Sorry, a little late with our roundup today, as we're going to press with the latest edition of the Norwood News, which will be out tomorrow.
Weather: Rain, rain, and more rain. Temperatures in the low 60s.
Story of the Day: Bronx Pastor Sworn In as Obama Ambassador
Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, who grew up in Wakefield and founded Bronx Christian Fellowship Church on E. Gunhill Road and Paulding Avenue, was appointed President Obama's ambassador for religious freedom yesterday--the first woman and the first African-American to ever hold the post. According to the State Department's website, Johnson Cook's new role includes "promoting religious freedom as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy."
"This is a chance to build connections that can increase understanding and can help bring peace," she told the Daily News.
Quick Hits:
An adorable cat that fell seven stories from the window of a Bronx building is on the mend. The four-month-old broke both of his front legs and fractured the roof of his mouth.
According to a tally of baby names compiled by the Social Security Administration, 105 baby boys were named Bronx in 2010--a very distant second to the 8,357 little ones named after some variant of Brooklyn (i.e. Brooklynn or Brooklynne). Our borough got a little extra love, however, from the 47 sets of parents that went with the name Jeter.
In a move sure to make Michael Pollan groan, the State Legislature has voted corn the official vegetable of New York (it beat out the onion). A group of researchers at Lehman College, meanwhile, have been studying the genetic properties of the plant, with the city's only "research corn field" growing on the Bedford Park Blvd. campus.
A subway train that went off the rails in Brooklyn has led to delays and some track changes on the B and D lines today. Check mta.info for service updates before you head out.
The NYPD's 49th Precinct in Baychester recently got a makeover from muralist Bob Rose, who has painted wall murals over 100 stationhouses across the city.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Bronx News Roundup, May 17
Monday, May 10, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, May 10
Hope everyone had a great weekend! Now its time for some BX news!
A birthday party went sour early Sunday when two Bronx teens were killed on Weeks Avenue in Mt. Hope. A 20-year-old woman was also wounded and taken to St. Barnabas Hospital to be treated. The two alleged gunmen have been arrested.
President Obama has nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan, another female New Yorker (after Bronxite Sonia Sotomayor), to take a seat on the Supreme Court.
Yesterday, firefighters ordered hundreds of tenants of a 29-story building in Melrose to evacuate the building due to an unstable chimney they thought would come crashing down. Tenants of the adjacent building were evacuated as well.
Part of the Solution (POTS.) Agency does more than just provide the poor and homeless with food and showers, they give them hair cuts too!
A look into what Assistant Chief Carlos Gonzalez, the NYPD's new Bronx Borough Commander is all about.
The "green" mixed-income affordable housing development, El Jardine de Selene, in Melrose is officially open. The LEED-Gold certification is still pending.
A Bronx man who was allegedly drunk, drove into nine pedestrians on Route 120 in New Jersey. Charges against him are yet to be determined.
According to a state senator, the number of sex offenders living in public housing projects in the Bronx has dropped, but not enough.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sotomayor Central
President Barack Obama announced on Monday his nomination of Bronx native Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court, touching off a barrage of online reporting, writing and opining.
Here's a rundown of some what's being written on World Wide Web:
The New York Times writes about how Sotomayor overcame adversity to make it to her appointment.
Not surprisingly, Fox News wrote about how Sotomayor may have not only a liberal bias, but also a "minority bias" as well.
Other critics, like Jeffrey Rosen of the New Republic, believe that the nominee's personality will drag her down.
Some liberal groups are not thrilled by the nomination, saying that Sotomayor has not taken strong leftist stances on issues like abortion, the death penalty, and gay marriage. Politico reveals that some consider her a moderate. MSNBC futher explores her record, focusing on both the left and the rights's concern over her stance on abortion.
Although a blog on ABCnews.com reports many Republicans promise a long battle for Sotomayor's approval, the New York Times counters with an article stating The White House is confident in her nomination as her appointment is the result of very careful calculations.
Many are hailing Sotomayor as a Latino activist, but the New York Times explores the Latino community's mixed reactions to her appointment.
While Leslie Sanchez, in a commentary on CNN.com, questions Sotomayor's self-proclaimed empathy for Hispanic values, Juan Gonzalez, in a Daily News Column, calls the Judge's nomination a "Day of Pride for Latinos."
