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NYC man spends $7,500 to fight $115 parking ticket
NEW YORK – A retired New York City man says he's spent $7,500 fighting a $115 parking ticket because he's got "nothing else to do."
Former electrical hardware firm vice president Simon Belsky says he was erroneously ticketed two years ago. The 63-year-old says the ticket cites his van for blocking a Brooklyn fire hydrant even though the only hydrant on the street was down the block.
The November 2006 fine has ballooned from $115 to about $200 with penalties.
Belsky was in court last week and is due back Feb. 2. He says if he wins he'll file a civil suit against the city to recover the $7,500 he's spent on legal work. He says if any compensation is awarded he'll donate it to educational programs.Code: Select all
NYC man says he's circumcised, online story wrong
NEW YORK – A New York City man is suing a Jewish research group for libel, claiming it posted a story online with his photo that erroneously said he was not circumcised.
John Singer says he was circumcised as an infant. His lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the Central Europe Center for Research & Documentation and its Centropa.org Web site, which have main offices in Atlanta and in Vienna, Austria.
Singer, 49, says his mother was quoted in an interview for a Centropa article saying her sons weren't circumcised, which would violate Jewish law.
He says he warned Centropa director Edward Serotta the statement was wrong before the article was published in October. He says Centropa humiliated him.
Serotta says he'll comment when he has a New York attorney.Code: Select all
NYC fashion boutique: free soup, designer pants
NEW YORK – You know the economy is ailing when a Manhattan fashion boutique starts offering free soup.
The temporary fashion boutique calling itself The 1929 is selling chic clothes and giving away soup and coffee. The store is located in one of the trendiest shopping districts in the city.
Manager and co-owner Aaron Genuth says the store in SoHo was inspired by the Great Depression. His partner Levi Okunov says they want people to go to the store, have a bowl of soup and try on some clothing.
The store sells the work of independent designers on its ground floor. The basement is an art and performance space where the free nourishment is doled out.
The store is expected to remain open through next month.