samhexum

Utopia Bagels will open a third location—with a storefront in Long Island City. The company will be opening at 26-11 Jackson Ave., although the operators of Utopia Bagels were unable to provide a specific date. The firm said it is likely to open in 2025. Initially established in 1981 at 1909 Utopia Pkwy. in Whitestone, Utopia Bagels has become a community staple. The company opened a second store, located at 120 E. 34th St. in Midtown, earlier this month. Utopia Bagels prides itself on its method of making bagels: hand-rolling, kettle boiling, and baking each one in a 1947 carousel oven. Throughout its over 40 years of existence, Utopia has maintained the same recipes.

HAPPY BOBBY BONILLA DAY! Today, 61-year-old Bobby Bonilla will collect a check for $1,193,248.20 from the New York Mets, as he has and will every July 1 from 2011 through 2035. In 2000, the Mets agreed to buy out the remaining $5.9 million on Bonilla’s contract. However, instead of paying Bonilla the $5.9 million at the time, the Mets agreed to make annual payments of nearly $1.2 million for 25 years starting July 1, 2011, including a negotiated 8% interest. At the time, Mets ownership was invested in a Bernie Madoff account that promised double-digit returns, and the Mets were poised to make a significant profit if the Madoff account delivered — but that did not work out.

Mull’s daughter Maggie announced the news on Instagram: “I am heartbroken to share that my father passed away at home on June 27th, after a valiant fight against a long illness. He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials. He would find that joke funny.

Orlando Cepeda has died. He was 86.

If he can play beach volleyball he can always join the Dutch Olympic team. Sent to jail for raping a child, Dutch beach volleyball player qualifies for Paris Olympics representing the Netherlands

Not anymore

I'm so knowledgeable about current porn and Hollywood actors that when I saw the headline, I thought it was the guy who played Elvis. (not a joke)

Dear Abby: Several years ago, I began a friendship with a woman at my church. She had children a few years older than my daughter. The friendship seemed mutually satisfying for a long time, although I noticed on many occasions that my friend seemed entitled and demanding where her children were concerned. I overlooked it until it affected me. I realized over time that she had manipulated and lied to keep my daughter away from hers at teen social events because my daughter had been labeled “annoying.” There was also other deceptive behavior. These betrayals, combined with realizing that we don’t agree on many subjects, has made me lose interest in the friendship. However, she doesn’t seem to share my feelings. She still frequently invites me to lunch (which I refuse) and initiates “friendly” conversations. Confronting her about her behavior would result in denials and a big blowup. How can I bring an end to this fake friendship? — Not Interested in the Midwest Dear Not Interested: Since you no longer wish to continue to have a relationship with this woman, the quickest way to end it would be to tell her exactly what you have learned about how your daughter was treated and that you feel appalled and betrayed. Whether she “blows up” and denies it is irrelevant. If you can’t bring yourself to confront her, then drag it out by continuing to be “too busy” to see her or to have those “friendly” conversations. ASK YOUR DAUGHTER FOR TIPS ON HOW TO BE ANNOYING AND THE PROBLEM WILL SOLVE ITSELF. Dear Abby: My older daughter, “Brianna,” age 42, does not want anything to do with me or her brother and sister-in-law. She keeps me from my granddaughter, who is 17. I have been divorced since the ’90s and remarried for 25 years. My first husband was a cheater. I tried very hard to save my first marriage. We got back together six months later, but he walked out again. When I remarried, Brianna wasn’t happy. I have another daughter, age 24, with my current husband. Brianna wants nothing to do with any of us. I wrote her and said I was sorry for the divorce. She has never mentioned anything about my letter. I have to leave gifts to my granddaughter at the front door. This hurts so bad. Everyone says let them go. I love them so much. What do you think? — Estranged Mom in New Jersey Dear Mom: I think your granddaughter will be 18 very soon, and an adult. IF her mother hasn’t diverted those gifts you have been leaving, she knows she has a grandmother who loves her. The ball will be in her court as to whether to make contact with you. (I hope she will.) If, however, she doesn’t do that, you are going to have to turn your eyes forward and let her and your daughter live their lives, while you concentrate on what is healthy for YOU. DAUGHTER IS A BITCH. KILL HER! (just to be clear, I mean “Brianna”.) If you need interaction with younger people, volunteer some time where it will make a difference. If your interests lie elsewhere, devote some of your extra time and effort in that direction. Your pain may lessen if you give yourself less time to dwell on it. YOU ARE A PERV, WHICH MAY EXPLAIN YOUR DAUGHTER’S BITCHERY. (just to be clear, I mean “Brianna”.)