However, not all are convinced that Sotomayor really would be the first Latin American to sit on the Supreme Court. The Associated Press explores the questions surrounding the label of the first Latino nominee.
Sotomayor's Latin heritage is not the only criteria that distingushes her from other judges. Politico reports that the Judge's current finances are significantly inferior to those of her counterparts.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
It's Official (We're Serious This Time), Adolfo's Off to Washington; And He Has a Special Assistant
Here's the official White House press release:
>WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, President Barack Obama announced the following White House posts: Adolfo Carrion, White House Director of Urban Affairs and Derek Douglas, Special Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs.
Adolfo Carrion, White House Director of Urban Affairs- Carrion has served two terms as Bronx Borough President and one term as the President of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). As Bronx Borough President, Carrion oversaw the creation of 40,000 new units of housing in seven years, 50 new schools, $7 billion in capital and infrastructure expenditures, and over $400 million in new parks and parkland renovation. Prior to his service as Bronx Borough President, Carrion represented the 14th City Council District on the New York City Council and also served as an urban planner at the NYC Department of City Planning and a teacher in the New York City Public Schools. Carrion received his bachelors in World Religions and Philosophy from King's College in 1985 and his Masters in Urban Planning from Hunter College in 1990.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
New from the Norwood News
Ah, it felt good to write that headline. After a couple of weeks flailing about in the digital world, the Norwood News is back online. So, while we've neglected to get you the news roundup in a timely fashion today, take a minute to chew on a fresh batch of new stories from the Norwood News. Here's a quick preview:
-A view of Inauguration Day from Lehman College students, staff and faculty.
-Edtiorial: What can Bronx elected officials learn from Obama?
-A North Fordham neighborhood confronts their local police precinct about crime and missing police reports.
-The brutal murder and dismemberment of a North Fordham woman remains unsolved, though her ex-boyfriend, who has a history of arrests, has been questioned about the murder and was arrested on other charges.
-A century-old nonprofit that trains and helps women find meaningful jobs is recruiting in the Bronx for the first time.
-A Fordham-area-Marine who was killed in Afghanistan was recently laid to rest.
-A $4.5 million plan to remake the green space around the Jerome Park Reservoir received mixed reveiws.
Plus, our Inquiring Photographer asked about the Bush years and check out our expanded Neighborhood Notes section and our Out & About calendar.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Bronx High Schoolers: What Obama's Rise Means to Us
Perhaps you’ve seen this video before: it’s been viewed 400,000-plus times since it was uploaded to YouTube last March. In it, students at the Bronx High School of Performance and Stagecraft on Boston Road, talk about Barack Obama’s “speech on race,” and how the then-candidate makes them feel empowered and determined to succeed.
The video became famous – and contentious – because it was shot by the Obama campaign and later used to attract donors (which didn’t sit well with the Department of Education). But looking past the controversy, it gives some insight into why Bronx youth – or this class, at least – feels so in touch with the new president.
No doubt the teenagers on film enjoyed watching yesterday’s festivities.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Inauguration and other bits and pieces
We're getting to this a little late, but here's a roundup of today's Bronx news:
The Inauguration
The Bronx Lab School on Gun Hill Road was one of many Bronx schools to hold screenings of this afternoon's inauguration.
Mount Hope Monitor contributor Rebecca Chao visited MS 399 on 184th Street where hundreds of excited (and occasionally emotional) students watched proceedings in the school's auditorium. “He [Obama] makes us feel powerful, hopeful," said one eighth grader before the speech. "If he can do it, anyone can do it.” Afterwards, Student Council members, responding to Obama's can-do attitude and call to public service, said they were inspired more than ever to reverse the DOE's recent decision to close their school.
Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano had this to say:
Today our national dream of equality for all was one step closer as we watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama. This man who came from such an unlikely background to the presidency has become the repository of our hopes and dreams. Now he will have the chance deliver on the promise of his message. We will stand side-by-side with him and put our collective strength to fixing our nation.More here.
As a boy from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico that grew up in the projects in The Bronx, and came to serve in the U.S. Congress, I believe in unlikely journeys and the power of the American dream.
Other news
Councilman Jimmy Vacca is co-sponsoring a bill that's sure to be popular with car owners.
