Good morning beautiful people!
First up, highlights (lowlights?) of the Yankees getting thrashed by the upstart Texas Rangers, 10-3, last night in the Bronx. Now down 3-1 in the best of seven American League Champion Series. The Bombers face elimination in a matinee game today. Start time: 4:07 p.m.
Apparently Yankee fans bailed early from this massacre.(Disclaimer: it's written by a Red Sox fan.)
More on the largest pumpkin ever grown, which is on its way to the Bronx from New Richmond, Wisc. After a stop at the Regis and Kelly show, it should arrive at the New York Botanical Garden on Friday. It will be on display there for a week and then turned into the world's largest jack-o-lantern by superstar pumpkin carver Scott Cully.
Bronx State Senator Pedro Espada's former ally in the coup that gridlocked Albany in 2009, Hiram Monserrate (who was booted out of office earlier this year), was indicted yesterday on federal corruption charges for allegedly using a nonprofit in his district to bankroll his first run for state senate. Sound eerily familiar? Bronx City Councilman Larry Seabrook is facing similar charges and Espada's predecessor, Efrain Gonzalez, is now in prison after being convicted on basically the same charges.
A federal court awarded a Bronx man wrongly convicted of rape $18.5 million in damages from the city. Alan Newton spent two decades in prison before being cleared four years ago when DNA evidence that was finally located proved his innocence.
The City Fix, a website dedicated to advocating for environmentally-friendly transportation, says it's a great thing that the MTA is expanding it's bus rapid transit routes. The rapid transit program began with the BX12, which runs east to west on Fordham Road.
The Daily News writes about Sunday's Tour de Bronx, which, as we've mentioned a time or two, is dedicated to superstar health advocate Megan Charlop, who died in a biking accident earlier this year.
More hotels are sprouting up in the outer boroughs, including the Bronx. The story mentions the Days Inn Yankee Stadium on Brooke Avenue and says a Holiday Inn Express is also coming to the borough. BxNN reader Jack points out this relatively new hotel on 3rd Avenue.(Meanwhile, nothing seems to be happening with the half-built skeleton of what was supposed to be a Comfort Inn on Webster Avenue, near Mosholu Parkway.)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 20
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, May 18
The Bronx Ink takes a long look at landlord Moshe Piller. Despite a reputation for neglecting his buildings, Piller has managed to avoid any serious repercussions, much to the frustration of his long-suffering tenants.
State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. is gearing up for a tough race against Charlie Ramos, of the Bronx for Change group. (If things turn nasty, perhaps Diaz will gently remind voters of Ramos' criminal record. Then again, Diaz had a similar run-in with the law when he was young man.)
Still on Diaz, it looks like he won't be officiating at Hiram Monserrate and Karla Giraldo's wedding after all. The couple has broken up. Previously, Diaz insisted they were still in love (despite the assault conviction) and that he would one day marry them.
A Bronx man has been arrested for allegedly robbing a bank in Nassau County some 17 years ago.
Yesterday, Part of the Solution (POTS) broke ground on a new building on Webster Avenue. It's right next door to the old one but three times bigger. The organization runs a food pantry and offers free hair-cuts and access to the Internet, among other things.
The off-duty police officer who was behind the wheel of a car that flipped over on the Bronx River Parkway at the weekend - killing him, his colleague, and injuring four friends - may have been intoxicated.
A wheelchair-bound Parkchester man has been stabbed and beaten by his landlady, police say.
Police are hunting a Bronx man in connection with a murder in Harlem back in March.
A box containing the ashes of a Queen's woman has been stolen from a minivan in Mott Haven.
The words "I served in Vietnam" are coming back to haunt Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who's running for Senate, and who didn't, actually, serve in Vietnam. Blumenthal is a graduate of Riverdale Country School.
Da Bakery, a clothes store on Southern Boulevard, sells custom-made clothes to trend-setters seeking to match their attire with their sneakers.
