Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, April 12

Weather: Light rain is expected here in the Bronx sometime after noon, with temperatures dropping into the 40s as night falls on our lovely borough.

To the news!

Story of the Day: Kazimiroff Boulevard Re-Renamed
It is said that Dr. Theodore L. Kazimiroff, a jack of many trades (dentist, naturalist, Indiana Jones wannabe) and the Bronx's first historian, once removed a tooth from a lion's mouth in the Bronx Zoo. He had become such a legendary borough figure that, just a year after his death in 1980, a section of the winding road that runs from East Fordham Road to Allerton Avenue and cuts between the New York Botanical Garden and Fordham University was remaned Dr. Theodore L. Kazimiroff Boulevard.

For years, the Garden and Fordham complained that the new street name confused drivers who wanted access to its institutions. (Current Bronx historian Lloyd Ultan was skeptical about this claim). In any case, they finally got their way Monday when Mayor Bloomberg signed into law a bill, sponsored by Bronx City Councilman Oliver Koppell, renaming the street Southern Boulevard, as it was known before it took on Kazimiroff as its namesake. Kazimiroff's widow, Emilia, who still lives close to her husband's former street, wasn't happy about the change, which is apparently such a rarity that Henry J. Stern, a former parks commissioner who reportedly knows everything about New York City ("a living compendium of New York trivia"), couldn't remember it ever happening before. "It is sort of a slap in the face," she told the Times. Dr. Theodore L. Kazimiroff will remain the unofficial and honorary name of that stretch of Southern Boulevard.

Quick Hits:
Speaking of street renaming, honorary or otherwise, Community Board 3 is considering a proposal to rename Jennings Street, between Prospect and Union avenues, after The Chords, a Bronx rhythm and blues band that crossed over into pop stardom with their hit, "Sh-Boom," which ruled the summer of 1954.  Here's The Chords singing their hit in 1980:


To the chagrin of many Bronx artists, Latin jazz is being removed as a Grammy category.

Some food activists, including Karen Washington of the Bronx group La Familia Verde, say the city needs to do more to get Farmer's Markets set up in poorer areas of the city.

Community Board 7 -- Norwood, Bedford Park, North Fordham and University Heights -- has more buildings with rat problems, 14% of them, than any other board in the borough. CB6 is second.

The Capitol profiles Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a former Bronx state senator.

East Bronx Councilman James Vacca is starting to feel some heat for not supporting a living wage bill that the rest of the Bronx delegation has signed on to.[Link fixed]

Montefiore Medical Center is working to teach its patients how to cook colon-healthy meals to help them prevent colon cancer. Speaking of cancer, the New York area is reportedly very aggressive in its end-of-life cancer care as there are financial incentives to keeping patients out of hospices. But Montefiore's chief medical officer, Dr. Gary Kalkut, says this trend has nothing to do with federal financing.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 3

On the morning after, it appears Democrats will retain control of the state senate. (This is not a done deal, we'll keep you updated.) But with another razor thin majority, will they be able to do anything with it? [Update: it now seems as if Democrats will be fortunate to come away with a dead-locked state senate, as GOPers appear to be making gains in the NYC suburbs.)

Eric Schneiderman, a state senator from the Upper West Side who represents a small fraction of the Bronx (and used to represent more of the borough until redistricting eight years ago), will be the state's next Attorney General.

The Bronx Historical Society is looking to raise $2 million to create and endowment for Poe Cottage, which costs about $300,000 a year to run and is currently undergoing renovations.

The city's overall school report cards came out today. The Bronx managed to have the school with the best grade (Theater Arts Production Company School) and the worst (New Day Academy).

Four members of a Mott Haven family were killed in a Maryland car accident. They were on their way back to the Bronx from Virginia Beach.

Bronx native Prince Royce, the new bachata singing sensation, is exploding onto the Latin pop scene. He'll headline his first US concert at Lehman Center on Nov. 12 and 13.

State Senator Jeff Klein pulled out a win over pesky GOP challenger Frank Vernuccio.

After eating at the fast-food slider shop every Friday for four straight years, 27-year-old Bronxite Victor Gradowski will be inducted into the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame. A White Castle official compared Gradowski's burger run to Joe DiMaggio's untouchable 56-game hitting streak. It remains unclear if he is friends with Harold or Kumar.