State Senator Pedro Espada has once again failed to file a required financial disclosure report.
In September, Jonas Bronck Academy, a middle school, will move into Fordham Place, the building that houses Sears and Best Buy. The school is currently located on Manhattan College Parkway in Riverdale.
One of Bob Kappstatter's anonymous sources thinks he/she knows why Borough President Adolfo Carrion's confirmation as Obama's director of urban policy is taking an age and a day.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Bronx Overwhelming for Obama
Highbridge residents speak on elections
The Horizon visited CES 73 in Highbridge yesterday, and interviewed local voters coming out of the polls. Though we interviewed 15-20 voters, you will note that, as was the case with Alma Watkins' reporting, we didn't come across anyone who supported McCain. (We did find one person who said he used to support McCain).
Below are some excerpts from the interviews we conducted on Election Day.
Giselle Pagan, 21: (Pagan sported buttons reading "Hope" and "Witness History")
On her feelings this election day compared to previous election days:
"Whether he [Obama] wins or not, we're making history by having a woman and African-American run up until now. Whoever wins, it's gonna have an affect on who our future president can be."
On what issues matter to her most during this election:
"The economy is number one. The war and the economy."
On what changes she envisions if Obama wins:
"Hopefully, it will show other people that they do have the potential to lead and be on top and they're not those stereotypes many people believe them to be."
Mark Yarde, 42
On why he switched from supporting McCain initially to ultimately voting for Obama:
"McCain started out as a maverick, but took too many of Bush's views."
"First he said the economy was sound. then, 3 or 4 weeks later, he said we have to have a bail-out. How can he flip-flop so fast?"
On both McCain and Obama's support for the recent $700 billion bail-out plan:
"Either one wants to push this economic plan really serious. All the other stuff about wars and what's going on overseas, I think they gotta deal with the homefront first. That's their first agenda -- to deal with this bail-out plan."
"You can't see massive amounts of people laid off and stand by and do nothing."
On the impact of an Obama victory:
"If Obama wins, it's a feeling of accomplishment. I'm not really African-American, but coming from an African-American perspective, maybe it's something African-Americans were looking forward to for some time. "
"If Obama wins, I think it's a change because you had 8 years of a Republican government that didn't really work. If McCain wins, I hope he becomes the maverick he once was."
Madeline Luna, 30
On why she voted for Obama:
"I voted for him because we needed a change."
"I'm trying to get people out of Iraq, not keep them in there."
On what issues matter most to her:
"The economy is really bad right now. I'm hoping everything just gets better."
On what she views as the similarities between McCain and Bush:
"They're both Repbulicans. That's a no-no for me. I'm a Democrat."
"We don't want no more wars. I'm just hoping the war is over sooner than soon."
On Barack Obama's plan to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan:
"That I'm against."
"I think we just need to take everybody out of there, period. I think we've lost enough."
Doug Matthews, 55
On whether an Obama presidency will reduce racism:
"I know it exists, but with myself, everybody's equal. I don't think it's Black and white. It's gray. Green. Currency - that's the color I'm thinking about."
On how he expected to feel the day after the election:
"When he wins, good work, and we'll see what he's gonna do when he has the ball. If McCain wins the voters spoke. McCain has a good platform."
On whether life for people in Highbridge will change if Obama wins:
"Right now, it's changing. There's a lot of employment going on. They're building a new Yankee Stadium in the area. They got the mall on River Avenue. There's gonna be employment over there."
Coraliza Rodriguez, 78
On why she voted for Obama:
[After noting she originally wasn't going to vote, and her daughter convinced her]:
"She said, 'Mommy, you don't want Bush to stay.'"
On what she hopes Obama will do as president:
"I hope that he does what he promises - especially for senior citizens."
"I hope that this guy does something for poor people."
Judith Dilpan, 23
[Dilpan noted that she had hoped to vote for the first time, but upon arriving at the polls, found out that she was not registered]
On what she wants to change under the next administration:
"The economy, taxes. So it could be lower."
J. Hill, 50
On her hopes for an Obama presidency:
"That he'll be able to help turn the economy around."
"Whoever wins, it's a major mess to straighten out. I'm hopeful that it's all gonna turn around. These are very desperate times."
