Manhattan Skyliners Guest Bonus

Section 1: Questions about Manhattan & New York City

1. Fill in the 9 missing entries in this famous NYC sequence: __; __; __; __; __; __; __; 14; 18; 23; 28; 34; 42; 50; 59; 66; 72; 79; 86; 96; 103; _*_; 116; 125; 137; 145; 157; 168; 181; 191; __; 207; 215; 225; 231; 237; 242 (* - two acceptable answers)
   South Ferry; Rector St. Chambers St.; Franklin St.; Canal St.; Houston St.: Christopher St.; 14; 18; 23; 28; 34; 42; 50; 59; 66; 72; 79; 86; 96; 103; Cathedral Parkway (also known as 110th St.); 116; 125; 137; 145; 157; 168; 181; 191; Dyckman St.; 207; 215; 225; 231; 237; 242. (*These are stops on the 1 and 9 subway trains - the best known NYC subway line)

2. I celebrated my 10th year on Broadway in 2003. My first network appearance was with Mary Tyler Moore in 1978. I have done over 4,000 live shows. Who am I?
   David Letterman.

3. What NYC landmark was purchased for $5 million in the 1850s?
   Central Park.

4. What do Jason in 1989 and Kermit the Frog in 1984 have in common?
   They both "took" Manhattan. (Kermit the Frog in "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and Jason in "Friday the 13th, Part VIII: Jason Take Manhattan.")

5. What are the original names of these buildings?
   1. GE Building (at Rockefeller Center)
   2. MetLife
   3. Trump International Hotel and Tower at #1 CPW
   4. 1 Times Square
   5. Turtle Pond
   6. Jackie Onassis Reservoir
   
   (a) RCA Building; (b) PanAm; (c) Gulf&Western; (d) Allied Chemical (also the Times Building); (e) Belvedere Lake; (f) Central Park Reservoir.

6. What is a unique feature built into the architecture of the MetLife building?
   It has a now-abandoned heliport, on its roof from when it was the PanAm building. (*It was closed in 1977 after a helicopter's landing gear collapsed, causing it to fall on its side and kill 4 people, one by debris falling onto the street below.)

7. As of September 12, 2001, what was the High Point of New York City?
   The same as on September 10, 2001: Todt Hill at Todt Hill Road and Ocean Ave on Staten Island (410 feet). (The term "High Point" connotes the natural highest point.)

8. The NYC Subway map now differentiates the various lines by color. Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Yellow etc. But that wasn't always the case. What does and any REAL New Yorker call the different lines?
   IND (Independent), IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit), BMT (Broadway Manhattan Transit) the names of three of the original companies which built and ran the subways.

9. What is this thing at the Manhattan side of the Queensborough bridge? (*photo*)
   The last Trolley kiosk in Manhattan.

10. Loss and Gain. Manhattan is not the same size as it was when Henry Hudson sailed up his river. New Yorkers have expanded the island with landfill over the past 400 years. What is the site of the largest addition? Where did it come from?
    The site of Battery Park City is all landfill. It is where the excavation debris from the construction of the World Trade Center was deposited.

11. Manhattan lost a big chunk of the island, too. Where, and why?
    The course of the Harlem River was changed by dredging, to improve navigation. This cut off part of the most northern part of the island. When the old river bed was filled in, it became physically part of the Bronx.(*However, this area, called Marble Hill, is still considered to be part of Manhattan politically, even though it's been severed physically. It's still shown to be on the Manhattan side of the border on maps.)

12. Why is the name "Hudson River" inaccurate?
    It's actually an estuary; that is, a river whose mouth has sunk below ocean level (by the weight of the ice age glacier). The river is flooded at high tide by the Atlantic Ocean as far as Poughkeepsie, about 90 miles upstream.

13. What is distinctive about the bass that live in the Hudson River?
    They can live in both fresh and salt water.

14. Traditionally, the infrastructure of New York has been neglected, with money for repairs and renovation being allocated only when bridges, tunnels, roads, etc. were on the brink of collapse. However, in a case of incredible foresight and fiscal planning, there has been one project that has gone on quietly for decades and will continue for decades more to come (till about 2050). What is it?
    The building of the new water tunnels that bring fresh water to NYC from the upstate reservoirs. The present tunnels are 100+ years old, and are leaking and falling apart.

15. What is peculiar about Riverbank State Park?
    It is built on top of a water sanitation plant on the Hudson River (it's also the only state park in Manhattan).

