Politicking Balloonists Arrested

If you’re looking for votes, the most densely populated area of the country is a good place to start. But it didn’t have a happy ending for a pair of balloonists who ended up dropping in, perhaps unexpectedly, on New Yorkers enjoying the relative peace of Central Park last Friday. The balloon, emblazoned with the words “Kerry” and “Edwards” in huge letters on the side, landed beside a baseball field about 3 p.m. WABC News said it was told by Kerry officials that the balloon was not part of the campaign. According to the television station, FAA officials said the pilots, Ron Giovanni and Thomas Robins, claimed the landing was forced by adverse winds and unspecified technical problems. New York has an ordinance against landing a balloon in the city but the pilots could be in more trouble than that. The TV station says they could face reckless endangerment charges because the park was full of kids at the time.