Desiree-Pilgrim Hunter (one of State Senator Pedro Espada's likely primary opponents) isn't a fan of the Bx12 Select Bus Service on Fordham Road. [via BoogieDowner]
People living in seven apartments building in Co-op City have been told to stop using their balconies because of safety concerns.
Last Saturday, Parkchester celebrated its 70th anniversary.
The neighborhood of Wakefield was featured in Sunday's New York Times' Real Estate section.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Firms With Espada Ties Investigated for Tax Fraud, Money Laundering
Two consulting firms with links to State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. are the subject of a federal probe into alleged tax fraud and money laundering, numerous newspapers and blogs are reporting.
One firm, A-1 Multi-Service LLC, seems to exist in name-only. According to state records it's located at 2384 Hughes Ave. in Tremont, but that address is only home to apartments and a cigar shop. (Here's a photo.)
The other firm, GDP Consulting in Niagara Falls, shares an address with an accounting business with ties to Steve Pigeon, Espada's senate counsel.
News reports say Pigeon and Espada's son, Pedro G. Espada, are also part of the investigation.
Specifically, the feds are looking into why GDP Consulting paid A-1 Multi-Service tens of thousands of dollars in the last nine months or so.
This afternoon, at a press conference in Albany, Sen. Espada denied having any connection to A-1, but wouldn't say if his son did. He called the allegations 100 percent false and said they were politically motivated. (At the weekend, Desiree Prigrim-Hunter, a Bronx community activist, formally announced that she would run against him this fall.)
For more on all of this, see here, here, here, and here.
According to campaign finance records, A-1 hasn't contributed to Espada's campaign coffers, but, interestingly, it has given $1,000 to his good friend State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. (see p. 2), as well as $150 to Noam Bramson, the mayor of New Rochelle. We emailed Diaz's office to find out what that's all about. (Thanks to the BxNN reader who sent us the tip) UPDATE 6:30 P.M.: Last month, Hiram Monserrate, the former state senator and another Espada ally, received $9,600 from GDP Consulting, the STATE of POLITICS blog is reporting.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, March 16
The owner of the Old Bronx Courthouse in Melrose is looking for a tenant to take over the building, which has been vacant since the 1970s. Click here for some ideas (food market, Apple store, etc.) previously put forward by a Melrose blogger and his readers. And here's some terrific photos of the building's rarely seen interior.
New Yorkers can now sign-up to receive e-mail notifications when a registered sex offender moves into their zip code. Sen. Jeff Klein sponsored the legislation that made this possible.
This isn't Bronx news per-se, but it's an interesting look at how South Asians and other growing immigrants groups with political aspirations are looking to shake-up the status-quo. While Latino politicians are omnipresent in the Bronx, few are in a position to seek citywide office, laments Herman Badillo, the former congressman and Bronx borough president. Badillo says Adolfo Carrion had his chance but blew it by taking a job in Washington where he's been "lost in the bureaucracy of the White House."
An NYPD sergeant who works for a housing precinct in the Bronx has pled guilty to assault and drunk-driving after knocking down and injuring a man in the Upper East Side last summer. Joseph Spiekerman will lose his job and police pension, perform 500 hours of community service, and pay a $15,000 fine. But he's managed to avoid significant jail-time.
A Bronx narcotics detective could be in hot water after an accused drug dealer's lawyer used footage from a surveillance camera to prove the cop lied about seeing his client sell crack cocaine. Another example, perhaps, of how video and other technology is catching out dishonest cops.
Assemblyman Michael Benjamin has his eye on Congressman Jose Serrano's job.
Daily News columnist Patrice O'Shaughnessy names some of the Bronxites she admires.
Hiram Monserrate, the former state senator and close friend of senators Ruben Diaz, Sr. and Pedro Espada Jr., is running in a special election today for his old seat. Monserrate was ousted from the Senate by his colleagues last month after being convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. Diaz said yesterday that he'd spend today in Queens campaigning for Monserrate.
The annual Bronx Council for Environmental Quality (BCEQ) Water Conference and Membership Meeting will take place tomorrow afternoon at Manhattan College. The focus is on the Harlem River's water quality.