On the prospect [now a reality] of Obama becoming the first Black president:
"I'm elated. I'm really elated, I can't even begin to tell you. I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime."
On whether Obama winning will improve the situation for Black people in the U.S.:
"I would hope it would change for the better. Hopefully, it would get people to get their act together and think about everything like the crime and the drugs. Hopefully it would stir up something in the Black race."
On McCain's vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin:
"I don't think she was qualified. I think she just came out of nowhere. I don't think her family's that stable, either."
Derrick King, 34
On his hopes for the next administration:
"My hopes are particularly within the immediate community - to finally see some real change. Every politician promotes change. But we never actually see it."
On the U.S. wars in the Middle East:
"Personally, I would say that it's more than enough time to our have our troops return home. But that' s a decision the powers-that-be can make."
Shameena Morris, 26
On her hopes for the upcoming election:
"In my hopes, Barack Obama comes out and is able to make change as far as the economy, as far as health care."
On Obama's plan to send more troops to Afghanistan:
"I guess he figures the war wasn't supposed to occur in Iraq - this is where the war was supposed to occur, in Afghanistan."
[Follow-up: What does Morris think of that argument?]
"Hmm. That I'm not too sure."
On the prospect [now a reality] of Barack Obama being the first Black president:
"Hopefully, he's out for change. He can't disappoint us. He shouldn't."
"Politics is bound to change, but hopefully he'll stand his ground."
On whether Obama winning will change the situation for Black people in the U.S. :
"Hopefully, not only will racism change, hopefully everyone will focus on taking a stand when it comes to everything overall."
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The scene at I.S. 117 in Mount Hope
Mount Hope Monitor photographer Alma Watkins says there's lengthy lines inside I.S. 117 Joseph Wade this morning. She spoke to a number of voters as they entered the Morris Avenue school to find out what's driving their decision.
I came from Costa Rica 40 years ago and have always heard rascally remarks about how the white man keeps the black man down. Now we see with our own eyes that a black man is a candidate for president of the United States. That’s why I’m voting for Obama. - RALPH BLESSITT
We've had enough with white presidents - it is time for a change. He [Obama] ran a good campaign and is a better speaker then McCain or Bush. Bush just never connected with the American people. We need a president that can communicate with the people.- JD MORRISON
I’ve been a Democrat all my life. I wanted Hillary for president but I picked Obama. He's better then the other guy.
- SANTA MERCADO
Other thoughts:
Obama for change, get Bush out, get the money back to the people. - ANDREW LAIOSA
I'm voting for Obama as he will help minorities and has a good health plan for the elderly. - CYNTHIA SCOTT
Obama has better ideals, and stands firm on his feet. He will make a good leader, a strong leader. - ISRAEL ROBLES
It was taking voters about an hour to get in and out of the building, Alma said. She says she's "still working on finding a McCain fan."
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Bronx News Roundup: Oct. 30
Battle for the Bronx Democratic Party
The Times' City Room writes about the legal wrangling going on at the Bronx County Courthouse between two faction vying for the leadership of the Bronx Democratic Party. Basically, it says the flareup is an embarassment to the party.
Here's a good summation: "At a time when party organizations throughout the area are busy dispatching volunteers to Pennsylvania to work for Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, Bronx leaders have been criticized for a level of infighting so intense that they are spending their days in court."
Embattled current leader Jose Rivera's camp made it's case yesterday and the insurgents, led by Carl Heastie and Jeff Dinowitz, are supposed to outline their arguments today. Closing arguments are set for tomorrow, but a decision might not be made for another couple of weeks.
Other News
A teacher who called his Bronx students "filthy animals" will not be allowed to retain his job. After being fired over the comments last year, he sued the school district. But a judge upheld the firing.
A Bronx man was shot in the leg last night in Mt. Vernon.
The Kalamazoo Gazette profiles Bronx musician Lipbone Redding who started as a subway musician and is now gaining national notoriety. Redding uses his voice to create sounds like a trombone and calls himself a "voicestumentalist."
Two Bronx cops were indicted on assault charges after allegedy spraying a man with tear gas, then pistol-whipping him and beating him with a baton. Apparently, the man was blocking traffic with his door and had yelled something at the officers.
