CITYWIDE

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIAL FINED FOR CONFLICT

A deputy commissioner at the city’s Office of Emergency Management was fined for hiring his girlfriend, a photographer, to take roughly 200 pictures for a brochure on emergency preparedness, the Conflicts of Interests Board announced yesterday.

In a deposition made public by the city, Michael Berkowitz, the agency’s deputy commissioner for special projects, acknowledged hiring the woman, who is now his wife, for six-and-a-half days of photography last year. She was paid $4,875.

Mr. Berkowitz acknowledged that there was no competitive bidding process and agreed to pay a fine of $3,500. He said the agency was under a tight deadline and was trying to rein in expenses to get the brochure “Ready New York,” a post-September 11 emergency guide, finished on time. He said he did not realize that there was a conflict of interest stemming from the fact that he and his then-girlfriend shared a bank account and other assets. The City Charter prohibits public servants from using their positions to benefit someone with whom they have a financial relationship.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

MANHATTAN

HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL WINS GRANT

A high-school principal won a $5,000 grant yesterday for building relationships between his school and the surrounding community.

The principal, Howard Friedman of Manhattan Comprehensive Night & Day High School, was nominated for the award because of the partnerships the school has formed with community groups and other organizations. Those groups include Communities In Schools New York, Comprehensive Development, Inc., Losaida, and Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention.

“Principals are key to establishing a culture of caring and community involvement in their schools,” Sibyl Jacobson, MetLife Foundation president and CEO, said in a press release. “Their leadership in reaching out to their students’ neighborhoods sets an important example for students, teachers, and staff.”

The Ambassadors in Education award was granted by the National Civic League and the MetLife Foundation.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

NEW JERSEY SENATOR CONCERNED ABOUT JETS STADIUM

Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey says if a stadium is built on Manhattan’s West Side, it may have an adverse impact on New Jersey, including the possibility of more sewage being dumped in the Hudson River and more traffic in and out of the Garden State.

Mr. Lautenberg is among the growing chorus of people voicing worries over the building of the proposed stadium that would lure the New York Jets from their East Rutherford, N.J., home at Giants Stadium.

While the Democratic senator’s questions are centered on the environment and traffic, other opponents have been critical of the plan to finance the stadium, which would cost an estimated $1.4 billion. New York City and New York State would contribute $300 million each and the Jets would give $800 million.

– Associated Press

STATEN ISLAND

VERRAZANO-NARROWS BRIDGE LIGHTS GO OUT

The lights on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge went out last night at 6:30 p.m. as a Con Edison crew was performing scheduled maintenance work on the bridge. A spokeswoman for Con Edison said a “cable with an electrical fault created a disruption” of aviation lights on the bridge and temporarily cut the power to some 250 customers on Staten Island.

Con Edison restored power to the residents on Staten Island, but was still working to restore light to the bridge early this morning.

According to a spokesman for the Bridge Authority, traffic flow was not severely disrupted by the power outage, and Con Edison and the Bridge Authority are working together to restore light on the bridge.

Late last night, the WINS-AM radio station had alerted listeners on its traffic report that the lights were out on the bridge and that drivers should proceed with caution. A live Web cam at www.silive.com also showed that the lights were on at the bridge toll plazas.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

ALBANY

ASSEMBLYMAN: THRUWAY AUTHORITY FIGHTS SUBPOENA

The state Thruway Authority is trying to block the release of records it promised to deliver to an Assembly committee investigating one of the Pataki administration’s most embarrassing scandals, according to the assemblyman probing the case.

The authority, in sworn testimony last week, acknowledged it intentionally withheld documents, memos, and e-mail from the Assembly corporations and authorities committee. The committee headed by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky filed a subpoena seeking the records and was told they would be forthcoming.

Now, the Thruway Authority is scheduled to be in court today to ask a judge to block or limit the documents sought under that subpoena, according to a letter from the authority’s private lawyer to Mr. Brodsky. The Associated Press reviewed a copy of the letter yesterday.

“Distressingly, after solemnly swearing under oath they would provide the documents and apparently at the direction of the governor’s office, they are trying to keep these documents secret,” the Westchester Democrat said.

A Thruway Authority spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Last week, authority Chairman John Buono, Executive Director Michael Fleischer and General Counsel Sharon O’Conor testified that the authority intentionally withheld documents requested months ago by Mr. Brodsky’s committee.

– Associated Press