16. Escape from New York Excluding the 14 tunnels exclusively used for subways and trains, there are many permanent transportation structures which connect to Manhattan Island. Our research comes up with 23. Name 'em.
    Tunnels:
    • Lincoln
    • Holland
    • Brooklyn-Battery
    • Queens-Mid Town

    Bridges:

    • George Washington
    • Henry Hudson
    • University Heights Bridge
    • Washington Bridge (181st St)
    • Alexander Hamilton Bridge
    • High Bridge (Aqueduct)
    • Macombs Dam Bridge
    • 145th Street Bridge
    • Madison Ave Bridge
    • Willis Ave Bridge
    • 3rd Ave Bridge
    • Triborough Bridge
    • Queens Borough (59th St)
    • Williamsburgh Bridge
    • Brooklyn Bridge
    • Manhattan Bridge
    • Spuyten Duyvil Metro North/Amtrak bridge.
    • Foot Bridge to Ward's Island

    • Roosevelt Island Tram

Section 2: Questions about Losers

17. What was the original name of the Manhattan Skyliners? Why did they choose that name?
    The "M-80s," because they were "into blowing stuff up."

18. What was the specific reason cited by Casey Stengel for the Mets' first pick in the expansion draft that stocked their 1962 team?
    "You have to have a catcher, because if you don't, you're likely to have a lot of passed balls." (*There are many versions of this quote - the Mets' first pick was Hobie Landrith, a catcher from the SF Giants.)

19. We were born after the Civil War and were considered a dynasty with 6 championships in 11 years. Our names have included the Colts and the Orphans. In the early 1900s, we were the first team to win back-to-back championships of our sport. Yet, we are known for our failures. Who are we?
    The Chicago Cubs.

20. What Salt Lake City Winter Olympics Bronze medalist now has a Gold medal, and why?
    Beckie Scott of Canada. She finished 3rd in the women's 5 km Pursuit. However, both the Gold medalist Olga Danilova and silver medalist Larissa Lazutina have been disqualified for drug violations.

21. What NHL team only won one game in its history? What happened?
    The Montreal Wanderers went 1-5 in the 1917-18 season. They withdrew from the league after their arena burnt down on January 2, 1918.

22. There have been 3 currency introductions by the US Treasury since 1976 that have been considered failures, rejected by the American people, and rarely seen today. What are they?
    a) Susan B. Anthony dollar coin (1979-1999) b) 2-dollar bill (reintroduced in 1976, then again in 1996) c) Sacagewea "golden" dollar coin (1999-present)

23. What do Eddie Murray in the 1980s and Mike Piazza in the 1990s have in common?
    Eddie Murray had the most MVP votes in the 1980s without winning the award, and Mike Piazza did the same in the 1990s.

24. Who gave up the gofer ball for Babe Ruth's record tying 59th home run in Yankee Stadium on Sept. 29th 1927, the year Ruth hit 60?
    Paul Hopkins, the oldest living Major League Baseball player who died at 99 on Jan 3, 2004. (He played for the Washington Senators and the St. Louis Browns.)

25. What do the names Saturn, Nomad, Jaguar, Lynx, and Pippin have in common?
    These are all failed game systems: Sega Saturn, Sega Nomad, Atari Jaguar, Atari Lynx, Apple Pippin (based on Mac OS and Power PC - abandoned before production).

26. What bridge collapsed after being open for just over 4 months?
    The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, near Tacoma, WA. (The bridge could not handle the winds across Puget Sound. Videos of the bridge's collapse are shown regularly to Engineering Students.)

27. One of the largest Massachusetts employers of the 1970s and 1980s was Digital Equipment Corporation. If you'd joined Digital Equipment Corporation in 1980, and stayed with the company through its name change and subsequent acquisitions, what companies would you have worked for?
    Digital Equipment Corporation became DEC, which became Digital, then was acquired by Compaq, who was then acquired by Hewlett-Packard.

28. Perhaps the biggest show biz loser of 1993 even had a theater named after him. Alas, his TV show was cancelled after a few pathetic weeks. Who?
    Chevy Chase.

29. What dubious financial distinction befell Finland in 2003? And, similarly, Uzbekistan?
    Finland's stock market had the worst performance among developed countries in 2003. Uzbekistan's stock market performance was the worst in the emerging markets.

30. The year is 1983, and PC clones are starting to take market share from the IBM PC. A major clone maker goes public that year in an eagerly awaited IPO. The stock goes public and immediately soars. That afternoon, the CEO drives his brand new Ferrari off a cliff and dies. The company dies soon after. What is the name of the company and the CEO?
    Eagle Computer; the CEO is Dennis Barnhart. One of the first PC clone makers to go public.

31. This is obviously the Mother Of All Bonus Questions. What unlikely source popularized the phrase "The Mother of All....." which has become a pervasive part of the American lexicon?
    Saddam Hussein

32. What achievement were the Manhattan Skyliners celebrating in May, 1994?
    Their highest finish ever in a trivia contest: 4th place.

