New York Desk

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

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CITYWIDE

Bloomberg Keeps Company With Ice-T

In an unlikely pairing, Mayor Bloomberg teamed up with rapper Ice-T to kick off VH1’s Hip Honors Week by announcing the cable network’s donation of $1 million worth of new musical instruments for the city’s public schools. Over the last 10 years, VH1’s Save the Music Foundation has donated $6.5 million in instruments to the schools. The hip-hop week features a series of events across the city culminating with the broadcast of the VH1 Hip Honors, hosted by Ice-T, on October 17. The mayor and Ice-T appeared at P.S.129 in Harlem yesterday, where Mr. Bloomberg noted that despite their different backgrounds, they shared a few things in common: Both caused trouble in school, and both appeared on “Law & Order.”

— Staff Reporter of the Sun

Bollinger Backs Down on Denunciation of Students

After condemning the actions of Columbia students who stormed a stage and attacked the leader of an anti-illegal immigration group at the university last Wednesday, university President Lee Bollinger yesterday appeared to back away from his firm stance. Mr. Bollinger said in a statement last Friday that the university was acting to “ensure full accountability by those found responsible” and that students could not “use the cover of protest to silence speakers.” Many of the student protesters responsible for the disruption identified themselves in a press conference Tuesday, during which they derided the administration for undertaking an investigation into their actions.Yesterday Mr. Bollinger said in an e-mail to the university community that the students involved will receive letters informing them that they “may face charges of rules violations” and urged people “not to prejudge the actions of any individuals.”

—Staff Reporter of the Sun

Taxi Driver Loses License In Dispute With Playmate

A taxi driver accused of telling police that a former Playboy Playmate had a gun and threatened to kill him in a dispute over a $9 fare has lost his license. Eric Darko’s taxi license was revoked yesterday by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. The TLC said a judge determined Mr. Darko, who also was fined $3,700, had violated taxi rules relating to passenger refusal, harassment, physical abuse, and misrepresentation. Playboy’s Miss November 1992, Stephanie Adams, says she entered Mr. Darko’s taxi in uptown Manhattan late one night in May and asked to be taken to her home downtown. She says Mr. Darko drove part of the way but then stopped and refused to take her farther, telling her it was too inconvenient. Ms. Adams, the first openly gay Playmate, says in a lawsuit naming Mr. Darko, the city and police that Mr. Darko told the responding officers incorrectly that she had a gun and threatened to kill him. A police spokesman denied any wrongdoing by officers and said Ms. Adams didn’t complain at the scene that the officers had misbehaved.

— Associated Press

Mourning Tower Records

The news that Tower Records is going the way of, well, records struck a dissonant note with customers as they learned that the 46-year-old music retailer has been sold to a liquidator that will close all the stores. “I feel very sad about it,” said Ladd Fraternale, shopping at Tower’s East Village store in Manhattan this week.”I think they have a great selection here and the service is good.” A federal bankruptcy judge in Wilmington, Del., last Friday approved the sale of Tower to Los Angeles-based liquidator Great American Group for $134.3 million.”Going Out of Business” signs went up this week at Tower’s 89 stores in 20 states and the chain’s 3,000 employees have been told they will be laid off.Tower said it has been hurt by an industrywide decline in music sales, downloading of online music, and competition from big-box stores such as Wal-Mart.”Business hasn’t been great,” Ramsey Jones, manning the third-floor cash register at the East Village store, said. “But the thing that people will miss is the deep catalog that Tower has.They can come here and find anything they want.”

— Associated Press

IN THE COURTS

Murder Conviction In Actress Slaying

A mugger who shot aspiring actress and playwright Nicole duFresne to death while robbing her on a street was convicted yesterday of first-degree murder. Rudy Fleming, 21, was convicted on nine counts, including murder, robbery, attempted robbery, and gun possession.He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced November 30. Members of duFresne’s family wept openly and hugged each other as the guilty verdicts were read. The family issued a written statement but declined further comment.”We’re in New York City representing Nicole and supporting the district attorney’s office in pursuit of justice,” the family’s statement said. “The jury has spoken, and we accept their verdict.”

— Associated Press

POLICE BLOTTER

More Arrests In Brooklyn Bias Attack

Police arrested two more individuals in a bias attack on a gay black man in Brooklyn that left the victim on life support. Gary Timmins, 16, of Avenue W in Brooklyn, and Ilya Shurov,20,of Shore Parkway in Brooklyn, were charged with assault as a hate crime as well as first- and seconddegree robbery as a hate crime. Authorities believe the men met 28-year-old Michael Sandy online and lured him to a remote location near the Belt Parkway in Sheepshead Bay where they assaulted him and robbed him Sunday night.

— Special to the Sun

NATIONWIDE

Giuliani Praises Tax Policy of New Hampshire

CONCORD, N.H. — Rudolph Giuliani praised New Hampshire’s low taxes yesterday as he rallied state Republicans for the November 7 election. Mr. Giuliani is widely expected to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2008, and New Hampshire traditionally holds the nation’s earliest presidential primary. It also has neither a general sales nor a general income tax, which Mr. Giuliani said reflected Republican values.

— Associated Press

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NEW YORK SUN CONTRIBUTOR

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.


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