Peter Rivera Joins Cuomo's Transition Team

Andrew Cuomo announced last week that Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera, whose district covers West Farms, Van Nest and Parkchester, will join the Governor-elect's transition team, to help advise him on economic development and labor issues, before he takes the State's helm in January.

This is in spite of previous reports that Cuomo, in his role as Attorney General, had been investigating Rivera for having too-cozy ties to a nonprofit group he'd funded, according to the Daily News.

"Cuomo said he will scrutinize the relationships state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. and Assemblyman Peter Rivera have with separate non-profit groups," the Daily News reported last year. Here's the link. 

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 4

Congressman Jose E. Serrano says he went to work yesterday with the goal of getting back a Democratic majority in 2012, after this Tuesday's election saw a Republican takeover of the House.

On the local level, it looks like Republicans in the State Senate could be on the verge of taking the majority, or at least ending up with a tie. More here.

A woman discovered an old military explosive while cleaning out her deceased uncle's Throgs Neck home. Police came to dispose of the mortar round, which may have been from the uncle's days in World War II.

Four members of a family from Mott Haven died in a car accident yesterday in Maryland, as they drove back to New York from Virginia Beach. Carmelo Dominguez, his wife Evelyn Morales, daughter Natasha Dominguez and 2-year-old grandson Jose were killed in the wreck.

Students and teachers at Herbert H. Lehman High School, in Westchester Square, worry an 'F' the school received on its DOE report card could mean closure for the school, or at least interfere with a longtime campaign to renovate their unusable football field.

The Post says the replacement of a longtime principal at Lehman two years ago is to blame for its slipping grades, according to some parents.

Mayor Bloomberg says he was unaware of an old city rule that banned cars with city plates from being towed--the regulation meant Assemblyman Nelson Castro, who has $8,600 in unpaid parking tickets, could park without fear.

With Redistricting on the Line, State Senate Results Still Too Close to Call

As the New York Times reported earlier, it’s looking like yesterday’s election results could end in a 31-31 split of Democrats and Republicans in the State Senate, or with the Republicans taking a victory and Democrats losing the slight majority they won in 2008.

Three races--one on Long Island, one in Westchester and another in Buffalo--are still too close to call, and will probably await the counting of absentee ballots.

The stakes are especially high this election, as 2010 Census figures are being calculated and the state legislature will take on redistricting over the next year or two.

Redistricting, or the redrawing of legislative district maps, lies in the hands of the legislature in Albany. Whatever party happens to be in power can lay the groundwork for a victory in the next several elections by ensuring districts work to their party’s favor.

“It’s huge,” said Christina Greer, a professor of politics at Fordham University. “It only happens every 10 years. The party in power really does get to, literally, draw the lines for districts that are the most  advantageous to them.”

Bronx Voters: "Democratic All The Way"

While today's election is sure to be a dramatic one nationwide--the results could shake up the balance of power in Washington, where the Democrats are trying to hold onto their majority--candidates on the local level here don't have much to worry about.

Bronx Democratic incumbents (with the exception of Pedro Espada, who lost to Gustavo Rivera in the September primary) are all likely to hold onto their seats for another term.

"I'm a Democrat, first and foremost," confirmed Norwood resident Carlos Ramos Jr., who said he'd be voting for every Democratic candidate on the ticket.

While Ramos feels that change is needed in Albany and Washington, citing unemployment as the issue that's most important to him, he says doesn't trust the Republican party to make that happen.

"Unfortunately, the Republicans want to go back to the same story," he said.

Betty Vernon, who voted this morning at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, said the same.

"I'm voting Democratic down the line," she said.

Retired transit worker Herbert Hall, who cast his vote today at St. Brendan's School, said that although he was voting "Democratic all the way," he has little faith in politicians from either party.

"They're all bums," he said. "They're all crooks, every last one of them."

Things Going Smoothly At Local Polls

Polls opened this morning at 6 for today's general election, and things seem to be going a lot better than they did during the September primary, when a new, scanner-based voting system caused confusion and minor chaos for voters and poll workers alike (Mayor Bloomberg called the Board of Election's performance that day a "royal screw-up.")

"The first time, it was crazy," said Enrique Cruz, a poll coordinator at St. Brendan's School on East 207th Street in Norwood. Things today, he said, are much better. Voters and workers are more familiar with the new machines. "So far, everything is going fine."

The scene at St. Brendan's was fairly quiet, with just a handful of people there to cast their ballots. One of the site's four scanner machines was down, but Board of Elections officials were on their way to fix it. Poll workers were running low on pens to give out (the new ballots require voters to fill in their choices by hand, like a high school scantron test) because voters kept taking off with them, Cruz said.

