Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 18

In December 2009, arsonists broke into a Unionport church, scrawling obscenities on the walls and stealing computers before setting the place alight. The church has since bounced back, rebuilding and doubling the size of its congregation.

Workers who claim they were laid off by Woodlawn Cemetery after joining a union, rallied outside the cemetery yesterday afternoon. They've previously accused their supervisors of racism.

Last year, 27 people were murdered in Bronx housing projects, up from 13 in 2009.

A Bronx boxer is returning to the ring after a 25-year absense.

Three Bronx men have been arrested for allegedly using counterfeit bills at a mall in Middletown in upstate New York.

Jorje Jimenez, a Lehman College student and possibly the best wrestler in the city, could be new Jersey-bound, dealing a blow to those trying to promote the sport here in New York.

State Sen. Jeff Klein's breakaway Independent Democratic Conference is already in trouble, says the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter in his weekly column. 

State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. is accusing Gov. Andrew Cuomo of "blackmailing" New York.

A Bronx gymnast with bags of potential is on the way back after a serious injoury.

A Q & A with Majora Carter, the founder of Sustainable South Bronx who now runs her own consultancy firm.

Youngsters from the Bronx and Westchester took part in the third annual Intergenerational Martin Luther King, Jr., Great Debaters Contest on Saturday morning.

More on Assemblyman's Peter Rivera ties to a non-profit organization whose executive director has been charged with corruption.  Rivera allegedly told investigators he knew nothing about Neighborhood Enhancement for Training and Services' day to day operations, and didn't even know the executive director drew a salary - which is little strange considering he's given more than $2 million to the group over the years. If nothing else, the allegations and rumors surrounding Rivera have ended any chance he had of landing a job on Gov. Cuomo's team. Here's the Bronx News Network's original post about the investigation.

Soundview Health Care Network, the group of health centers run by Pedro Espada, the legally challenged former state senator, is still open for business, despite the scandals.

Last week, Cathie Black, the new Schools chancellor, quipped that "birth control" was the solution to school overcrowding.  Mayor Bloomberg has since tried to defend her, but was booed yesterday at a Martin Luther King, Jr. Councilman Charles Barron and others say Black's remarks had racist connotations.

Espada's replacement, Gustavo Rivera, gave a wide-ranging interview to Feet in 2 Worlds about his plans for district and the alleged "debt" he owes those who helped him win election. 

More on the Archdiocese of New York's decision to close six Bronx schools.

Students at Fordham University are apparently eager to learn Twi, a language widely spoken in West Africa as well as parts of the Bronx.

More on a new city program - the Proactive Preservation Initiative - which is designed to identify buildings that are falling into disrepair. The program was inspired by the terrible conditions at 10 Bronx proprieties owned by Milbank Real Estate.

Resident of a Riverdale co-op are being driven barking mad by a neighbor's "singing" dog.

Bronx Catholic Schools Struggle with Enrollment, Fight Closures

Last month, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York announced that it would stop providing subsidies for 32 Catholic schools in the state--six in the Bronx--in an effort to ease ongoing budget problems, cuts that would essentially mean closure for most of the schools named.

The schools, chosen for their low enrollment numbers, have until the end of the month to appeal the decision by coming up with a plan to prove their financial viability before a final decision is made in January.

"The initial reaction was very sad, everyone was very upset and teary eyed. But the mood is kind of transitioning," said Michael Brady, a board member at St. Augustine's School in Morrisania, which currently has 170 students, and will present its proposal to the archdiocese today.

"We're hopeful and prayerful, and willing to put up the good fight. We know we serve a good purpose here," Brady said.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 10

The Archdiocese of New York is threatening to strip six Bronx Catholic schools of the financial subsidies they've long relied on. In all, 32 schools across the state could be impacted. Without the subsidy, it's expected that most schools would be forced to close. In the Bronx, the following are at risk: Saint Augustine, Saint John Vianney, Saint Martin of Tours, Saint Dominic, Saint Anthony-Saint Frances and Saint Pius V Girls High School.

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is stepping down. Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, will replace him, Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday. Klein oversaw a massive reorganization of the public school system, and won many friends, but fierce enemies, too. In an editorial, the Daily News praised Klein's work and said: "The city's children are far, far better off today than when he started eight years ago." But columnist Juan Gonzalez says he lost the respect of both parents and teachers. 

Students at IS 190, a school near Crotona Park, been have writing letters and sending artwork to a school in Nicaragua, part of a cross-cultural exchange designed to promote tolerance and understanding. Yesterday, the students visited the New York State Division of Human Rights, located at One Fordham Plaza, where some of their artwork hangs, to learn more about discrimination.

Parents with the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice rallied in Bronx on Monday, to demand that the Department of Education step up its game and address poor test scores.

When the Republicans take over the House in January, New York's congressional delegation will lose the chairmanships of several committees and subcommittees. Among those affected: Congressman Jose Serrano and Eliot Engel.

Two gunmen robbed a pharmacy in Mott Haven on Monday evening.