At $9,000, the tax refund was big enough to raise eyebrows at the IRS. But filing for it didn’t cost Edwin Sallas a dime. The Queens dad of four and city Parks Department worker had his 2006 taxes done at the East River Development Alliance, which offers free tax preparation for low-income workers. And once he proved to the IRS he is indeed married with four dependents, the big check was in Sallas’ hands. Read more

PITCHMEN: Ex-Met John Franco favors barring metal bats. Mayor Bloomberg disagrees.

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NYCity News Service
A slim majority of New Yorkers believes the City Council made the right call by voting to ban the use of metal bats in high school baseball games, an informal NYCity News Service survey found. More »

A bleak strip of land in upper Manhattan along the Harlem River, just across from Fordham Road in the Bronx, could soon undergo major rezoning to make way for high-rise apartment buildings. Read more

After serving 24 years in Congress, newly retired Rep. Major Owens is determined to keep making news. Owen plans to launch his own newspaper, called Dollar News, within the next few weeks. The paper, which in keeping with its name will cost $1, will tackle financial and social issues, the 70-year-old former Brooklyn lawmaker said. More »