It’s Mandela Day
Thursday marks Nelson Mandela’s 95th birthday – also known as Mandela Day — and New Yorkers are joining the celebration. The Times Square Museum & Visitor Center is showing screenings of the video installation “The Power of Words” until 8 p.m. At 7:15 p.m., the video tribute to the former South African president, who is recovering in the hospital from a lung infection in his home country, will also be shown on Times Square’s giant video screens. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the Imbizo Hosting Committee and state Sen. Bill Perkins will host an event honoring Mandela at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in Harlem.
A welcome for new Nets
The Nets will formally introduce their four newest players during a 3 p.m. Thursday news conference at Barclays Center. The Nets acquired stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry in a trade with the Boston Celtics last month. Last week, the Nets reached an agreement with free-agent forward Andrei Kirilenko, who played last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Firefighters to sue over 911 system
The city’s firefighters union is expected to file a lawsuit against City Hall on Thursday asking a judge to halt a new centralized 911 system that it says is creating potentially deadly delays in response times. The Uniformed Firefighters Association said a 911 call about a five-alarm fire in the Bronx on Wednesday morning was not relayed to the FDNY until eight minutes later, and that the blaze, which injured 11 firefighters, was raging when units arrived. The city and the fire department denies that the two-month-old, computer-aided system has any significant problems.
Mayoral candidates hit city – and beyond
On the mayoral campaign trail, Bill de Blasio will host a fundraiser in Prospect Heights headlined by former presidential candidate Howard Dean; Anthony Weiner will attend the Seaside Summer Concert Series at Coney Island featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd; and Sal Albanese and his wife will take an unorthodox approach of heading toward the Catskills to campaign as much as 100 miles north of the city. Albanese is targeting New York City’s Jewish voters who spend time upstate during the summer.
Tiger Lillies bring ‘Mariner’ to Brooklyn
The British trio the Tiger Lillies will offer their musical take on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” on Thursday night at the Prospect Park Bandshell. The Celebrate Brooklyn! show is free, but there is a suggested donation of $3.