Yankees President Randy Levine said they would have moved the team to New Jersey or somewhere out of the Bronx, if the city didn't issue tax-exempt bonds for the new stadium project. Congress recently conducted hearings into whether the team and the city's Economic Development Corporation inflated the value of the land in order to get the tax-exempt bonds approved.
In the saddest story of the day, a Throgs Neck man allegedly stabbed his wife's beagle to death after the couple had an argument. Warning: if you're a dog lover, this may make you cry. The NY Post's headline reads, "Snoopy Didn't Have to Die."
A Highbridge area soup kitchen may be evicted, but not without protests from local residents.
NY1 takes the Bronx's political temperature and reports that the borough has Obama fever.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Stop Hatin' on Community Organizers!
Opinion by Gregory Lobo Jost
In case you weren't watching last night, a political party repeatedly degraded the role of community organizers at their convention.
Former mayor Giuliani (laughing): "Maybe this is the first problem on [Obama's] resume... he worked as a community organizer!"
VP nominee Sarah Palin: "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.”
Regardless of whether you are an Obama, McCain, McKinney, or Barr supporter, these comments denegrate important contributions made by thousands of (mostly) young women and men during the past 70 years, in both urban AND rural America. To say the very least, if not for the work of community organizers, redlining would still be official bank policy and the Bronx would still be burning. And what about empowering low income and working class people to stand up and fight for their neighborhoods, take pride in their communities, and make REAL changes in our society? Is this a job without responsibilities? Indeed it is a job that is difficult to perform properly, requires long hard hours, is often thankless and pays very little! Certainly for the millions of Americans who have benefitted from the work done by community organizers (myself and the other 1.4 million Bronx residents) it is nothing to laugh at.
I may be over-reacting, but I take these insults very personally (and I don't even qualify as a pure organizer). Sure, these comments are made for calculated political gain during a campaign, and I expect no better from the former NYC mayor. But to hear it over and over again on national TV (PBS no less!) without any counterpoint just made my blood boil.
Has any other profession been repeatedly ridiculed like this at a political convention before? Could you imagine if this was said about YOUR LIFE'S WORK to millions of viewers with no rebuttal?
Update: David Gonzalez of the New York Times has posted a column, Bronx Organizers React to G.O.P. Punchlines, featuring the work of two past local community organizers still active in the neighborhoods.
2nd Update: A new site has sprung in response to these attacks on organizers, and the initial post (also available on the Indypendent) features west Bronx organizer Jackie del Valle of New Settlement Apartments/CASA!
Also, this entry on the Huffington Post features the Center for Community Change's official response to the remarks.Community organizers across America, taken aback by a series of attacks from Republican leaders at the GOP convention in St. Paul, came together today to defend their work organizing Americans who have been left behind by unemployment, lack of health insurance and the national housing crisis. The organizers demanded an apology from Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for her statement that community organizers have no “actual responsibilities” and launched a web site, http://organizersfightback.wordpress.com/, to defend themselves against Republican attacks.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Bronx News Roundup Aug. 21
Borough President Adolfo Carrion may be creating "unnecessary political enemies" by jumping off the fence to endorse Washington Heights Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat over Miguel Martinez. [NYT]
In the presidential primaries, Carrion campaigned for Hillary Clinton. Now he's helping Barack Obama reach out to Hispanic voters. [El Diario La Prensa]
There's bickering in the Bronx over who will be the next Civil Court candidate. [Daily News]
Two kids who were separated from their mom when a carjacker stole the livery cab they were riding in were released unharmed near their Morrisania home. [NY1]
A burst sewer line has disrupted proceedings at the new Bronx Hall of Justice. [Post]
Health care workers at a Kingsbridge nursing home, who have been striking for six months over stingy pay and benefits, are celebrating today after getting back their old jobs and seniority. Their boss - who pays herself a hefty $700,000 a year to run the 400-bed center - lost an appeal yesterday and now faces jail-time. [Daily News]
Montefiore Medical Center now performs liver transplants. [Market Watch]
Two high school students from the Bronx Academy of Letters have been studying at Berkeley this summer. [UC Berkeley News] In the fall, two different students - one from Mount Hope, the other from Morris Heights - are off to Ivy League colleges on full-scholarships. [Mount Hope Monitor]
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A Bronx Obama?