In case you missed it, Bronx-based boxer Joshua Clottey lost his title bout against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao at the weekend.
Lastly, Shana, a male gorilla who used to reside at the Bronx Zoo, came within a whisker of escaping his enclosure yesterday, at his new home in Calgary. A zoo keeper has been suspended.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Espada's New Bill Would Expel for Misdemeanors
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bronx Pols Reluctant to Criticize Monserrate; Diaz, Sr. Even Praises Him
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Many, if not all, of the Bronx’s elected officials have hosted, or attended, events and rallies designed to shed light on the crime (which is more prevalent in the Bronx than elsewhere in the city), honor the victims, and condemn the perpetrators.
It’s been interesting, then, following local pols’ reaction – or lack of reaction – to the conviction last week of State Sen. Hiram Monserrate of Queens, who was found guilty of misdemeanor assault of his girlfriend.
With the exception of Jeff Klein, none of Monserrate’s Senate colleagues here in the Bronx have been willing to criticize him, at least publicly, let alone demand his removal from office.
State Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., for one, seems amused, not angry. “We are still the Four Amigos!” Diaz told reporters – a reference to himself, Monserrate, Pedro Espada, and Carl Kruger – after Monserrate was found not-guilty of the more serious felony assault charge, which would have forced him to step down.
Diaz later sent out a press release, which said, in part: “Senator Monserrate was found guilty of trying to do good by forcing his girlfriend to go to the hospital for treatment.” He said he hopes to officiate at Monserrate's wedding. (As columnist Clyde Haberman notes in today's Times, it can't be easy planning a wedding when the groom and bride aren't allowed to talk to each other.)
Espada, another friend of Monserrate's (the two men helped bring the Senate to a standstill this summer), is similarly nonplussed by the conviction. "As it relates to Albany business, I think it's something that should be put behind us now," Espada said, according to The Buffalo News.
Ruth Hassell-Thompson, who chairs the Senate’s domestic violence task force, insists no one is "anxious to see this swept under the rug." But, at the same time, she hasn't exactly rushed out to reproach her colleague. She believes the Senate should wait until December, when Monserrate is sentenced, to decide how to punish him.
Jose M. Serrano, meanwhile, has yet to speak on the matter. And neither has Eric Schneiderman, although he’s been tapped to lead a committee that will consider possible disciplinary action against Monserrate.
UPDATE:
Council members Annabel Palma and Melissa Mark-Viverito just released a joint statement which said, in part:
Hiram has broken the public’s trust and it is our hope that he will now demonstrate leadership by stepping down from his position. Remaining in office would be a disservice to his district and his constituents.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Pinstripe Politics June 24 - New York’s politicians are embarrassing New York
In the absence of major Pinstripe Politics news to report for the past week, a few thoughts on New York politics....
New York’s politicians are embarrassing New York
Last year when Eliot Spitzer’s transgressions first hit the limelight, New Yorkers felt, among other emotions, embarrassed. We had trusted the “Sheriff of Wall Street.” In our minds, he had become Albany’s great ethicist savior. “Could it get any worse,” we wondered, “than having a law-obsessed governor get busted for transporting prostitutes across state lines?”
Our elected officials have responded with a resounding “Yes!”
Quick question: what’s the only thing grimier than an Albany Democrat? If you answered, “an Albany Republican,” then you’re right.
After losing majority control of the Senate last November, for the first time in over four decades, Albany Republicans were desperate. For God’s sake, if they didn’t act fast, the Democrats were going to let gay people get married! If only they could convince two Democrats to switch sides, they could regain the majority and thwart those rascally voters. Perhaps in exchange for switching sides, they could award one of the Democrats with the Senate Presidency. But who would do such a thing?
Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate. That’s who.
New Yorkers are familiar with these guys already. We remember Monserrate from his arrest last year, on charges of assault, for allegedly slashing his girlfriend’s face with a broken drinking glass during an argument.