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. 

Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 24

This week, NY1 is taking readers and viewers back in time with a series called "Once Upon a Time in the Bronx." Yesterday, the station had this piece about the history of Parkchester. Today, there's this piece about Fashion Moda, a one-time gallery and performance space on Third Avenue.

A woman wanted for a murder in Connecticut 15 years ago has turned up in the Bronx.  Patty Carrion had been living in an apartment on the Grand Concourse under an assumed name.  She was arrested on Saturday when police saw her beating up her boyfriend. Her true identity came to light when they fingerprinted her.  Carrion has previously been featured on the TV show "America's Most Wanted."

A 16-year-old cyclist was seriously injured in Fordham last night when he was hit by an unlicensed driver.

In other sad news, a 17-year-old Bronx girl was hit by a train in Bronxville, Westchester, on Sunday.  She remains in a critical condition at Jacobi Medical Center.

Jury selection has resumed for the four men accused of attempting to blow up two synagogues in Riverdale last year.

The number of shooting incidents in the Bronx may be down this year, but the murder rate is up - way up.

In today's El Diario/La Prensa, State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. and challenger Gustavo Rivera tell readers why they deserve their vote.  The articles are in Spanish, and so Google Translate may come in handy (it did for me).  Unless I'm somehow missing it, it doesn't look like Daniel Padernacht was given a similar opportunity to state his case. One more observation: In his article, Espada talks up his "free freeze" bill, and says he helped keep Tolentine Senior Center and R.A.I.N Baily Senior Center open.  For the record, he had little to do with keeping these particular centers open. 

Rivera may have secured dozens of endorsements, but the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter says Espada could still be in good shape.  That and other political news in Kappstatter's weekly column.

The big labor unions supporting Rivera say the wealthy New Roosevelt Initiative, another Rivera backer, has been a little too quiet for their liking. 

Still on Espada, Attorney general candidate Kathleen Rice believes fellow candidate Eric Schneiderman has been too soft on him.  She says Schneiderman's missed "125 opportunities" to ask Espada to relinquish his majority leader position. Schneiderman, by the way, was endorsed by The New York Times at the weekend.

Roberto Perez, host of the radio show The Perez Notes, recently interviewed Robert Giuffre, who's running against Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera. Giuffre talks about ballot access, his reasons for running, and the assemblywoman's record.

More Endorsements for Rivera

Gustavo Rivera, one of two State Senate candidates looking to unseat Sen. Pedro Espada, has received three more endorsements this morning. According to press releases, he's scored the support of State Senator Eric Schneiderman, who represents Northern Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, as well as that of Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat. Rivera is also being backed by the grassroots organization Citizen Action of New York.

"Today, I'm not just endorsing Gustavo Rivera for State Senate-I'm endorsing reform, I'm reforming leadership, and I'm endorsing integrity," Schneiderman said in a statement sent this morning.

Schneiderman, who is running for Attorney General this fall, is the first State Senator from the Bronx to endorse Rivera (he's also been endorsed by Sen. Liz Krueger, of Manhattan).

It's been a good week for Rivera, who's received a slew of other endorsements recently, including support from Bronx Councilman Fernando Cabrera and former Borough President Freddy Ferrer last week.

Bronx News Roundup, May 13

Bronx Week events continue today--tonight, there's a Bronx Homeowners Forum at 6:30 at Fordham University’s McGinley Center, 557 E. Fordham Rd. A panel of experts, organized by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Senator Jeff Klein, will provide Bronx homeowners with legal advice regarding mortgages and homeownership. More on the event, and other resources for homeowners, here. 

In other news:

Bronx resident Frank Morocho, who drove into a crowd of pedestrians following a soccer match last weekend, has pleaded not guilty to drunk driving charges in a New Jersey court.

A 75-year-old Throgs Neck man is still missing after disappearing three weeks ago.

The New York Times profiles Abdul Aziz, a martial arts instructor from the Bronx.

More on the renovation of the High Bridge--the 1,200-foot walkway between Washington Heights and the Bronx--via a Times editorial. Check out the Mount Hope Monitor's coverage in February's issue.