Inspired by Barack Obama using his stint in the Illinois state legislature as a springboard to national office, The Capitol, a newspaper that tracks politics in Albany, takes a look at up-and-coming state senators in the Empire State and lists three with Bronx constituencies -- Jose M. Serrano, Jeff Klein, and Eric Schneiderman. Serrano is at the top of the list. Each are ranked on the 'Obamameter.'
Friday, June 20, 2008
Bronx BP to Host Obama, McCain
Next Saturday, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, will host presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama in his role as chair of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. We reported recently that Carrion had left the door open to possibly serving in an Obama administration in an appearance on NY1.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Bronxite Pushing for Obama in Pennsylvania
There is a huge Democratic primary battle going on today in Pennsylvania and one of our own Bronx boys is there battling in Philadelphia for front-runner Barrack Obama.
Two and a half months ago, Hillary Clinton, backed by most local politicians, handily won the New York primary, despite a serious effort by one Bronx political activist. In the weeks leading up to the Feb. 5 Supper Tuesday primary, Haile Rivera, a University Heights resident, drove his mini-van all over the city campaigning for Obama.
Despite Clinton's nearly 20 percentage point victory here in the Empire State, Obama went on to win a string of primaries and caucuses and currently holds a significant lead in the popular vote and in delegates, going into today's Pennsylvania primary.
After New York, Rivera, a candidate for Maria Baez's soon-to-be-vacant 14the district council seat, began dedicating weekends (and even some week days) volunteering with Obama's campaign in places like Virginia and Rhode Island.
A few weeks ago, Rivera made a risky and possibly life-changing decision. He quit his job (one that he loved and cared deeply about) at the nonprofit New York Food Bank, to work full-time (and get paid less) on Obama's campaign in Philadelphia.
He's now working (that's Rivera pictured) seven days a week, sometimes up to 18 hours a day, leading local volunteers in the struggle for Philadelphia hearts and minds. He says it's hard, but rewarding and that he wouldn't have done it if he didn't believe Obama to be a transcendent politician that could change this country. Plus, he's gaining valuable political chops for his upcoming (and ongoing) campaign for city council. He says it's a "once in a lifetime opportunity."
Luckily, his mother lives there and he stays with her. But his girlfriend, Cosette, still lives in the couple's apartment in U-Heights and the distance is tough on both of them. Every weekend, she takes a Chinatown bus to Philly to help him out on the campaign.
Depending on what happens in Pennsylvania (Clinton has a big lead in polls, but Obama is more popular in Philly and other urban areas), Rivera will have another decision to make. If Obama wins, Clinton might drop out of the race. But if Clinton wins, the race will most certainly continue. Obama officials want Rivera to move on with them to upcoming primary states and he's seriously considering it. Next up: North Carolina and Indiana on May 6. Either way, that's a long bus ride.
Monday, January 28, 2008
On the West Bronx Campaign Trail
Here's a couple of shots from local political activist Haile Rivera, who passed out Barack Obama literature at the West Kingsbridge-area Target on Saturday morning (above) and then attended an Obama rally at City Hall on Sunday (below).
By the way, Rivera has political aspirations of his own. He's running for Maria Baez's City Council seat (District 14) , which is up for grabs in 2009.
The West Bronx News Network will be following the local campaign action leading up to the presidential primary on Feb. 5. On so-called Super Tuesday, New York and 23 other states will be voting to choose party nominees.
Note: We encourage everyone to send us their presidential primary campaign photos and/or information so we can post it on this site.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Bronx News Roundup for Jan. 16
City Limits takes a look at the possibilities of a park-and-ride at the new Yankee Stadium in the context of Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan.
Speaking of Yankee parking lots, one of the proposed stadium lots that was eventually abandoned is now being offered up to developers by the Parks Department with few strings attached, the New York Post reports.
Meanwhile, the new stadium, now in mid-construction, has a sign.
The New York Post and the
State Senator Jose M. Serrano blogs about his new bill that would mandate all state employees to keep immigration status confidential “when providing essential services for aw abiding people.”
City Council candidate Haile Rivera is organizing a Latinos con Obama event on Jan. 26.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Bronx News Roundup Jan. 14
In the Bronx, Internet cafes are as rare as Starbucks. It's good to hear, then, that one (an Internet cafe, not a Starbucks) is about to be built in Soundview. (More here on the borough's digital divide and what's being done to correct it.)