David Bistricer’s Clipper Equity bagged another loan for part of its massive multifamily project at the former site of a landmarked Sears department store. The project is part of a larger affordable housing redevelopment of the property that formerly held Sears, a complex expected to include 876 units. Bistricer bought the property two years ago for $40.3 million from Transform Operating Stores, which purchased Sears’ remaining assets after the department store went bankrupt. The 148,000 square-foot development will have 86 one-bedroom, 68 two-bedroom and 72 studio units. Thirty percent of the apartments will be affordable. It will also include 23,000 square feet of commercial and 10,000 square feet of retail space. The four-building project will stretch across three city blocks, at the corner of Bedford Avenue and Beverly Road. The famed Sears Roebuck & Co. department store building closed its final New York City location at the Flatbush outpost in 2021 after 89 years. The closing signaled an end of an era for the department store that was in business on the same corner since 1932, when future first lady Eleanor Roosevelt addressed the crowd at its grand opening. The art deco tower was designated as a city landmark in 2012. A photo illustration of David Bistricer along with 2359 Bedford Avenue https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2024/06/26/bistricer-lands-95m-construction-loan-for-development-at-iconic-flatbush-sears/

Dear Abby: My boyfriend and I rented an apartment six weeks ago. A friend of his needed a place to stay due to some marital problems, so we decided she could stay with us. At the beginning, she offered us $500, and we agreed to that. Abby, she hasn’t paid us a dime. She has chipped in maybe $30 for food. She sleeps all day and sits in her room playing games on her phone all night. She demands we take her anywhere she needs to go, gives no help around the house and makes nasty comments about my boyfriend. (I just caught her looking at my phone to see what I am writing.) We have tried explaining that I’m the only one paying the bills here and she seems to be freeloading. She even had her boyfriend here. I am on a fixed income, and I feel like she’s taking advantage of the situation. Do you have any advice for me? — Feels Like a Fool Dear Feels: Yes. The longer you tolerate this, the longer it will continue. Tell your boyfriend (if he doesn’t already know) that his friend hasn’t given you the agreed-upon $500 and has made no effort to become self-supporting and independent. If she’s entertaining her boyfriend at your place, it’s no wonder she was having “marital problems.” Tell your boyfriend you want his freeloading friend out of there. Then set a date for her to be out — unless he wants to support the two of them himself. YOU ARE WHAT YOU FEEL, BABE Dear Abby: When my mother-in-law turned 75, her kids decided to throw her a surprise party. My two sisters-in-law and I offered to make the food, with one of them doing the shopping and the three of us splitting the cost and the work. We agreed upon a menu and hashed out a shopping list. The party was a success. But when the grocery bill came, it was three times higher than I’d expected. Sister-in-law had bought only fancy-brand organic foods from a boutique store, expensive wine and way more than we needed. Now, we’re planning a party for the parents’ anniversary. I said I’m happy to make food again, but I have to put a cap on the budget or be the one to do the shopping. This did not go over well. The family is taking turns making digs at me for being “cheap.” At what point do I say they need to be respectful or I’ll bow out of the event altogether? I refuse to be shamed for holding the line on my budget or for making less money than they do, but I’m also not interested in giving them intimate details of my financial situation, which is none of their business. Am I wrong to think that when I say I have to stick to a budget, they should believe me? They think I’m being stingy. — No Party Pooper in Texas Dear No Party Pooper: Of course you are not wrong. Because you are reluctant to reveal exactly what your financial situation is (and you are within your rights to keep mum), the next time you are accused of being “cheap,” simply respond that NOBODY has as much money as other people think they do. Period! TELL YOUR HUSBAND THAT HE CAN EXPLAIN TO HIS RUDE & CLASSLESS FAMILY THAT YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF THEIR CRAP AND WILL BE USING THE AMOUNT YOU WOULD’VE BEEN WILLING TO CHIP IN FOR FOOD TO HAVE A SPA DAY THAT DAY.

