Latest news with #UniversityClub
Irish Examiner
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Colin Sheridan: We've all sat down by the hearth on someone else's home turf
A couple of years back while escorting an American guest around the wildest recesses of Connemara, we encountered a local chap who was incredibly impressed to meet someone from the East coast of the States. It sounds made up, like a badly written sketch from a Martin McDonagh movie, especially given the ubiquity of Americans in Clifden, Leenan, Kylemore, and Renvyle each summer. But, sure as a soft day on Dogs Bay, there he was lobbing turf onto an open fire, clearly in thrall to the exotic outlier that sat before him. My guest was not from New York, but this mattered little to the turf-thrower; he had made a brief and solitary trip to the Big Apple and had the stories to prove it. Skyscrapers as big as mountains, he said, and dancing girls on tables in the bars. Every colour and creed of man just going about their business. He had a brother in Yonkers you see. Left Leitirmor aged 18. Still spoke Irish in the pubs on McLean Avenue. Such was the wholesomeness of his wonder I wasn't sure was he taking the piss — you can't go to Connemara without a local taking the piss — but with no wink of inclusion in my direction forthcoming, I took him at his word. 'See Times Square and die,' as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe famously said. The coup de grace for Turf Man was not the Empire State Building, nor Ellis Island, it wasn't even the Abercrombie and Fitch store on 5th Avenue, it was, as he described in colourful detail, the fact that you could get a steak at 5 O'clock in the morning. 'Can you believe it?' he asked us, doubting that we did, 'A steak! And spuds! The whole shebang at 5am! I've never seen anything like it.' Now, I'm not sure if he told the steak story to every exotic visitor that passed through the doors of the establishment — an establishment that only seemed to employ him to reload the turf — but if he did, there was literally no way he could've brought such gusto to each telling. The colour and detail were enough to make Joan Didion weep. 'It's distinctly possible to stay too long at the fair,' she famously said of her beloved New York. Perhaps wise to her warning, Turf Man only stayed a long weekend. Only the cities of London and Boston hold the same place in Irish hearts that New York does, and that love affair owes much to the embrace it has given to millions for generations. So many exiled under duress through hunger and poverty, others so privileged to go there by choice. Family ties My own father lived there in the 60s and, by his telling, he happened to meet every key historical figure of that decade while he was holed up in the Bronx, which is remarkable for a guy who drove a delivery truck for Canada Dry and took coats at the University Club on West 54th Street. My mother took him back for the first time in three decades almost 20 years ago, and after a brief stop into an aforementioned department store to buy boxer shorts for her sons (because, you know), she found my dad out front, chatting to a topless Black male model, himself in little more than briefs, telling him about the time he took Eisenhower's hat. It's always been that kind of town, but times they are a changing. Last month there were reports of undocumented Irish staying away from GAA matches in Gaelic Park, from Irish dances, from weddings, fearing raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) squads, the same type of raids that have set Los Angeles ablaze in the last week. The riots on the West Coast will only amplify that sense of paranoia that only undocumented immigrants know. The Irish in America are no more deserving of better treatment than a Haitian immigrant, say, and they must know they have it much better, though it will serve as little consolation. Black and Brown people have and will be targeted much faster by ICE, an agency that is acting very much in the likeness of the country's president, Donald Trump. Racism, as much as capitalism, is at the core of each and every domestic policy in America presently, and undocumented Irish people may well be the unintended victims of that. We need not look so far West to audit the results of systemic bigotry. Events in Ballymena this week function as a cold reminder that manmade fear and paranoia injected into a society by nefarious actors only begets more hatred and violence. There isn't an Irish person alive whose family has not benefited from the open arms of other countries, whether through a J1 visa or a generous aunt in Dorchester. How people fall for the same tired lines of scaremongering and gaslighting is beyond me. It's always the immigrants' fault, am I right? My arse it is. Everyone deserves to eat 5am steak at least once in their lives.
