Leading Economic Indicators: Inappropriate Thievery

Pensioners steal the Salvation Army’s red kettle from a Staten Island cafe:

Workers at the Corporate Grind Cafe in Bloomfield kept the Salvation Army’s red kettle campaign going long after the holidays, with staff agreeing to direct any tips from customers into the familiar collection bucket on the counter.

Every few weeks, just as the kettle fills to capacity, store owner Darren Smith delivers its contents to the Christian charity he’s had a relationship with for several years. Smith’s father, Realtor J. Delbert Smith, is on the board of directors for the Staten Island chapter of the Salvation Army.

The bucket was almost full Tuesday when a couple — a man and woman who look more like grandparents than thieves — ordered a salad and a sandwich wrap and ate before walking out the door with the bucket and an estimated $200 in donations.

Don’t Let The Freezer Door Hit You On The Way Out

Two years after offending an entire borough, the makers of locally themed ice creams pack up their operation. The Advance gloats:

Two years after igniting a controversy by naming one of its flavors “Staten Island Landfill,” the 5 Boroughs Ice Cream company has hit a rocky road — it’s out of money and out of business.

In a note posted on the ice cream maker’s Web site, owner Scott Myles said he and his co-founder wife, Kim, are relocating to Los Angeles, where she hosts the show “Myles of Style” on the HGTV network.

Myles’ note made no reference to the tempest he created when he introduced “Staten Island Landfill” to the market in 2007. No one doubted that the flavor was scrumptious — vanilla ice cream packed with brownies, fudge and cherries — but political leaders felt the name was in poor taste.

Leading Economic Indicators: Mobsters’ Rides

A man who may or may not have mob ties is gunned down seemingly while waiting for a bus:

A man was gunned down on a Staten Island street early today as he stood near a bus stop, authorities said.

. . .

A police source said they are looking into whether the murder is mob-related.

Staten Islanders Urged To Revisit Religion 101 Textbooks After Evidence Surfaces Of Possible Santeria Ritual

And proving once again that it’s always good to keep some holy water handy:

For the past two days, visitors to a park in Staten Island’s Fort Wadsworth section have stumbled upon a gory mystery — a mutilated animal, possibly a dog or a goat, wrapped in a white sheet.

Parkgoers found two such animals in Von Briesen Park yesterday and this morning, city Parks Department officials confirmed.

The discovery has sparked speculation of ritual sacrifice and cult activity, and has led one Port Richmond woman to douse part of the ground where one animal was found with holy water, in an attempt to ward off what she believes is an evil presence.

Several alluded to Santeria, which blends elements of Yoruba, an African religion, with Catholicism and involves animal sacrifice in some of its rituals.

. . .

“This is not good, doing this,” said Nancy Kelcho of Port Richmond, who was walking her Scottie, Tara Lynn, this morning when a friend pointed out the mutilated animal. “This is evil. I just pray to God to take away the evil spirits.”

Ms. Kelcho, a firm believer in the supernatural, chanted prayers this afternoon as she sprayed holy water on the ground, and at one point gasped, “Evil! Evil! Evil!”

Though Ms. Kelcho said she was certain the animal she saw was a dog, Parks spokesman Phil Abramson said both animals are believed to be goats.

Location Scout: Arthur von Briesen Park.

Bike Routes Reach Critical Mass

But Critical Mass isn’t coming to Staten Island anytime soon:

When the DOT interposed them on Bay Street, critics cried that the meandering bike routes were, at best, a waste of money. The fact that it took only months for the pounding of traffic to just about wear away the paint in spots only compounded the skepticism.

Now the city is adding more routes, this time on North and South Railroad avenues, and the reaction is edging toward disbelief.

“Shared lanes” were installed on Bay Street last winter, to serve as a navigational aid to cyclists looking to connect to bike lanes on Capodanno Boulevard and Richmond Terrace. The chevrons and bike markings painted on the asphalt also are intended to keep cyclists a safe distance from car doors that open in the parking lane, and to remind motorists that must share the road with bike riders, who have an equal right to use the street.

. . .

City Councilman James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn) said he encourages cycling as a form of exercise and isn’t opposed to setting aside bike lanes and routes in theory.

“It’s not about bike lanes, per se,” he said. “It’s about misguided priorities.” He criticized the installation earlier this month of another bike route on Jefferson Avenue in Dongan Hills, which leads to the North and South Railroad facilities, because he believes the area’s narrow streets are too dangerous for cyclists. In addition, he continues to push for improved road conditions for cyclists and drivers alike.

“I’m not quite sure what the obsession is with bike lanes in this administration. I just wish they were obsessed with smooth streets,” Oddo said.