Tapped In: Bideawee 'Name Your Own Price' Adoption, New Safety for Delivery Bikes, 2nd Ave Subway News

MUGGINGS SUSPECT TARGETING ASIAN-AMERICANS IN EAST HARLEM FINALLY CAUGHT A suspect, Jason Commisso, was finally arrested on Jan. 29 in the muggings of eight Asian-Americans in East Harlem over the past couple of weeks, targeted, beat and mugged Asian-Americans in elevators in the neighborhood. On Jan. 26, Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito held a press conference denouncing the violent acts, and urging community members to spread the word and put up flyers. Police arrested Commisso while he was attempting to board a bus at a bus terminal in New Jersey. "Today, we are all breathing a sigh of relief as the suspect behind eight vicious muggings of Asian-American East Harlem residents has finally been apprehended by police," Mark-Viverito said. "These brutal robberies have shaken all of us." FURRY FRIENDS FOR SALE! This February, bring home a puppy or kitten without breaking the bank. Bideawee, the pet welfare center located on East 38th Street at First Avenue, will be holding a monthlong "Name your own price" sale. The sale is in celebration of Valentine's Day, and is Bideawee's first adoption promotion this year. Plus, if you think your brand-new pet is super-photogenic, Bideawee will be taking photos of each new adoption and putting them up for a public vote. The winner will have their pet featured as Bideawee's Facebook timeline image. This promotion will run until Feb. 28. DOT ANNOUNCES NEW SAFETY PROCEDURES FOR DELIVERY BIKES The DOT announced recently that they have teamed up with Delivery.com to provide 1,500 commercial cyclists with free bike lights, bells and reflective vests. Delivery cyclists from all over the city can attend one of the multi-language commercial bicyclist forums to receive the safety equipment. Other bicycle safety efforts include NYPD enforcement and inspector visits to businesses that use delivery cyclists. These inspectors serve to both inform and enforce regulations. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan notes, "Safety is everyone's business, so it's significant when the private sector steps up to the plate to make efforts in the public interest." Jed Kleckner, CEO of Delivery.com, is one of many who share in this sentiment. "In a city where food, groceries and wine can be at your doorstep in moments," he said, "We empower the neighborhood economy by equipping our merchant partners with the right tools for making safe and speedy deliveries." TWO U.E.S. BAKERIES NAMED IN FOURSQUARE'S 'BEST OF' LIST Foursquare, the social app that lets friends check in to restaurants, bars and other places, has sifted its data of more than three billion check-ins and pulled up a list of the best New York City has to offer-from best eateries and clubs to best sights and theaters. And there's good news for Upper East Siders with a sweet tooth. Two of the top 10 New York bakeries are on the Upper East Side: Sprinkles Cupcakes on Lexington between 60th and 61st streets and Two Little Red Hens on Second Avenue between East 85th and 86th. Both of these bakeries offer tempting cupcakes. At Sprinkles, many of the fans on Foursquare rave about the "best cupcake place in the city," and suggest trying the Red Velvet. At Two Little Red Hens, fans love both the cakes and cupcakes, and suggest going for the "Brooklyn Blackout," a dangerous, chocolaty confection. SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY NEWS On Wednesday, Jan. 30, MTA held its fifth Second Avenue Subway workshop at Temple Israel on East 75th Street. The meeting brought together MTA employees and contractors to discuss how negative impacts or effects from the construction can be mitigated. "It's impossible to build a subway here without disturbing the people and environment around us," said MTA Capital Construction President Michael Horodniceanu. "We've learned from past experiences that building on this scale requires more than a business-as-usual approach, and that working closely with the community is one of the best means of learning how we can become a better neighbor." Phase One of the new subway line, which will extend the Q line, is expected to be complete by 2016.