Farmers Market on Mosholu Parkway & Jerome

The Farmer's Market has returned to Mosholu Parkway North at Jerome Avenue. Every Wednesday July through November from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Here are some photos I took on my way to work this morning.

Pinstripe Politics, June 15

The Yankees blog WasWatching reports that the Yankees are going to wait until after the season to address concerns with the Stadium's design.

Meanwhile, Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, says he loves the new Stadium and doesn't mind the ticket pricing....also, he doesn't seem to understand economics. Says Selig:

"People don't understand: Baseball is the cheapest form of sports entertainment and, for the most part, of entertainment," he said. " I just bought a bunch of concert tickets for my granddaughters and daughters....My goodness gracious, these tickets were $200, $300, $400 apiece."

via MLB commish Bud Selig applauds new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field

What Selig seems to have conveniently forgotten, is how supply and demand works.
Let's make a quick cost/supply comparison:

• Average Knicks Ticket - $70.51
  
• Madison Square Garden Seating Capacity - 19,763
• 41 home games per season

• Average Yankees ticket - $72.97
• Yankee Stadium seating capacity - 52,325
• 81 home games per season

As you can see, Yankee tickets are indeed comparable to that of their inter-sport competitors, however their supply is drastically higher (and other sports tend to sell-out almost every game).

Coming up later this week: It's a Pinstripe Politics bonanza when David Cone testifies in favor of Bronx-born Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor!

NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).

Community Board 7 Conditionally Votes To Approve Armory Mall Plan

We'll have a full story up on the blog and on the Norwood News Web site by this afternoon, but for now, we wanted to report the news that Community Board 7 voted last night to approve The Related Companies' city-backed and publicly-subsidized project to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a giant mall.

The vote was only advisory, but it moves the project up the food chain.

There were a handful of dissenting votes, but a large majority of the 27 board members in attendance voted to recommend the project with a list of conditions, including the signing of a binding and enforceable Community Benefits Agreement (CBA).

It remains far from certain what community benefits that agreement will include, but Chairman Greg Faulkner and the bulk of board members said they felt voting yes with conditions would be the best way to stay involved in and have input in the project as it goes forward.

Earlier in the day, Related sent a letter to the Board agreeing, in very broad (some said vague) terms, to the Community Board's conditions.

Speakers at the meeting, including members of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), representatives of the Jerome Avenue-based supermarket chain Morton Williams, Assemblyman Jose Rivera and a couple of people who said they'd been burned by Related in the past, sternly implored Board members to vote it down.

The Board now has 13 days to send their voting record and other materials to Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. who will then have 30 days to deliberate on whether or not to support the project. After that, the project goes to City Planning and then to the City Council.

Tune in later for the story on last night's hearing, which turned very interesting toward the last hour and a half.

Handicapping The Armory Hearing

The Bronx News Network will be in attendance tonight at the Bronx Library Center when Community Board 7 votes on whether or not to support the Related Companies plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a giant mall. Here's a guide to all our latest Armory coverage.

If last week's Board 7 land use committee meeting was any indication, it looks like the board will vote in favor of the project, which will disappoint a lot of people in the community, most notably the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) and the Kingsbridge Heights-based supermarket chain Morton Williams.

Last Tuesday, the land use committee voted unanimously (there were only three voting committee members) to recommend the project be approved when the whole board votes on the project tonight. They are, however, going to add a 10-point caveat to their position. So, they will essentially say: We will vote yes on this project, but only if x, y and z occurs. Those points include the signing of a binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), free wi-fi, more community space, the inclusion of a World Peace Atrium and the creation of community advisory group for the duration of the Armory's redevelopment.

Only Board 7 members were allowed to speak at the meeting. This enraged Avi Kaner, a part owner of Morton Williams, who said he was promised a chance to make his case at the hearing. Kaner and Morton Williams want the board to vote no on the project unless Related agrees to stick to its original proposal.

"Why was I lied to?" Kaner asked angrily as he filed out of the meeting with about 15 Morton Williams employees and supporters.

Related's latest proposal now includes a 60,000-square-foot supermarket that Kaner says will force the chain to shutter its two Bronx stores. Related says it included the supermarket idea based on feedback from Board 7 members. In an interview two weeks ago, Morton Williams owner Morty Sloan said Board members who supported an Armory supermarket probably didn't understand what a supermarket of that size would do to Morton Williams and its hundreds of Bronx employees.

Board member John Harris said he wanted to see a supermarket that offered organic food. "It's not about competition, it's about options," he said.

Kaner gave us a copy of the speech he wanted to give. In it, he said, "Our employees and we are intergral parts of the community. We are your neighbors. Related is not."

KARA representatives have also lobbied heavily to have Board members vote no on the project because a benefits agreement has yet to be signed. About 10 KARA reps were at last week's meeting. Wendoly Marte, a young local community activist, said she didn't understand Board 7's reasoning behind the Board plans to vote yes with conditions. "Their rational makes absolutely no sense."

