News In Brief

HE'S THE MARRYING KIND

Gary Sharp plans to be a best man, groom, and father of the bride - all in the same afternoon. The Marlinton, W.Va., resident kicks off a day of ceremonies at the family farm July 28 as best man in his son's wedding. About 20 minutes later, he'll tie the knot himself. Then, after a quick change of clothes, the newlywed plans to give his daughter away. Though it sounds complicated, the schedule works well for everyone, says Sharp's bride-to-be: "Relatives [are] coming from several states, so it's better for them to make one trip instead of three."

FORGET THE ALPS; COME HERE

Despite temperatures of close to 100 degrees F., don't be surprised to see tourists in the Dubai desert wearing parkas or carrying toboggans over the next 12 months. The Arab emirate plans to dump 400 tons of snow and ice to build a ski slope to lure visitors. A massive tent will be used to keep the slopes at 20 or so degrees. Said a project executive: "We are conquering nature here."

40 reasons not to take your car for a day in New York

Not unlike housing prices, the cost of parking a car or SUV in the main business district of a major US city tends to vary according to density and the availability of supply. Example: New York. Midtown Manhattan has the highest average fees in the country for covered (but unreserved) spaces in a commercial garage, whether on a monthly or daily basis, according to results of a new survey by Colliers International, a Boston-based commercial property consultant. Selected cities from its report and the average daily and monthly unreserved parking fees in each of their downtown areas:

Daily Monthly

New York $40.00 $520.00

Boston 28.00 375.00

San Francisco 25.00 325.00

Chicago 20.00 300.00

Seattle 20.00 247.50

Philadelphia 14.00 167.00

Washington 12.50 185.00

Cleveland 11.75 165.00

Houston 8.00 167.50

- AP/Boston Herald

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