Voter turnout was steady this morning at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, on DeKalb Avenue.

There was a bigger crowd at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, on DeKalb Avenue, and workers there agreed that things were running much more smoothly than they did in September.

"This is much, much better," said poll coordinator Marie Sparks, who said the site has been busy all morning, the turnout steady. By noon, about 60 people had cast their ballots. "And it's still early," Sparks said. "We've still got nine more hours to go."

Workers at both sites expect things to get busiest around 5 or 6 p.m., as people are coming home from work. Polls close tonight at 9.

Mayor Bloomberg, meanwhile, is checking up on potential polling problems via twitter, asking voters to tweet their experience and tag them with the hashtag #nycvotes. You can always go the tradtional route, too, and report any problems by calling 311.

Has anyone voted today? What was your experience like? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

Diaz Jr. Pulls for DiNapoli in Little Watched Race

In today's election most Bronx Democrats are expected to canter to victory over largely symbolic Republican and Conservative opposition.  But nearer the top of the ticket there are at least two races - the state attorney general's and comptroller's - that could go either way.

For Dan Collins, a Huffington Post editor-at-large, the comptroller's race, which pits Democrat Thomas DiNapoli against Republican Harry Wilson, is the most interesting race on the ballot for those living in New York City - something he thought he would never conceivably say.

Last Tuesday, DiNapoli, the current comptroller who was appointed to the position in 2007 following Alan Hevesi's resignation, campaigned in the Bronx with Borough Preesident Ruben Diaz, Jr.  Tatiana Sanchez, a student at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, was on the scene and filed the following report.

By Tatiana Sanchez

At 7:30 a.m. last Tuesday, the bustle of a busy Bronx morning had a different sound to it. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. greeted commuters at the Parkchester subway station, asking them to re-elect DiNapoli in the upcoming election.

They stood on the corner of Metropolitan and Westchester avenues and extended their hands to the hundreds of people who whizzed past. Volunteers and campaign workers handed out pamphlets bearing a picture of DiNapoli on one side and a slogan reading, “It’s your money. It’s my job to protect it.”

DiNapoli, a Nassau County native, who has been New York’s comptroller since February of 2007, hopes to be re-elected this year. But given the fact that DiNapoli is running for a low-profile position that often slips under voter radar, his biggest concern one week before the election was getting people interested in the race and motivated to vote.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 2

Happy Election Day, everyone! Make sure you head to the polls today and vote. Here's a roundup of who's running in the Bronx and elsewhere. Now on to this morning's Bronx headlines:

Roberto Huie, a senior at the Eagle Academy for Young Men in Tremont, has been accepted into the prestigious West Point Military Academy.

Family and friends mourned yesterday at the funeral of 17-year-old Luzbenet Ramirez, who was found murdered in a Longwood apartment last week. A 40-year-old man has been arrested in connection with her death.

Catch up on your Bronx political news--including Nelson Castro's unpaid parking tickets and more on the future of the Muller Army Reserve Center--in Bob Kappstatter's weekly column. 

Rangers CEO Chuck Greenberg called Yankees fans an "embarrassment" during a radio interview yesterday.

Things are working out well in Morris Heights, where a residence for the mentally ill and chronically homeless was first met with neighborhood protests. Community Board 5 member Bernice Williams said last week that the center's residents are "very good neighbors." 

A 30-year-old Bronx man drove the wrong way on I-81 in upstate New York this weekend. He faces traffic-related charges.

State Assemblyman Michael Benjamin has proposed legislation to put the Board of Elections under mayoral control, following the firing of Executive Director George Gonzalez last week.

Election Day Guide in the Bronx and Beyond

The midterm elections have arrived, and the Republicans look likely to capture the House and make big gains in the Senate. It could be a very bad day for President Obama and the Democrat Party. On its website, the Washington Post has published an interactive map, showing the key battles in each state.

Here's how the statewide races shape up in New York:

In the race for governor, Andrew Cuomo (Democrat, Working Families Party, Independent), the current attorney general, faces Carl Paladino (Republican, Conservative) and five other candidates.

Incumbent Senator Charles Schumer (D, WF, Independent) faces Jay Townsend (R) and Celia Clark (Green).

Incumbent Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D, WF, I) faces Joe DioGuardi (R, C), and several other candidates.

In the race for state attorney general, Eric Schneiderman (D, WF, I), a state senator who serves parts  of Riverdale and northern Manhattan, faces Dan Donovan (R, C).
 
Thomas DiNapoli (D, WF), the incumbent state comptroller, is being challenged by Harry Wilson (R), Julia Willbrand (G) and John Gaetani (Libertarian).

