Bronx Weekend News Roundup, Dec. 27

We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday weekend, and that you're all holding up post-blizzard!

It's 24 degrees and windy in the Bronx right now. Bedford Park's been hit with 22 inches of snowfall, as of this morning. The MTA is warning travelers to stay home if they can, as there are delays or suspensions on many subway lines and buses--you can check for service updates here.

On to some Bronx headlines:

A 17-year-old boy was shot to death early Sunday morning at the West Farms Square/E. Tremont Ave. subway station. Lewis Hawkins, of Harlem, was shot in the chest on the elevated platform after exiting a Manhattan-bound No. 2 train. Over a dozen people who were at the scene have been questioned by police so far, though no one has been charged.

On Friday, an ex-con from the Bronx held a family in Albany hostage for 15 hours before police shot him in the chest and took him into custody. Isaac Peterson, 38, faces charges of kidnapping, robbery, burglary and weapon possession.

Newly arrived immigrant and transfer students are still being directed to enroll at high schools which the city has deemed "failing," including Columbus High in the Bronx, despite the fact that the schools are likely to be shut down next year.

A Bronx girl who has struggled through the foster care system is featured in the New York Times as part of the newspaper's Neediest Cases Fund.

The body of a 28-year-old Bronx woman was found inside a suitcase in Harlem last week. Police have identified the woman as Betty Williams, who lived on the Cross Bronx Expressway.

A viewing service is being held in Soundview today for Angel Roldan, the city sanitation worker who was struck by a car and killed in Castle Hill last week.

Jose Pagan, a Bronx resident who has served two tours of duty in Iraq, found himself homeless this year just three days after leaving the military. This ABC News report says that Pagan is one of thousands of service members returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan who end up on the streets. Video at the link.

A Bronx family who lost their home to a fire this summer were one of many to receive holiday gifts from  NY Post readers who donated to Toys for Tots.

Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, visited the soup kitchen at Our Lady of Refuge School on Christmas day.

The Daily News pays homage to Ralph Farrait, or "Pastor Ralph," as he was known on the Bronx boxing scene. The legendary Golden Gloves trainer passed away earlier this month; he's been laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery.

Iran Barkley, a former boxing champion who was homeless in the Bronx this year, is getting back on his feet. Readers of the NY Post, which chronicled Barkley's hardships in a series of articles last month, helped land the retired boxer a home in Hunts Point and a number of prospective jobs.

A rundown building in Morrisania has become an irksome eyesore to neighbors.

A number of bus drivers in the Bronx purposefully slowed down service on Friday, in retaliation for the MTA's decision to cut a contract with a local Transport Workers Union.

South Bronx nonprofit Per Scholas refurbishes donated computers and gives them to low-income families for free or at discount.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 9

A Bronx woman was killed in a car accident in upstate Putnam County last night.

A 70-year-old mural of Bronx founder Jonas Bronck at the Bronx County Courthouse was damaged during construction, to the outrage of local leaders and Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan. The city plans to fix the mural, which is "bubbling" in spots from water damage.

Parents rallied outside a Bronx DOE office yesterday against the cutting of an after-school tutoring program for students who failed last year's state exams. The state raised the bar for passing the tests last year--more than 10,000 students failed citywide. The tutoring program is getting the axe because of budget cuts.

Bronx Daily News' writer Patrice O'Shaughnessy pays homage to a number of local military veterans in this week's column. Veterans Day is this Thursday, Nov. 11.

Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr. could stir up trouble for both parties in the Senate, especially if election tallies come down to a 31-31 split, says Bob Kappstatter (the Rev. told Capital Tonight's blog last week that he isn't committing to either party, and that he predicts "chaos" for the legislature next year.)

The Parks Dept. and a number of volunteers planted 50,000 young oysters in the waters off of Soundview Park, part of a project to see if the species will be sustainable there.

An art exhibit at the Gallery Lounge, on Bruckner Blvd, brings a little Mad Men-style to the Bronx. Opening Nov. 13, the show "A Gentleman's Affair," features work from artists across the city with a 1950s focus.

An NYPD officer from the Bronx Transit Task Force has accused a Lieutenant of sending her sexually explicit text messages.

Fox News paid a visit to the City Island Theater Group. Video at the link.

Bronx News Roundup, July 21

Veterans at the Bronx Veterans Affairs Hospital, in Kingsbridge, are learning to channel their post-war tension into music as volunteers teach them to play musical instruments.

Ruben Diaz Jr., ex-Yankees Roy White and Darryl Strawberry and Yankees scout Cesar Prescott, gathered to remember late team owner George Steinbrenner before a baseball tournament on Randall’s Island yesterday.

Don Coquí, an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant in New Rochelle, is celebrating its first anniversary this month. Its owner, Jimmy Rodríguez, is the founder of Jimmy's Bronx Cafe and the son of the founder of Marisco del Caribe in the Bronx.

The city Administration for Children's Services will fund Rosalie Hall, a center for pregnant teens, for another year. Although the number of beds must be reduced from 16 to 10, the funding may allow the center to provide birthing services and full-time residency for young mothers and their children.

Christopher Benfey, a professor at Mount Holyoke and contributor to the New York Review of Books, wrote about his experience attending “Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers,” at the Botanical Garden on the New York Review of Books website this morning.

The Point, a community development organization in the South Bronx, which reclaimed vacant land in the city for a 400-square-foot garden, is setting an example for Detroit and other American cities. The Center for American Progress released an article about the benefits of urban farms today.

Bronx native Latisha Ryer, 35, was arrested on charges of possessing and selling crack cocaine in Port Jervis today.

The Daily News reported that teens jumped fences to swim in the Bronx River yesterday, in spite of the recent deaths in the area.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 11

Just in time for Veteran's Day, the Jericho Project, a housing group, broke ground on a new building in Kingsbridge that will provide housing to low-income vets.

Nurses at the Westchester Square Medical Center staged a protest yesterday demanding better pay and an increased level of patient staffing.

A Bronx Army Sergent tells his story of witnessing and following the horrific gunman in Fort Hood, Texas through his deadly massacre of military troops and civilians.

A New York City school program, "Power Brain Education," was recently linked to an alleged cult that supposedly cons investors into practicing medically unproven health activities.

Yesterday, as part of a deal between New York City and Philadelphia forged during the Yankees and Phillies World Series, the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx sent 10 tons of food to the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market. In return, the Hunts Point Market will receive 10 tons of food from the market in Philadelphia.

A Bronx FDNY veteran proves he has a taste for flavor. The firefighter has made it to the final round of the Daily News’ first FDNY Five Alarm Cook Off thanks to his culinary skills.

Supporting the Troops?

The Washington Post reporters who broke the story detailing the awful conditions for soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center are back at it, reporting on the, at best, sub-standard care many receive after returning from Iraq with post-traumatic distress syndrome. The article focuses on a Bronx vet, Army Specialist Jeans Cruz. Talkingpointsmemo.com has a summary of the piece here.