Bronx News Roundup, April 14

Lots of political news today.

Adolfo Carrión, Jr., the former Bronx borough president and director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, will give the keynote presentation for the Regional Planning Association's 2010 Regional Assembly on Friday, April 16 at 12:30 p.m. His address will be streamed live at http://www.citylimits.org/.

Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, who is expected to soon officially announce her candidacy for state Senate in the 33rd District, will have some company in her primary challenge of Pedro Espada. Bob Kappstatter had the news first yesterday in his must-read Bronx Boro News political column: Kingsbridge Heights attorney and Community Board 8 member Daniel Padernacht has thrown his hat in the ring, too. (Lots of other juicy tidbits in that column, like news of a primary challenge to Assemblyman Peter Rivera).

On her new blog, Liz Benjamin has some updates on Pilgrim-Hunter's campaign, including the fact that she's hired Lisa Hernandez-Gioia (wife of former Councilman Eric Gioia) to help her raise money.

In a Daily News editorial, State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. is praised for his "courage" in sponsoring a bill that would cancel a clause in teachers' contracts which stipulates that layoffs are based on seniority. 

The healthcare union 1199/SEIU is backing State Senator Eric Schneiderman in the state attorney general's race. Schneiderman also has the backing of several prominent Bronx pols. 

Despite running for borough president in 2001, State Senator Pedro Espada would like to see the office eliminated. In a statement, he said, in part:

I am recommending that the offices of borough president and city public advocate be abolished in this round of charter revision, not as a political slap at anyone in these positions, but because we have a sensible and realistic opportunity to reduce city government and empower the people.

Away from politics, an alewife herring has been caught in the Bronx River for the second year in a row, a sign that the once heavily polluted waterway is becoming healthy again.  We'll have more on this in the next Tremont Tribune, which comes out Friday.

A Riverdale man has pled guilty to accidently shooting and injuring a woman with an arrow last spring.  At the time, the case baffled detectives and local residents. 

A look back at the history of the University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP), which was founded in 1983 to preserve safe, affordable housing for working class Bronxites.   Today, in this latest housing crisis, the group's important work continues. 

On Easter Sunday, four people were shot in three separate incidents in midtown Manhattan. Hours later, one of the guns fired that night was used to shoot two men in the Bronx, police have discovered.

More photos of the ongoing demolition work at the old Yankee Stadium.

A new Fairway supermarket is opening today in Pelham Manor, a Westchester village just north of the Bronx.