Famed TV chef Lidia Bastianich draws crowd at Bayside Historical Society author talk event

I've been doing the 'make white rice and refrigerate it for 24 hours so it's not so bad for your diabetes' thing, so twice in the last two days I've had a meal of rice, some canned beans (drained and rinsed) and some Birdseye Steamfresh sugar snap peas. I am so health-conscious, it's disgusting!!!

Donovan’s Pub in Woodside wins inaugural Queens best burger establishment contest

SACRILEGE!

https://www.aol.com/news/rapidan-dam-minnesota-imminent-failure-182049126.html The Rapidan Dam in Minnesota is in a precarious state after recent flooding of the Blue Earth River, prompting officials on Monday to warn that the structure is in “imminent failure condition.” The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office said the river has cut around the sides of the dam and debris has been accumulating in the water. It announced the “imminent failure condition” status and notified those who may be impacted. “We do not know if it will totally fail or if it will remain in place, however we determined it was necessary to issue this notification to advise downstream residents and the correct regulatory agencies and other local agencies,” the sheriff’s office said. The dam is outside the city of Mankato, about 85 miles southwest of Minneapolis. By Monday afternoon, the sheriff’s office reported a “partial failure” of the dam on the west abutment. “The dam in still intact and there are no current plans for a mass evacuation,” the sheriff said on Facebook. “A portion of the river flow has diverted around the west side of the dam and water continues to flow.” An Xcel Energy substation at the dam, which supplies power to about 600 customers, was washed away early Monday. The utility company said its crews were working to replace the destroyed substation and restore power. “The river level was already high from the large amounts of recent rainfall and moving fast when it diverted around the dam near the substation and flowed onto the bank,” the company said in a statement. Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz at a news conference Monday morning noted that the state has received roughly 18 inches of rain over the last few weeks, saturating the ground and leaving the water nowhere else to go. There is potentially more rain coming, he added. “With that being said, the resources that are being deployed are strategically out there,” Waltz said. “We’re making sure, first and foremost, people are safe, protecting property and protecting public infrastructure.” Flooding has impacted roughly 40 counties so far, with some declaring a state of emergency, Waltz said. The governor said he would move to request a presidential disaster declaration if the damage assessment reached a threshold that required federal assistance. The Rapidan Dam was built in 1910 as an energy source and is managed by the county. Repeated flooding over more than a century has caused significant damage to the structure, according to the county’s website. A 2021 assessment concluded that the dam would have to be either repaired or replaced, both of which would be costly. The county says on its website, however, that to do nothing “would pose a public safety concern and a tremendous liability.” Repairing the dam would take four years, three of which would be the planning and design stage. But a completely new dam would take 10 years, including removal and river restoration, the county says. The county said it was taking feedback from the community as it determines which course of action to take. Last year, Blue Earth County said it began the process to release its licensure exemption under the federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the damage has inhibited the dam’s ability to provide hydroelectricity. An approval would place the the dam under the control of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “No changes to the dam structure are being proposed at this time,” the country said in an informational release. “Surrendering the exemption simply means that the FERC would no longer have regulatory authority over the dam.” Mother Nature seems rather peeved recently.