An unusual amount of steam was rising out of a manhole on 115th and Broadway at 4:30 p.m., and according to workers on site, it was a “secondary burnout.”

Several utility workers from Con Edison said that the rising steam was caused by the snow melting from salt, and one worker, Patty Lyons, said, “It’s a big problem, until it clears out.”

The workers on site did not have an estimate of when the situation would be resolved. But Lyons said that the situation was not as bad as a “primary burnout” often seen on highways, which can cause greater problems.

Spectator’s city politics reporter Aaron Kiersh reports on the latest development in Governor Paterson’s bid for re-election.

Governor David A. Paterson, CC ’77, announced Friday that he would not run for re-election this year.

New York’s first African-American chief executive, Paterson was stung by recent revelations about a close aide who made a swift rise through the ranks of his administration despite a history of arrests and violent disputes with women.

Two lengthy New York Times investigative pieces in recent days chronicled the background of David W. Johnson and Paterson’s involvement in Johnson’s affairs. The Times reported that Paterson directly called a woman who accused Johnson of abuse in October, and that a state trooper—with no jurisdiction in New York City—apparently visited the woman to ascertain her psychological condition shortly before her case against Johnson was dismissed.

Paterson, a Democrat who represented Morningside Heights and West Harlem in the State Senate before he was elected lieutenant governor in 2006, has always cultivated a strong local base of support. But State Senator Bill Perkins, an African-American Democrat who now occupies Paterson’s old seat, called on the governor to withdraw from the race on Thursday.

Perkins, whose district includes the Columbia campus, said he was disturbed by the implication that the State Police pressured a woman not to go forward with accusations of abuse. (more…)

A new petition is making the rounds to drum up support for gender-neutral housing.

“The policy seeks to create more options in the room selection process so that ALL students are able to find a compatible roommate, and would ease tensions felt by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer students who struggle to find safe and comfortable living spaces under the current housing requirements,” the introduction to the petition—titled “I Support Gender-Neutral Housing at Columbia”—reads.

Last Thursday, Dean of Student Affairs Kevin Shollenberger and Dean of Community Development and Multicultural Affairs Theresa Martinez said that gender-neutral housing—which would allow for mixed-gender doubles—will not be available for the upcoming year.

At around 2 a.m., McBain dormitory on 113th Street was evacuated due to a fire that originated in the restaurant on the ground floor.

The awning of Deluxe, a restaurant below the dorm, was damaged and disassembled. Firefighters smashed through several windows of rooms on the second floor. Student witnesses and firemen confirmed that the fire was electrical.

At 2:30, a firefighter on site said, “It looked like there was an electrical fire caused by the restaurant sign.”

Students said they smelled and saw smoke in McBain.

Jeremy Grossman-Greene, CC ’12 and a resident of McBain 212—the corner room on Broadway and 113th Street—said that he smelled smoke and pulled the fire alarm on his floor, prompting five fire trucks to arrive.

“The firefighters opened my window with an axe,” Grossman-Greene said. “They had to break part of the window and chopped down part of the shutters.”

Several firefighters climbed through students’ windows.

As of around 3 a.m., students were allowed back into their dorm rooms.

Food was on Student Government Association members’ minds Monday night, while the Engineering Student Council revisited the academic calendar.

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A fire broke out in Room 2D of 616 on 116^th and Riverside on Thursday afternoon due to an ignited lamp, according to housing and fire safety administrators on site.

The fire originated in one of the rooms after a student left her clothing on the lamp. The lamp caught on fire and the fire spread to some of the other clothing on the floor, but associate housing director Onika Jervis said that that was the extent of the damage.

“It was contained, the door was locked,” Jervis said. “It [the fire] was small.”

The call came in at 4:45 p.m. and Barnard fire safety officials responded at 4:30, according to Barnard fire safety officer Robert Bonistalli, who was on site at the time of the fire.

Students living in the suite will not be relocated, according to Barnard public safety officer Charlie Grullon.