council
members who cite the Bugle's own reporting, say the measure
would finally bring accountability to masked vigilantism.
Opponents call it unenforceable against a man who has never
once been photographed without his mask, and warn it would do
nothing but drive him further underground. A second reading
is expected before the full council next month.
Subway Fares to Rise a Nickel
The MTA board voted 8–3 Wednesday to raise the base fare
from $1.25 to $1.30, citing rising maintenance costs and a
signal-upgrade program on the Lexington Avenue line. The
increase takes effect Monday; riders using tokens purchased
before then will still be honored through April. Board members
acknowledged the hike is the third in five years.
City Council Debates Streetlight Funding
A budget committee weighed a $2 million proposal Tuesday to
install brighter, longer-lasting streetlights across
outer-borough neighborhoods that have gone years without
repair. Council members from Queens and the Bronx argued the
funding was overdue; the finance chair says a vote is expected
before the summer recess.
Mayor Unveils Recycling Plan
City Hall announced a new curbside recycling program set to
begin citywide next quarter, requiring households to sort
glass, plastic, and paper into separate bins for the first
time. Sanitation officials say the pilot borough, Staten
Island, has already cut landfill volume by 15 percent.
Crime
Blotter: Vigilante Activity Continues Unabated
Police Blotter
In addition to Monday night's incident at Midtown Trust (see
full report),
precinct desks across Manhattan logged three further sightings
of the wall-crawling vigilante this week: a foiled purse
snatching on 8th Avenue, an intervention at a stalled Lexington
Avenue train, and a rooftop pursuit in Hell's Kitchen that
ended with two suspects webbed to a fire escape for responding
officers. Publisher J. Jonah Jameson notes that a private
citizen taking the law into his own hands, however the results
turn out, remains a private citizen breaking the law.
Two Arrested in Garment District Burglary
Police say a tip from a night watchman led to the arrest of
two men found breaking into a wholesale textile warehouse on
West 37th Street early Thursday. Both were arraigned Friday
morning; no vigilante involvement was reported in this
instance.
Circulation figures released Monday show The Daily Bugle
outselling every rival paper in the five boroughs for the
fourth straight week, a trend editors attribute almost entirely
to the public's appetite for the latest on the wall-crawling
menace. Newsstand operators from Battery Park to the Bronx
report selling out of the Bugle's morning run by nine o'clock
whenever a Spider-Man photograph runs above the fold, and the
paper's switchboard has fielded a record number of calls
asking when the next one will appear.
Oscorp Industries Shares Climb on Defense Contract
Shares of Oscorp Industries (OSCP) advanced three-quarters of a
point Tuesday after the company confirmed a new research
contract with the Department of Defense. Analysts on the floor
called it a modest but welcome bright spot in an otherwise flat
session for the broader market — see today's Markets box
for the full board.
Sports
Yankees Clinch Division Lead
The Bombers took the top spot in the American League East with
a 6–2 win over Boston at the Stadium last night, backed
by a three-run homer in the seventh. The manager praised the
bullpen for holding the lead after a shaky start from the
rotation, and said the club would use the off day to rest two
starters ahead of a West Coast road trip.
Knicks Drop Second Straight at the Garden
A cold night from beyond the arc sank the Knicks 98–89
against Indiana Wednesday, the club's second consecutive home
loss. The coach said the team would look sharper by the
weekend, when they host Chicago.
Local
Forest Hills Man Credits Vigilante With Fire Rescue
A Forest Hills resident says he owes his life to the
wall-crawler after a three-alarm blaze tore through his
apartment building early Sunday morning. The man, trapped on a
fourth-floor fire escape, says a figure in red and blue
appeared out of nowhere and lowered him safely to the street
moments before the escape collapsed. Fire marshals are still
investigating the cause of the blaze, believed to have started
in a first-floor boiler room.
Power Outage Strikes Queens Overnight
Con Edison crews worked through the night to restore service
to roughly 4,000 homes after a transformer failure knocked out
power across three Queens neighborhoods just after midnight.
Utility officials say the cause remains under investigation,
though cold weather is suspected to have played a role. Service
was fully restored by 6 a.m.
Weather
Partly cloudy today with a high of 68°F and light winds out
of the southwest. Rain is expected to move in Thursday
afternoon, with clearing skies forecast to return by the
weekend. Overnight lows in the mid-50s through the period.
Nation
Primary Season Narrows Field Ahead of Convention
With Super Tuesday results now certified, party organizers say
the delegate math is all but settled heading into summer's
conventions. Local party chairs in all five boroughs say voter
turnout at borough offices has been steady, if unremarkable,
for a presidential election year.
Other Cities Watch New York's Registration Debate
Council staff in Chicago and Los Angeles have requested copies
of New York's proposed Vigilante Registration Act (see Metro),
saying costumed activity has been reported, if less
frequently, in both cities. No other municipality has yet
introduced similar legislation.