New York Post
09-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Meet the mayor of Rockefeller Center — yes, that's a real job title
Amid the metro mayhem of New York City's Rockefeller Center, CJ — Correll Jones — has become as sturdy a presence as the iconic plaza he's welcomed guests to for the last 23 years. That's why his business card reads: 'Mayor of Rockefeller Center.' 8 CJ's business card reads 'Mayor of Rockefeller Center.' Brian Zak/NY Post And just like his title requires, CJ spends his days making sure things are running smoothly and people are happy running around the complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres between 48th Street and 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan. He spends his days roaming around Rockefeller Center with his hundred-watt smile in his gray suit and doorman's top hat, greeting those who work in the area, helping tourists get where they're going and making sure that everyone in the crowd is safe and satisfied. A New York icon Jones, who was born and bred in Brooklyn, where he still resides, began his career as a greeter at the University Club in 1983. That's where Rob Speyer, the chief executive of the Tishman Speyer real estate firm, which owns Rockefeller Center, met Jones and offered him the job down the street in 2002. 8 Jones has been at his post since 2002. Brian Zak/NY Post 'He saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself. And he stole me away from the club. And then he brought me here to Rockefeller Center,' Jones told The Post. 'I want you to know I think it was one of the best moves I could ever make in my entire life.' Ever since, he has spent his days roaming the center, making sure everyone is getting where they need to go with a smile on their face. Monday through Friday, he arrives on the subway at 8:30 a.m. and heads home to the missus at 5:45 p.m. — during the holiday season, he also works some weekends. 'This is the center of the world,' Jones claims. 'It's a one-of-a-kind place.' 8 For Jones, seeing the sparkle in tourists' eyes is his favorite part of the job. Brian Zak/NY Post I <3 NY Of course, Rockefeller Center is home to shows like 'Saturday Night Live,' 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' and the 'Today Show.' But when asked about the celebrities he clearly must see daily, he casually confirms Kenan Thompson, Jimmy Fallon, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker as good friends — but leaves it at that. He even deemed Roker the deputy mayor of Rockefeller Center in 2021 when the journalist shadowed him for a segment. 8 Jones, seen here with Rockefeller Center's head gardener Erik Pauze, knows everyone who passes through regularly. James Keivom 'I think he got a kick out of that,' Jones said. He's been featured on the 'Today Show,' 'The Tonight Show' and 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' — the latter of which provided him and about 200 other NYC doormen five days and four nights in St. Lucia. 'Oh, you know I went,' he confirmed. 'That was one of the nicest things I've gotten working here.' He admitted that he's received countless invites from his high-profile profession, but they don't usually strike a sparkly chord. 'I ain't sticking my neck nowhere unless there is a free ticket,' he quipped. 8 Jones is humble about his celebrity pals. Brian Zak/NY Post Jones doesn't really get starstruck and breezes past most questions about A-listers. He's just as happy to chat with a tourist and help them find the subway as he is to step onto a sound stage. 'The best thing about this job is when you help somebody and you give them good directions, or you take their picture and then they come back a year or two years or three years later, and they say, 'You know, I remember you.' Stuff like that, it's a treat,' Jones said. However, he was proud to show off a photo of former President Bill Clinton clapping him on the back. Jones recalled that he'd met the former commander in chief several times but was taken aback when he asked for him by name. 'He came out of the building and asked, 'Where is CJ?' and stopped and took a picture with me and put his hand on my shoulder,' he shared. He was honored that the 'charismatic' public figure stopped to chat with him for about 15 minutes and waved off his guards who tried to keep him moving. 'And then he walked down Fifth Avenue, and I had to be like, 'C'mon that's the president walking down Fifth Avenue.' Unbelievable. That was special,' Jones said, smiling and shaking his head. 8 CJ has been featured on the 'Today Show,' 'Jimmy Fallon' and 'The Kelly Clarkson Show.' Brian Zak/NY Post Toast of the town Most New Yorkers huff and puff about avoiding the popular tourist attraction — especially during the holidays — but recent years have seen it transform and the mayor loves to see it. Above all, Jones appreciates seeing the awe it brings to those seeing it for the first time up close. 'There's so much excitement here that I don't think there's another place like it. I tell people here that sometimes we take it for granted, but to see the faces of people who have never been to New York and never been in Rock Center when they look up and say, 'Wow,' that's the thrill for me,' he explained. 8 While most NYC residents moan about the holiday season, Jones says it's the most magical. DANIEL WILLIAM MCKNIGHT 'What's unique about this job is that you see a new tourist every day, and then you see the glitter in their eyes because of how unique this building is or how neat this city is.' And to the disapproval of most New Yorkers — and many of his co-workers — he thinks it only gets more magical once the Christmas tree goes up. He's the face everyone knows — just stand by him for five minutes and be wowed at the number of people who stop to say hi. Everyone seems to light up brighter than the Christmas tree when they see Jones. To honor his legacy, he's just had a drink named after him at the newly opened Pebble Bar at The Rink, the outdoor bar that's opened next to the Prometheus statue — Jones's favorite piece of art in the area. The delicious drink — an $80 shareable pitcher of margarita for four — will be served at the seasonal bar all summer long. 8 At the nearby Pebble Bar, Jones now has a drink named after him: an $80 shareable pitcher of margarita for four. Brian Zak/NY Post 'It's really crazy,' Jones said. 'To sit there and have a drink and take a picture with Prometheus, you can't go wrong.' 'I am going to bring the missus to come in and try the drink. I'm also telling all of my tenants and my tourists and everybody that I know at Rock Center about it.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox re-elected to sixth term; three incumbent councilors also win
Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox spoke of a "strange mixture" of excitement and humility after winning a sixth term in Tuesday's municipal election, similar to feelings at his first successful run in 2005. In unofficial results, he won 87% of the vote against political newcomer Denson Ferrell II, who got 859 votes, to Maddox's 5,727. All seven Tuscaloosa City Council and all eight Tuscaloosa City School Board seats were open. Council members Norman Crow, District 3, Lee Busby, District 4, and Kip D. Tyner, District 5 and council president, ran unopposed. More: Nick Saban makes rare endorsement in Tuscaloosa municipal election Of the other four incumbent councilors, three unofficially won re-election outright Tuesday with one incumbent facing a runoff: Incumbent Matthew Wilson, District 1, earned 402 votes against his challengers Que Chandler, who received 321 votes, and Joe Eatmon, who received 333 votes. Since Wilson's vote total didn't meet the plurality — 50% plus one — standard, Wilson and Eatmon will be in a runoff election April 1. Raevan Howard won re-election with 447 votes in District 2, against her challengers, Dennis "Quick" Collins, with 145, and Ashley R. Wheat, 280. John Faile won re-election with 797 votes in District 6, against his challengers, Eric Gaines, with 269, and Lisa M. Young, 398. Cassius Lanier won re-election with 668 votes in District 7, against his challenger, Oliver "Maurice" Sealey, with 277. In the school board race, District 4 representative Patrick Hamner chose not to run, and Clint Mountain ran unopposed for that seat. In District 1, incumbent Karen Thompson-Jackson won re-election with 851 votes to opponent Tony V. Humphries' 169. The other school board incumbents ran unopposed: Eric M. Wilson, board chair; Kendra Williams, District 2; Lesley Powell, District 3; Erica Grant, District 5; Marvin L. Lucas, District 6; and Erskine E. Simmons, District 7. "We certainly have challenges, but I know this community meets every challenge, and I can't wait to be a part of it," Maddox said Tuesday night at an election results watch party inside the University Club. The first day of his sixth term is "... going to look like it does most days. That's getting to work early, working hard, trying to make a difference, working with a talented team, and a very supportive City Council" and putting Tuscaloosa first in every decision. "There are a thousand things you have to do as mayor," he said, but three of the top priorities will be: Continuing work to get Tuscaloosa police and firefighters pension plans converted into Retirement Systems of Alabama Getting bids on the $100 million Saban Center, an interactive STEM hub, expected to break ground on construction this spring, with plans to open in 2027. Going to bids on the Martin Luther King Jr./Jack Warner Parkway Phase III completion, which would conclude the $73 million road project, one of the city's largest. Another ongoing major push will be attempting to restructure the Simplified Sellers User Tax, known colloquially as the internet sales tax. Maddox estimates the city loses over $15 million a year, and roughly $5 million a year for Tuscaloosa City Schools, the way the SSUT is currently administered. Elections are culminating events, Maddox said. "If we do a good job, the elections take care of themselves," he said. Speaking with reporters early Tuesday morning after voting at his polling place, Church of the Highlands, he noted that "every corner of the city" had moved forward during under his tenure, despite dealing with a recession, the April 27, 2011, tornado that decimated 13% of Tuscaloosa in six minutes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. "The best indicator of future performance is past performance," Maddox said, "and certainly I would think that our 20 years (of) service, of moving Tuscaloosa forward in some very difficult times, is a good resume to hopefully get another four years and earn another four years." Turnout throughout the city was about 33% for the general election, as opposed to 55% in Tuscaloosa County for last November's election, with the presidential race topping the ballot. "Municipal elections tend not to get the notoriety of a federal or state election, but arguably they probably matter more in your day to day than any other level of government," Maddox said. Provisional ballots will be certified by the Tuscaloosa County Board of Registrars, becoming official when presented to the City Council on March 11. To win without a runoff, candidates must earn a plurality of the votes, 50% plus one. If a runoff election is required, it will be announced March 11, and be held April 1. Inauguration will be May 19. Gary Cosby Jr. contributed to this report. Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Walt Maddox earns sixth term as Tuscaloosa mayor in municipal election
Chicago Tribune
10-02-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Barack Obama announces candidacy for president
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Feb. 10, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) High temperature: 63 degrees (1876) Low temperature: Minus 18 degrees (1899) Precipitation: 0.96 inches (1960) Snowfall: 9.7 inches (1981) 1916: A few hundred of the city's most prominent people gathered at the stately University Club at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street for a dinner welcoming the new Catholic archbishop, George Mundelein. All were marked for assassination by an anarchist cook named Jean Crones, who spiked the soup stock with arsenic. When dinner was served, some of the highest flyers of Chicago were laid low, falling to the floor, groaning in agony and vomiting. But none died. 1869: The Woman Suffrage Convention — the first of its kind in Chicago — was held at Library Hall. 1980: Northwestern, coached by 27-year-old Mary DiStanislao, won its second straight Big Ten women's basketball tournament, beating Minnesota 86-72 in the title game at Wisconsin. 1985: Michael Jordan made his NBA All-Star Game debut. Controversy arose with talk of a 'freeze out' supposedly led by Isiah Thomas to keep the ball away from the popular rookie. Thomas later denied this was intentional. Jordan shot 2 for 9, scoring seven points in 22 minutes. 2007: U.S. Sen. Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency outside the Old State Capitol in Springfield, which was the site of Abraham Lincoln's June 16, 1858, 'House Divided' speech. Obama urged Americans who hear 'destiny calling' to join him 'in the unfinished business of perfecting our union.' About 15,000 people braved frigid temperatures to watch Obama speak before he departed to campaign in Iowa. He defeated Republican candidate John McCain in the Nov. 4, 2008, election and became the nation's 44th president. Want more vintage Chicago?