Added Desire Pilgrim-Hunter, who lives nearby in Fordham Hill: “If they [CB7] are really advocates for the community, why are they ignoring what the community is asking them to do, which is to vote no” until Related signs a binding and substantial CBA. “We can see [by this vote] that the community board is going to vote yes to this developer.”

Board 7 Chairman Greg Faulkner said he thinks the Board should vote yes with conditions so they can maintain leverage in the continuing benefits agreement negotiations. He thinks it would be easier for Related to ignore the Board's wishes if it votes no.

After the Board votes, the project goes to the Bronx Borough President's office, then to City Planning and then on to the City Council.

We'll have more coverage of tonight's vote tomorrow.

-Reporting by James Fergusson

Bronx News Roundup July 14

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings are underway and already full of controversy. Today, Sotomayor will face direct questioning about her past case rulings and public comments. Just this morning, Sotomayor admitted that she used a bad choice of words when saying that a "wise Latina woman" could reach a better conclusion than a "white man."Sotomayor went on to explain that she believes that "different life experiences" "enrich the legal system." Other issues to be discussed today include abortion, gun control and her ruling in the firefighter discrimination case. Check out the New York Times Live Blog for updates on the hearings.

In a recent article in the New York Daily News, Bob Kappstatter points out that Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. is not the only flawed member of the Bronx Democratic Party.

During the All-Star break halfway through the season, fans and players reflect on the positives and negatives of the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

Tough economic times have left behind a trail of abandoned apartment buildings, many of them in the Bronx. Property owners cannot pay back their loans and apartments are falling into deplorable conditions.

Court documents recently revealed that hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for job training programs in the Bronx were diverted for unknown use in the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp. (BOEDC). Court proceedings are still going on.

Community Board 7 will vote on the redevelopment plan for the Kingsbridge Armory Tonight. For more information about the redevelopment at the Armory, view our Kingsbridge Armory Coverage Preview.

Bill Aguado, Champion of Bronx Art Scene, in Times

In case you missed it on Friday (we were all out of the office so didn't get to post to the blog), David Gonzalez had a wonderful column paying tribute to Bill Aguado, who is departing the Bronx Council of Arts after three decades of service. Under Aguaudo's leadership BCA has built an incredible infrastructure for Bronx artists and art enthusiasts -- places for Bronx Artists to create and exhibit/perform their art, services to help artists thrive, and programs that honor and reward Bronx artists for their creations.

On a related note, if you've never been on the Bronx Culture Trolley which stops at several south Bronx cultural venues the first Wednesday of every month, you don't know what you're missing. The next one is Aug. 5. For more info click here.

Espada Hits the Mail

Hardly skipping a beat after the apparent resolution of the month-long leadership crisis in the state Senate that he triggered almost single-handedly, Pedro Espada, Jr., senator for the 33rd District, just sent out a mailing to his constituents touting his "accomplishments." With breathtaking chutzpah, he takes credit for more cops on city streets, presumably because the legislature could finally approve the hike in the city's sales tax once Espada defected back to the Dems after paralyzing local governments dependent on Albany actiion with his original flip to the GOP. Sen. Espada also congratulates himself on "affordable housing," a claim sure to enrage tenant advocates who were trying to get him to address vacancy decontrol and other pro-tenant legislation before all hell broke lose in the Capitol.

We have some calls in to Sen. Espada and the legislature to find out how much he spent on his mailing which was paid for with Senate funds allotted to each member.

We'd also like to know if the mailing was sent to all of his constituents. If you live in the 33rd District, please let us know whether or not you've received this mailing. Thanks!



..

Bronx News Roundup July 13

Yesterday, July 12, police arrested Bronx resident Mark St. Pierre after a violent driving spree leaving one dead, 12 injured and eight cars damaged. Police say that St. Pierre started driving from a parking lot on East Gun Hill Road, hit two cars before crashing into and immediately killing Miguel Colon at the intersection on East Gun Hill Road and Knapp Street, and continued on to damage six more cars. St. Pierre faces charges of manslaughter, homicide and vehicular assault.

Former Bronx BP Adolfo Carrion, Jr. recently publicized his plans as the White House Director of the Office of Urban Affairs to forge a new national urban policy. Today, the White House is hosting a day-long urban policy discussion with urban government officials and policy experts to determine the best course for future policies. President Obama is expected to announce a plan to send Carrion and other representatives on a tour of U.S. cities to research and discuss urban issues. Issues to be discussed at the White House include a Department of Education model and housing, social and economic benefits in poor urban neighborhoods.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings are being held today in Washington D.C. Issues that will be discussed at the hearings will most likely include her judgment on the white firefighter discrimination case and her comments about being a Latina woman. The New York Times has a live blog for a play by play of the hearings.