Section 3: Questions about Berkshire County and its environs

33. What Berkshires summer festival that celebrated its 70th year this summer is located on what was once a stop on the Underground Railroad?
    Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, in Becket, MA.

34. What kind of game delay to a minor league baseball game is unique to Berkshire County?
    "Sun Delays." (Minor league baseball has been played in Wahconah Park in Pittsfield periodically since 1919. The stadium was built before night baseball and the field is angled to the West, so that the sun actually sets in centerfield.)

35. What do Bo Derek in 1980 and Olympia Dukakis in 1975 have in common?
    Bo Derek was appearing in "A Change of Seasons" which was filmed in Williamstown; Olympia Dukakis was in "The Seagull," also filmed in Williamstown.

36. What Berkshires summer series that will be celebrating its 50th year in 2004 has featured people (and future Papa Charlie's sandwiches) such as James Belushi, Dick Cavett, Mary Tyler Moore, and Marisa Tomei?
    The Williamstown Theatre Festival.

37. Q. What are these places?

    1. New Boston
    2. Coltsville
    3. Interlaken
    4. Ashley Falls
    5. Mill River
    6. Braytonville
    7. Steamsville
    8. East Hoosic
    9. Seekonk
    10. Blackinton
    
    These are all the names of historic towns now within other towns in the Berkshires:
    1. New Boston - part of Sandisfield
    2. Coltsville - Now in Pittsfield. At the intersection of rtes 8 and 9, near the Allendale Shopping Center
    3. Interlaken - part of Stockbridge
    4. Ashley Falls - part of Sheffield
    5. Mill River - part of New Marlborough
    6. Braytonville - Now in North Adams. Near Price Chopper and the YMCA
    7. Steamsville - part of Pittsfield
    8. East Hoosic: The original name for the area of Adams and North Adams.
    9. Seekonk - part of Great Barrington
    10. Blackinton - Now in North Adams. On the otherside of the river from Price Chopper (aprx).

38. Strange architecture The present-day businesses don't seem to belong in these Williamstown landmarks. If you look carefully, you should be able figure out what they were originally built for. a) Michael's Pizzeria; b) Alcaro Motors; c) Williamstown Financial Center; d) Textron Financial
    a) A drive-in restaurant (A&W Root Beer); A fast food restaurant (Burger King); Howard Johnson's; d) A Supermarket (Grand Union)

39. The best way to drive to Williamstown from NYC is to take the beautiful and interesting (especially late at night, with deer playing "chicken") Taconic State Parkway. The highest altitude on the both the Northbound and Southbound sections are clearly marked. What are they?
    1090 Feet Northbound. 1133 feet Southbound.

40. Why have you seen these cities on a sign in Berkshire County? 1) Ballina, Ireland; 2) Cava de Tirreni, Italy; and 3) Malpaisillo, Nicaragua
    They are sister cities to Pittsfield. (The signs are posted at most entrances to Pittsfield.)

Your Backyard: a little history

1. Where are the only two spots one can legally camp in the Hopper?
   Wilbur Clearing AT shelter; Haley Farm group campsite. (*The other shelters, including Deer Hill and Sperry campground, are not actually in the Hopper.)

2. Name the two waterfalls in the Hopper.
   Money Brook Falls; March Cataract.

3. What persistent problem has plagued the War Memorial Monument throughout its life, finally leading to a complete disassembly and reassembly as a solution? (Which naturally did not fix the problem!)
   Water leaks. And the water keeps leaking.

4. What is distinctive about the Round's Rock Trail?
   The site of a 1940s plane crash. (Pieces of the wreck are still there)

5. One of the reasons people come to the Berkshires is the allure of nearby downhill skiing. The mountains of Berkshire county aren't as big as Vermont's, but they are a lot closer. Name all the ski areas in Berkshire county (or within 10 miles of its border) that have been operational during the life of the Manhattan Skyliners. All non-operating ski areas are still visible.
   Still in operation:
   • Jiminy Peak
   • Bousquets
   • Berkshire East
   • Otis Ridge
   • Catamount (just a few miles into NYS)
   • Butternut Basin
   No longer operating:
   • Brodie Mt.
   • Petersberg Pass (also called Taconic Trails, and Mt. Raimer). At the summit of Petersberg Pass, most of the ski area is in NYS, although some maps show a small part in Williamstown)
   • Dutch Hill (just beyond the Clarksburg, MA border in VT).

6. What Northern Berkshire County resident was featured on U.S. currency?
   Susan B. Anthony. (She was born in Adams.)

7. Where did the Battle of Bennington take place?
   In Walloomsac, NY. Duhhhh. (It's a couple of miles over the border into N.Y.)

8. Other than their movie star looks, what do Gwyneth Paltrow and the Manhattan Skyliners have in common?
   They were both born in 1972 (and lived for many years in Williamstown).