Flaco the owl's year of freedom, photographed

Plus: New open gangway subway cars hit the C line [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Flaco the Central Park owl has been free for a year. An NYC photographer looks back.]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: 🦫 ☁️ A mostly cloudy Groundhog Day — you know what that means — with highs in the mid 40s. It's Friday in New York City, where Flaco the owl is still thriving a year after escaping from the Central Park Zoo. Wildlife photographer and Flaco superfan David Lei told us [what this curious bird has been up to](. Here's what else is happening: - The MTA's new open gangway subway trains are [finally running]( on the C line. - They haven't debuted on the express A line as originally intended because of a design feature that gets in the way of a certain safety function, [according to an MTA memo obtained by Gothamist](. - The sanitation department yesterday debuted a new garbage truck [with a mechanical lift]( that picks up and empties trash containers. - New York City’s pool and beach lifeguards are getting a raise: [They'll make $22 an hour]( this summer, according to their union. - Parent leaders elected to an advisory panel on education policies are resisting Schools Chancellor David Banks’ demands they hold meetings in-person, citing [ongoing threats over their support of a cease-fire in Gaza](. - The Port Authority is inching forward with a plan to [replace its decrepit Midtown bus terminal with a new "world class" facility.]( - Since the devastating 2022 fire at the Twin Parks high-rise in the Bronx, city housing inspectors have [issued more violations than ever]( for faulty apartment doors that are supposed to automatically shut to prevent fires from spreading. - Despite widespread institutional support for New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy's Senate campaign, Rep. Andy Kim leads Murphy by 12 points in [a new Democratic primary poll out of Fairleigh Dickinson University](. - Today is [the 10th anniversary]( of Bill de Blasio killing Staten Island Chuck. - There's drama in the Cobble Hill [commercial real estate/bagel shop]( world. - [There's also drama]( in the Queens bagel world. - Curbed has [a scene report]( from this week's mad dash to get an East Hampton Village beach parking pass for the summer. - "American soccer fans, most of them aren’t smart. They don’t know the game. They don’t understand. [But] it’s getting better and better," [explained]( U.S. Women's National Team co-captain Lindsey Horan. - Former employees of the abruptly-shuttered news site The Messenger have filed [a class-action lawsuit]( to get severance and health benefits. - Adele Springsteen, Bruce's mom, has [died at the age of 98](. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. [“He had lived in captivity his whole life: born to captive owls, didn't know how to fly, didn't know how to hunt, didn't know how to survive in the wild when he was first released. And yet he was able to figure all that out and create a totally new life for himself in New York City.”]( - Photographer David lei on [FLACO THE OWL'S YEAR OF FREEDOM]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Plans to renovate Chinatown's Kimlau Square reignite debate over neighborhood's future]( The Adams administration's plan to spend $55 million renovating a historic Chinatown plaza has sparked a debate about neighborhood priorities, use of public space and aesthetics. [16 ideas to celebrate Black History Month in New York City]( Concerts, film screenings, art classes and even a 24-hour party are taking place across the five boroughs to mark Black History Month. [We Rely On Your Support]( [The NYPD issued more than 100K fare evasion tickets last year. See how many were at your stop.]( About 100 stations — which represent roughly a quarter of New York City's subway stations — accounted for almost 70% of fare evasion tickets from January to September 2023. [When, why and how much should you tip? New Yorkers weigh in.]( A recent Pew survey found that 7 in 10 Americans feel they’re expected to tip in more places compared to five years ago, but aren’t sure about when and how much they should be giving. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.