The attorney general and comptroller's races are expected to be competitive; the others, not so much, with big wins for Democrats predicted.

With the exception of State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., who was defeated in September's primary by Gustavo Rivera, no incumbent Bronx Democrats are likely to lose their seats (what with the high number of registered Dems in the borough). The party is, however, in danger of losing the Senate in Albany, which could have massive implications for Cuomo's agenda (assuming he wins).  

The polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m. To find out where to vote, click here or call 1-866-VOTE-NYC. Depending on where you live in the Bronx, here's who you'll see on the ballot when it come to local races:

Diaz Sr. Wins Primary, But Loses an "Amigo"

In last night's primary election, Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz, Sr. defeated his challenger, community organizer Charlie Ramos, to move on to the general election in the Senate's 32nd District, where he's been in office since 2003.

But it wasn't all smiles for Diaz. While he was victorious, his Senate buddy, Pedro Espada, Jr., lost his seat to challenger Gustavo Rivera. Diaz has been a staunch defender of Espada throughout this election season, endorsing and even campaigning for him.

"I'm going to lose an amigo," Diaz told reporters as poll numbers started coming in during his election party last night--a classy buffet dinner and open bar celebration at Morris Park restaurant Maestro's.

This afternoon, Diaz sent out a press release saying that with Espada's looming departure, he "refuses for hispanics to forgo leadership" in the State Senate, and expects his colleagues to fill Espada's vacant spots with other Hispanic legislators (Espada is the Majority Leader, and also heads the Senate's Housing Committee).

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 15

NY1 has all the results from last night's Democratic primary. If you missed our coverage, you can read our  tweets from various election parties on the right side of this page. And we'll have more from several Bronx races later today, but until then, here are some highlights:

• The biggest story of the night: Gustavo Rivera beat out incumbent Pedro Espada by a pretty significant margin. We'll post more on both candidates' events last night in a bit. For more, see here, here, and here, and pretty much everywhere else. Hiram Monserrate, the former Queens senator who helped Espada stage the Senate coup last year and who has faced his own share of legal troubles, also lost last night in his bid for State Assembly. 

• Besides Espada, every other Bronx incumbent in the Senate and Assembly who faced a primary challenge came out victorious. 

• Sen. Eric Schneiderman, whose district includes parts of Riverdale, will head into November's election as the Democratic candidate for Attorney General. He was one of five candidates vying for the spot, and just barely defeated candidate Kathleen Rice.

On to some other, non-election Bronx news:

Four people were injured in an apartment fire that broke out this morning on Bronx Park Avenue. 

A disgruntled worker who was fired from his job at a Domino's pizza set fire to two locations of the chain restaurant--one on White Plains Road and the other on Boston Road. No one was injured. 

A suspect in the Riverdale synagogue bomb plot apparently forgot to set the timer on one of his explosive devices, according to recorded tapes play during the trial. 

Jay-Z and Eminem wrapped up their concert series last night at Yankee Stadium. The performance brought fans to tears, according to MTV.com

City Limits has this piece on the death of Norwood resident Billy Murphy, and on the alarming raise in violent acts committed against the homeless (see more on Murphy's death in the Norwood News, here.)

Residents in Woodlawn suspect someone targeting stray cats may have poisoned a family's pet dog. 

The Daily News writes about a student exchange program between Bronx CUNY Prep students and a school in Berlin, Germany. 

Mixed Reviews for New Voting Machines



A woman tests out a new ballot scanning machine in Bedford Park
last month. (Photo by Jeanmarie Evelly)

 So far, there's been both good and bad feedback about the Board of Election's new voting system that debuted today--a paper ballot and scanner to replace the traditional lever machines, which have been used in New York since the 1960s.

Mayor Bloomberg said this morning that the BOE's handling of the new system was "a royal screw-up," and some Bronx voters were inclined to agree.

"They don't know what they're doing," said Nora Baerga, who was chatting with friends on Prospect Avenue and E. 185th Street after she'd returned from voting at Grace Dodge High School nearby. Staff at the polls were "more lost than I was," she said, adding that they didn't have enough pens at the site for people to use--despite the fact that the new paper ballots require voters to fill in their choices by hand.

"I had to use my own pen," she said. "They could have just gone to the TD Bank down the street and gotten the free pens there."

Espada Visits the Polls

Esapda outside of a polling station at PS 57 in Crotona (Photo by Jeanmarie Evelly)

Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr., pictured above, was making the rounds today, visiting the polls in his 33rd Senate District.  He was spotted outside of PS 57 Crescent School, on Crotona Avenue, flacked by a group of staffers and looking dapper in a navy blue suit, pale yellow tie and matching pocket handkerchief. 