In the Post today, there's a look at a "murderous gang turf war" that's engulfed several Manhattan high schools. The violence has been fueled by the rivalry of two Dominican gangs, Dominicans Don't Play (aka DDP) and the Trinitarios, says the paper. Washington Heights, in northern Manhattan, has been hit the hardest, but both gangs are active in the west Bronx, too. DDP gang members, for example, have been linked to an incident in which a 12-year-old girl was shot in the back and seriously injured following a house party on Marion Avenue in Fordham, last spring.
Yet another kick in the teeth for opponents of the new Yankee Stadium.
Rates of infant mortality, bucking a city-wide trend, increased in the Bronx from six deaths per 1,000 births in 2005, to seven per 1,000 in 2006, according to a new study. In 2006, the Bronx also recorded the highest percentage of babies born to teenage mothers, at 12 percent of all births. Brooklyn, with 7 percent, was second. More here, in what, above statistics aside, is a mostly positive take on the city's health.
Bronx pol Helen Foster is one of only four Democratic Council members supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The other 48 are in Hillary Clinton's camp.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Victorious: Clinton and McCain
Hillary Clinton, then, somehow defied pundits and pollsters to snatch a win that just 24 hours earlier had seemed all but impossible.
Here's talkshow host Arnie Arnesen's fascinating (and funny) take on how the New York senator did it.
On the Republican side, John McCain pushed Mitt Romney into the silver medal position. See the full results here.
I was at Barack Obama's event. His supporters had come for a victory party, but as the evening wore on it became clear that Clinton's early lead would hold. The young crowd looked deflated; the "Fire it Up!" "Ready to Go!" chants were not as convincing as the previous night's.
Flanked by his wife, Obama was gracious in defeat. If shell-shocked, he didn't show it. (In a measure of how unexpected the result was, several reporters we heard from had already written their "Obama Wins Big" story, and were just waiting for the polls to come in so they could fill in the numbers before filing.)
I'm up in the Granite State with the New York Community Media Alliance, formerly know as IPA-NY. (See here for details on how the trip came about.) Yesterday morning, long before the results came through, we met with Andrew Smith, a pollster at the University of New Hampshire. Smith, who like everyone expected Obama to walk it, ran through the pre-election polls - Obama's meteoric rise, McCain's recovery, Clinton's stutter, etc. And he gave us his colorful opinion on some of the mistakes each candidate has made, and the hurdles they need to overcome to stay in the race. Here's some choice bits:
Smith said Giuliani's campaign was "horrible," and that he'd been arrogant to think he could get somewhere without old fashioned campaigning (he flew to New Hampshire for an short speech now and again but then got out of town). Smith compared Giuliani to a man who's about to walk off a cliff but is too stubborn to change direction.
McCain's chief problem, said Smith, is his stance on immigration which has dried up his fund-raising; Romney's, "his inability to be a skillful enough politician to change his position and make it believable."
Clinton, meanwhile, "has the worst media handling people of all the campaigns." Smith said that he'd spoken to reporters who'd received calls from Clinton's people demanding they retract a certain story and threatening to block a reporter's access to the White House if their boss is president. "The way they [Clinton's campaign] treated the press [in New Hampshire] was her biggest mistake," he said. "There was a level of control and paranoia in that campaign that’s scary." Because of this treatment, said Smith, reporters never gave her a break.
Obama's biggest issue is his lack of substance, thinks Smith. "[He's] like the meringue of American politics, light and fluffy, looks good, but when you eat it you wonder was it was." It a criticism, of course, that's been made before. But having heard Obama speak twice this week, I think it rings true. He spoke powerfully, as you'd expect, yet he was strangely boring and repetitive, hardly touching on his would-be policies or how he'd make them a reality. All talk ("change" "hope" "tomorrow") and no substance to speak of, may not wash for long.
Obama and company will soon be in New York ("Super Tuesday" is on Feb. 5). If you wish you vote, you need to register by Friday.
On a local level, here in the west Bronx, some community groups are using the hype to encourage local residents to take more of an interest in politics. On Saturday, for example, an event's being held at the Gambian Society on Jerome Avenue. The aim is to educate the borough's African population on the importance of voting.