The Throgs Neck Bridge will remain closed to trucks traveling North this Monday due to the fire on the bridge on Friday morning. As of now, the ramp to the Throgs Neck off of the Cross Island Parkway will be closed until further notice while investigators search to determine the cause of the fire. Cars will still be able to travel from Queens to the Bronx on the two open lanes, but expect traffic.

Metropolitan Jewish Health System opened a new site at Hutchinson Metro Center. The health system will provide services for all of the Bronx community.

The death of Kenneth Jackson in a fire in Bronxdale housing on March 24, 2008 is still being investigated. Now his sister, Janet Jackson, has sued the Housing Authority claiming that the smoke detector in her brother's apartment was not installed properly.

The All-Stars and Senate Hardball

The Yankees, Unobstructed - July 10

Breaking: I'm just getting word from Albany, it seems that Dean Skelos (R - Rockville Centre), the State Senate's Republican Majority Leader, is offering Pedro Espada (D - Bromaroneck) the position of manager of the Tri-City ValleyCats, the Albany-area class-A minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros. If accepted, Republicans would claim this as a victory on two fronts - they will have regained control of the Senate, and they say that this move would serve as a tacit commitment by Espada to the Republican party, since the ValleyCats play at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

More on this later....

With just three games before the All-Star break, the Yankees are tied for first place with the Red Sox. Unfortunately, the Yankees are playing the Angels this weekend. Raise your hand if you feel even remotely comfortable?

Me neither.

On paper the Yankees are a better team than the L.A. Angels of A. The teams have similar starting rotations and comparably decent relief squads, but the Yankees swing much bigger bats. The Yankees even took two out of three from the Angels when they met earlier this year. However, not only do the Angels have Christopher Lloyd on their side, but for the better part of this decade the Angels have treated the Bronx like it's their personal back-country privy. So you'll have to forgive my pessimism.

I'd love to see two out of three (and I crave a sweep), but I'll take just one if L.A. will provide it.

Speaking of the All-Star break, as per tradition, the Yankees are over-represented:

• At first base, Mark Teixeira should be a reserve and Justin Morneau should be starting.
  
• At shortstop, Jeter should be a reserve and Jason Bartlett should be starting.
• In the bullpen, well, Rivera doesn't belong in the All-Star game this year. I'm sorry, but someone had to say it. There are too many relievers on the roster this year as it is, and Mariano has been the least consistent of all of them.
• At second base, Robinson Cano should have been invited as a reserve, and Boston's Dustin Pedroia has no business being anywhere near the Mid-Summer Classic this season.
  

For more of my whining about the All-Star game - click here for the American League and here for the National League.

After the All-Star break, if Chien-Ming Wang is not ready to come back, I want to see Sergio Mitre pitch in his place. The former Marlin, who has not made a Major League appearance in about two seasons, has been lighting up Triple-A. While Alfredo Aceves contributed a perfectly respectable spot-start in Wang's place, this is a good opportunity for the Yankees to see what they've got in Mitre.

Breaking (again): I've just received more information from Albany. Dean Skelos has upped the ante. It seems Skelos is offering Pedro Espada the position of "Honorary Bench Coach of the National League All-Star Team," if he'll rejoin the Republican caucus. No official response has been issued by Espada's people, but he is rumored to be holding out for the soon-to-be vacant Mets managerial position.

What, you don't think a State Senator from Bromaroneck can manage a baseball team from Queens? That's just close-mindedness.

NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.

For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).

Espada's Back as Dem Majority Leader; Standoff Ends

State Senate Democrats took Pedro Espada back into the Democratic fold, made him majority leader, and seemingly ended the month-long gridlock in state government.

The Boogiedowners aren't happy.

Carrion's Inauspicious Start

Adolfo Carrion, the former Bronx BP, hasn't exactly set the world on fire since moving to DC to head up the White House Office of Urban Affairs. As Politico reports, he's yet to give a major speech about his role or the administration's vision for urban policy, raising important questions about the power his office is likely to wield.

Kingsbridge Armory Coverage Preview

This is a slideshow of photographs of the majestic Kingsbridge Armory by Adi Talwar. We thought it would be a fitting introduction to our extensive Armory coverage in this week's edition of the Norwood News. Here's a preview of the stories to get you up to date on all things Armory.

Here's our coverage of the latest public hearing on the Armory, a raucous four-hour marathon affair.

We run through two of the biggest issues that came out of the hearing:
-How The Related Companies' plan to put a supermarket in the Armory will affect the Morton Williams supermarket chain, which has a store and its headquarters across the street.
-Will the Armory bring living wage jobs to local residents and should the developer in fact require retailers to do so?

In its plan for the Armory, Related has decided to include a World Peace Atrium, which Community Board 7 land use chairman Ozzie Brown has been pushing for months.

Here's our Armory fact file.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. is working behind closed doors to craft a Community Benefits Agreement with Board 7 and the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA).

Why this a huge opportunity for Diaz to demonstrate his leadership skills.

Why Board 7 should vote no (with conditions) on the Armory project.