The Senator, who cast his own vote this morning at PS 8 in Bedford Park, said he was visiting various polling sites to make sure things were going smoothly with the state's new voting machines, which use paper ballots and a scanner instead of the traditional lever system. 

"We've seen some significant problems," Espada said, saying he heard some polls were late getting open in time for their 6 a.m. deadline, and that some voters were confused with the new system. "I don't think it will affect the outcome, but there's always a concern of disenfranchising voters."

Espada went on to say that he was feeling confident about a victory in today's election, and then criticized his rival, Gutavo Rivera, for running a negative campaign that he thinks will make people less likely to vote.

"What we need is more outreach and less negative campaigning," he said. "[Rivera's] camp totally dwelled on the negative, and that has the effect of reducing voter turnout." 

(For the record, there have been a number of negative mailers circulating that blast Rivera--you can see a few of them here--though Espada's campaign denies having sent them). 

Espada then got into a dark blue Cadillac Escalade and drove away. He and his supporters are hosting a "celebration event" tonight at the Luna Lounge, at 1832 Webster Ave. We'll have more on that later.

What You're Seeing Out There

We asked readers to tell us what they're seeing out there and one Norwood resident sent us this dispatch from MS 80 on Mosholu Parkway in Norwood.

I vote at MS 80 on Mosholu Parkway -- To vote here you need to be persistent - there is a line of parents and kids trying to get there kids registered that I had to push - pass - then I had to firmly tell the school guard (an obnoxious fellow) that no I did not need to get on his line -  I finally just walked around him.

When I got to the cafeteria - the workers were in turmoil -- only one of the scanners was working.  The "Captain" for the site had never showed.  A woman was taking charge who actually seemed to know what she was doing but the other workers were not paying much attention.  The woman who I asked to double check the book for my ED did not know how to look up an address - I showed her.  I also had to find my name in the book with the signatures.   

Just up the hill from MS 80, BxNN guest blogger Gregory Lobo Jost had this to say in a comment earlier about voting at St. Brendan's School.

No problems for me at Saint Brendan's. I went at 8am and it was not crowded, but there was a steady trickle of folks coming in to vote. I was worried about the new voting system, but it was very smooth, and our poll workers were helpful and seemed to have things under control.

There were two scanners in operation. I didn't check the number on mine, but I heard the other machine was up to vote #24.

Outside the polling site on 207th heading just west of the school were two Espada staffers/volunteers (not looking enthused at all) and one Rivera staff/volunteer who seemed upbeat.

Please keep letting us know what you're seeing and experiencing at the polls.

Campaign Staff Fight for Voters at East Tremont Polls

Lauren Mariotti (front, right) hands out fliers for Gustavo Rivera, while Espada supporters campaign across the street. (Photos by Jeanmarie Evelly)

It's a turf war this morning at the corner of Mohegan Avenue and E. 179th Street, as staffers from rival campaigns in the 33rd Senate District race have staked out opposite street corners, fighting for the attention of voters heading to the polls at nearby PS 67.

Lauren Mariotti, a volunteer for Gustavo Rivera (the candidate challenging incumbent Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr.) gave a flier to one man as he walked by. The man was then immediately approached by a campaigner for Espada, who had been standing across the street. 

"There's nothing on that flier that says anything Gustavo has done for the community," the staffer said, declining to give his name, and drawing on the same rhetoric that's been used as an argument against Rivera throughout this election season. 

"There's been some back and forth," Mariotti said. "But it's all in good fun."

Across the street from her stood Elsie Cambero and Jessica Loaiza, both wearing t-shirts that read, "Vote Espada, Our Hero."

Bronx Elections: The Rundown

While there's been no shortage of talk about the candidates running in the 33rd State Senate District--the seat currently occupied by Pedro Espada, Jr.--we thought we'd provide a rundown of who's competing in myriad other local races.

Here's a synopsis of Bronx candidates who've filed petitions with the City and the State Board of Elections. These might not necessarily be the names you'll see on the ballot this fall, as a candidate's signatures petition can get thrown out for a number of reasons if it's challenged by an opponent. The deadline for challenging a candidate who filed was July 19, and the final primary ballot will be set August 9 after the signatures are reviewed.

The state's primary will be held on Sept. 14, while the general election will be Nov. 2. Not registered to vote yet? You have until Aug. 20 to register to vote in the primary, and until Oct. 8 for the general election. Visit this site or call 1-800-FOR-VOTE to have a registration form sent to you.

Read more after the jump to see our list.