Hip-Hop artists Jay-Z and Eminem will be headlining a concert at Yankee Stadium in September, the two announced at last night's game.

A turf war between two street cart vendors escalated into a robbery at knifepoint near Crotona Park, according to the New York Post. 


A UK-based organization is launching a training program to help teach visually impaired children to play cricket at Lavelle School for the Blind.

State Senator Eric Schneiderman, who represents portions of the Bronx and is vying to become Attorney General, won Manhattan in county committee votes last night.

Assemblyman Peter Rivera endorsed a bill yesterday to lift the state's cap on the number of charter schools.

The Fort Independence Park neighborhood, in Community Board 8, is being considered for landmark designation. 

A photography exhibit featuring Woodlawn Cemetary, set to run this fall at the Lehmen College Art Gallery, is looking for submissions.

Scheiderman Running For AG; Bronx Pols Lining Up in Support

 Eric Schneiderman (pictured), the state senator for Riverdale/Upper Manhattan (he used to represent Norwood until re-districting gave the area to the 33rd District), launched his campaign for Attorney General on the steps of City Hall Saturday morning.

So far, he's enlisted the support of a slew of prominent Bronx politicians, including the Serranos (Congressman Jose E. and State Senator Jose M.) as well as Council members Fernando Cabrera, Oliver Koppell, Annabel Palma and Melissa Mark-Viverita, State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz (aka the mayor of Riverdale).

Not all the biggest players -- Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Bronx County Chairman Carl Heastie are notable exceptions -- but it's a good start for Scheiderman, considered one of the more progressive and productive members of the much-maligned state senate.

Other Democratic heavies on board include Congressmen Charles Rangel and Jerry Nadler, Senate Majority Leader John Sampson and Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

This could have wider implications on Bronx politics. If he wins, it's been rumored that Koppell might take a shot at Schneiderman's seat, which is not term limited. And judging by the Riverdalian's tirade against term limits last night at the Bronx charter revision hearing, he's looking to stay in elected office for the foreseeable future.

Bronx News Roundup, March 30

A  New York's Court of Appeals ruled today that Mazin Assi, who attempted to bomb a Bronx synagogue in 2000, is guilty of a hate crime. The court said that the stricter penalties of a hate crime applied to Assi, even if his crime was directed towards a building and not a person.

All this heavy rain caused a mudslide near the Riverdale Metro-North station early this morning, disrupting service on the Hudson line. Train times were back to normal a little after 11 a.m.

Some seasonal exhibits at the Bronx Zoo will officially reopen this Saturday.

The Daily News reports on a the popularity of hydroponic gardening--growing plants in liquid instead of soil--and how it's perfect for Bronxites who don't have the space for a traditional garden.

New low-income housing near Union Grove Baptist Church, on Hoe Avenue, broke ground on Friday. The buildings will be named after long time pastor Rev. Dr. Fletcher Crawford, who conceptualized the development.

Some Bronx politicians, like Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, are supporting--and even calling for expansions of--the proposed tax on sugary sodas, according to the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter.

Sen. Eric Schneiderman and other City officials are fighting to have prison inmates who are originally from New York City counted as city residents in the census. Current practices count inmates as residents of the regions where they're incarcerated, often upping census numbers for smaller towns upstate that house large prisons.

Starting April 10, the Parkchester 6 train station will be partially closed for repairs and renovations, which will take about three months to complete.

More on "Whatever it Takes," a documentary that chronicles Edward Tom, principal at the Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics, in his goal to have all of his students graduate and go to college. More details on the film, which premieres tonight at 10 p.m., here.

Bronx News Roundup, March 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Let's be safe, enjoy the weather and read some Bronx news!

A little less than 700 Bronx residents remain without electricity in the aftermath of last week's storm, but Con Edison promises to have all residents electricity restored by tonight.

Thanks to the $10.6 million from the federal stimulus package, the Jericho Project, will be able to continue their development of two residences for homeless Bronx veterans at Kingsbridge Terrace.

Bronx P.S. 59's the Keltic Dreams Irish Dancers are taking a trip to the White House today. They will be performing at a reception for Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Montefiore Medical Center can now help patients who experience severe allergic reactions to medicine with a new specialty service, the Drug Desensitization Program. They are the only hospital in the metro New York region to offer this service.

