NYC NOW - November 22, 2023 : Evening Roundup

Episode Date: November 22, 2023

This year's Thanksgiving Day Parade will see some new floats and balloons. Also, while a new state law limiting class sizes in New York City is going into effect, some parents and teachers worry classes are growing. Plus, reporter Jessica Lipsky follows a Queens couple who picked up an interesting hobby during the pandemic: magnet fishing. Finally, WNYC’s Elizabeth Shwe reports on a new plan that would ban vendors from the Brooklyn Bridge.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. I'm Jared Marcel. Those getting in a festive mood ahead of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade have some new sites to look forward to. One of the country's oldest parades will debut a handful of new floats and balloons. The seven new balloons include Beagle Scout Snoopy and the Pillsbury Doe Boy. A little closer to the ground, onlookers will get to see six new floats, including an old to Liliwanka and some favorite fictional New Yorkers, the teenage mutant ninja turtles. The parade begins Thursday morning at 830 at West 77th Street and Central Park West.

A new state law limiting class sizes in New York City is going into effect, but teachers and parents worry that classes are getting larger, not smaller. WNYC's Jessica Gold reports. This is the first year of the new law, which dramatically limits class sizes in the city's public schools. New requirements are being phased in, and the city did meet the requirements this year. But data shows the average class size actually went up. Baruya Batyahuda is a parent at an elementary school in Brooklyn. It's impossible for my child to be heard, seen, and share a love for learning with so many other voices and bodies in a room. Education officials say complying with the law is going to be extremely expensive and the city needs more funding to make it happen.

Up next we head to Brooklyn for some magnet fishing. More on that after the break. During the pandemic, lots of people picked up new hobbies. For one queen's couple, that new hobby was magnet fishing. Reporter Jessica Lipski accompanied them on an expedition in Brooklyn. It's a perfect day for fishing in Prospect Park Lake. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, geese are honking. But instead of a rod and reel, James Kane has brought a powerful magnet tied to the end.

end of an orange rope. All right, guys, first throw, Prospect Park, Brooklyn. He tosses the magnet about 10 feet into the water and begins pulling it in. He caught a big one, but it's not a fish. Holy crap. It's a freaking gun. The first toss. Holy crap. It's a, it is a, oh my God. The gun is a rusty revolver that looks like it's been in the water for decades. It's actually the ninth firearm Kane and his wife have found

since they started magnet fishing around the city just five months ago. Kane posts his magnet fishing trips to YouTube. He reels in all types of trash from lakes and rivers around the city. Bottle caps. Fishing lures. European money. A lot of construction materials. Rebar, fence, bicycles, scooters, electric scooters.

Sex toy, yeah. Definitely a shocking fine because I could have swore it was a toothbrush holder. Kane's attraction to magnet fishing is simple. The goal has always been, I want treasure. You know what I mean? I've always wanted treasure since I was little kid. Kane's wife, Barbie Augustini, usually films the fishing trips. She says there's an added benefit beyond treasure hunting.

It's also helping the environment, which is a big deal for me. We've found tons of fishing line and lures, and there's sometimes it's like over 100 feet just left in the water. And it feels good to get that. out and to have that one thing less that would harm the animals. But a spokesperson for the Prospect Park Alliance said that it does not support magnet fishing because it can damage aquatic habitats. And the City Parks Department says it appreciates New Yorkers removing litter, but magnet fishing is not allowed. After around three hours in Prospect Park, Kane pulls in another gun.

Guys, another one. Another one. Big gun, dude. Oh, guys, this is incredible. Yo, this is why we do this. This is insane. But that's two guns already. He opts to catch and release this gun to the NYPD. Hi, 78 precinct.

I have a question to ask, or something to let you know. Can you hear me? Hello? Okay, cool. I'm a magnet fisher. I do this for on YouTube, and I'm in Prospect Park. And I found a part of a handgun in the water. I don't know if you know what magnet fishing is.

This wasn't Kane's first interaction with the police. In the last month, he's found two grenades on separate fishing trips, prompting a large NYPD response. Both grenades were found to be inert. The police officer viewing his latest catch at Prospect Park is somewhat perplexed by Kane's hobby. Do this, like, contract it out through the city? I'm an independent, YouTuber.

Anything you can imagine is in there, dude. No option. It's in there. It's in there. Find the body, though. Just push it back. Eventually, officers take the firearm. An NYPD spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing.

Kane is just giddy with the thrill of the catch. This is a good day. This is a good one. Multiple firearms. He says he'll be fishing through the winter. There's no offseason in magna fishing. That's reporter Jessica Lipski. New York City has spent years trying to better control the tens of thousands of people

who walk across the Brooklyn Bridge every day. WNYC's Elizabeth Shue reports on a plan that would ban all vendors from the iconic crossing. On a recent afternoon, a couple dozen vendors occupied half of the Brooklyn Bridge's pedestrian pathway towards City Hall. They're selling New York City hoodies, foam statue of liberty crowns, and other souvenirs. It's crowded. Pedestrians and runners dodge people shopping for trinkets. The city says much of this commerce is illegal. Since April, the sanitation department,

Department has given out 240 summonses on the bridge, mostly for unlicensed vending. To address the issue, the city is seeking to implement a role barring vendors from the crossing. That's bad news for Joelle Rodriguez. He recently came to the city from Venezuela. He's a medium of the money and I need to obviously to cover my

gas to rent, food, and, like, to help to help a family in the exterior. He's saying

his photo booth on the bridge is a way for him to make money. He needs to cover expenses like rent and food and help his family back home. The Department of Transportation held a public hearing

on the proposed rule last week. City Council member Lincoln Ressler spoke at the meeting. He represents Brooklyn Heights at the bridge's eastern end. He says many of his constituents are frustrated about the lack of space and noise due to the vendors. It's become very dangerous. The 360 cameras, the selling of alcohol, the incredible concentration of vending throughout the length of the bridge has become a safety issue. But licensed vendors say the proposal isn't fair. Many are military veterans who took advantage of a program that helps ease their path.

to getting approved for a vending license. Bobby Velser has been vending on the streets since the 1970s. We are being punished for the non-licensed. It's not fair for the veteran. We willingly put their life on the line so we can have what we have today. It's not fair. I'm 70 years old. Where am I going to go?

But there's no sign city officials are backing off the new rule. Once it's submitted, vendors will have 30 days before they have to take. their wares and merchandise elsewhere. Elizabeth Shway, WNYC News. That's WNYC's Elizabeth Shway. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC. Catch us every weekday, three times a day. I'm Jared Marcel.

Just a note, tomorrow and Friday, we'll be back, but with just one episode. Enjoy your holiday.