Senator Eric Schneiderman, of the Bronx/Manhattan, introduced the Strangulation Prevention Act on Tuesday. This bill will upgrade the crime of choking a domestic partner into unconsciousness to a felony. Currently choking is charged as a misdemeanor in most domestic violence cases.

State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., a staunch opponent of gay marriage, feels a compromise can lead to the legalization of civil unions or domestic partnerships in the next session.

Legendary Cuban trumpeter Alfredo (Chocolate) Armenteros will be reuniting with the influential Bronx ensemble Grupo Folklórico y Experimental Nuevayorquino. They will be performing on Sat. March 20 at Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture.

NY Daily News: "Best of the Bronx is its people."

Find out where the best food and entertainment is available in the Bronx, according to the NY Daily News Best of the Boros.

Cash AND condoms for gold at a Bronx pawn shop on 161st street.

BronxTalk Discusses Senate Mess with Sen. Schneiderman and Armory with Local Leaders

BRONXTALK/MONDAY, JULY 6, 2009

This past Monday night's BronxTalk featured two topics: an interview with Sen. Eric Schneiderman about the goings-on in albany and a talk with two local advocates about the Kingsbridge Armory. Both segments provided important information about two of the Bronx' most talked-about issues.

BronxTalk, the borough's flagship talk show, will celebrate its 15th anniversary this October. It is seen live Monday nights at 9 p.m. on channel 67 in the Bronx and streamed live on the web at http://bronxnet.org/home/live/webstreamtrial.html. It is hosted by Gary Axelbank and produced by Jane Folloro.

Viewers can see replays of BronxTalk at 9:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. daily and the programs are archived at http://bronxnet.fliggo.com/category/bronxtalk .

Here's the schedule for upcoming editions of BronxTalk:

July 13 - Majora Carter

July 20 - History of DW Clinton HS

July 27 - Debate: Koppell/Cassino

August 3 - Carl Heastie

Bronx News Roundup for June 3

Marcos Crespo and Vanessa Gibson were, as expected, victorious in a special election held Tuesday to determine the new Assembly members in the 77th and 85th Districts. They will fill the seats vacated by newly elected Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and his new deputy Aurelia Greene. More on the story here.

A Bronx woman discovered a four-foot yellow rat snake in her Gerard Avenue apartment.

Yankee attendance records are at their lowest since the 2004 season, and a new poll suggests excessive ticket prices at the new stadium are at fault.

The four men charged with the attempted bombings of a Riverdale synagogue pled not guilty at an arraignment this morning in White Plains.

Pedro Espada, Jeffrey Klein, Eric Shneiderman, and Jose Serrano are among 20 New York state senators who say they would vote yes on a bill legalizing gay marriage.

Bronx News Roundup, March 13

Lots of politicians today.

Former Bronx Borough President and current White House urban policy czar Adolfo Carrion responded to this week's announcement by the Bronx DA's office that they are investigating possible corruption in his dealings with an architect. Carrion hasn't paid the architect for work on the then-BP's house in 2006 and 2007; the work was done while the architect had business pending with the city.
The Daily News has been leading the charge on this story; in case you missed their editorial yesterday, here it is.

Liz Benjamin has a report on State Senator Espada's ongoing problems with the state Board of Elections. On top of issues from his most recent State Senate race, Espada has over $61,000 worth of fines still due from his 2001 bid for BP. Benjamin also has an update from Espada on his still-nonexistent district office.

State Senator Eric Schneiderman has announced he won't run for DA to replace the retiring Robert Morgenthau.

Bronx Congressman Eliot Engel has been claiming his Maryland home outside DC as his primary residence on tax forms for more than ten years; Maryland is revoking the congressman's tax break.

In non-politician news, Forbes has a photo-essay on the robot team at Morris High School in the South Bronx.

And the Bronx Zoo has a brand new baby tree kangaroo. Very cute.

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.'

Eligible Lawmakers and Their Staffers

In honor of Valentine's Day, the Capitol, an Albany paper, interviews "eligible bachelors and bachelorettes" among elected officials and their staffers. Some local lawmakers -- Carl Heastie, Jeff Klein, and Eric Schneiderman -- make the list.