Espada, we remember, is the guy who owes the New York State Finance Board $60,000, has not reported his campaign contributions to the New York State Board of Elections, and is under investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office for possibly funneling state money to himself through a nonprofit he runs (it’s shocking how many New York politicians get caught employing this scheme).
The Republicans were so desperate for control of the Senate that they would actually let this guy be Senate President (that’s one step below Governor right now).
A Quick Note: I interviewed Espada while he was running in the Democratic Primary last year (against an even more corrupt incumbent), and I asked him about charges by his opponents that he was a “closet Republican.” He replied, “I’m in lock-step with Barack Obama in terms of the need to change.” At the time my thought was, “what the hell does that even mean?” Now I think I know. It means, “I’m just saying and doing whatever I think will give me the best shot at rapid ascension.”
NOTE: Make sure to check back every Wednesday for Pinstripe Politics, your source for that gray area where the Yankees and society converge. Also, check in with the BNN on Fridays for The Yankees, Unobstructed, our weekly Yankee opinion column.
For more of Graham Kates' sports writing, check out his True/Slant blog "Coaches in the Crosshairs" (www.trueslant.com/grahamkates).
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Bronx News Roundup, June 23
The MTA is cracking down on fare-beaters on the Bx12 Select Bus Service.
Increasingly, teachers working at charter schools in New York and elsewhere are looking to unionize. In the Bronx, the Green Dot New York Charter School in Mott Haven could be next.
Two brothers - Rodrigo and Gonzalo Venegas (aka Rodstarz and G1 of the Bronx hip-hop group Rebel Diaz) - have been found not guilty of resisting arrest and obstruction of justice, after coming to the aid last summer of a street vendor they say cops were harassing. More here. And here's a video clip of the incident.
Twelve high school students, including at least three from the Bronx, recently traveled to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela, after winning a competition. More here.
Governor Paterson will hold a special session in the State Senate at 3 p.m. today, in the hopes of resolving the leadership stalemate. The Republicans, meanwhile, are planning a session for 2 p.m. - meaning they will control the chamber when the Democrats arrive. More here and here.
Bob Kappstatter is wondering if the Republicans will cut Pedro Espada loose.
Espapda and fellow (or ex-) dissident Hiram Monserrate are nothing if not quotable. We linked to this yesterday, but here's Espapda claiming in the Daily News that he really does live in his Bedford Park co-op and that a young boy in the building saw him the other day and said, "Mommy, mommy, look - he does live here." And here's Monserrate likening himself to Jesus.
Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. is calling on the city to test for toxic chemicals in aging public schools.
Judy Reyes, the Bronx-born Scrubs actress and one of the inductees into this year's Bronx Walk of Fame, is expecting her first child.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Bronx News Roundup, June 12
Lots of stuff to get to today. Let's get into it.
Want to start out with the Albany standstill, otherwise known in the Bronx as Pedro Espada-gate.
The Republicans, along with Espada and fellow rogue Democrat Hiram Monserrate (Queens), managed to get into the Senate chamber yesterday, but couldn't conduct any business because Monserrate bailed from the chamber, saying he was working to bring more Democrats into the new "coalition" government. Espada stayed.
The Times reports that Espada, who has apparently risen to Senate President in the new leadership structure, would be acting governor if Governor Paterson were incapacitated or were to leave the state, which would have some interesting implications. The Times writes: "it appears the State Constitution gives Mr. Espada the authority to issue pardons -- potentially to himself -- thought there is some doubt about the legal fine points."
It's funny the Times would mention this, since Espada has yet to be convicted of anything, though there are legal investigations surrounding his South Bronx health care clinics and claims of residence in the Bronx.
Yesterday, speaking in the Senate chamber, Espada talked about how his "home" -- in Mamaroneck (Westchester County), not the Bronx -- had been burglarized and saying that it may have had something to do with his recent decision to support Senate Republicans. In the fall, a court ruled that his Bedford Park condo could legally be considered his primary residence, but residents of his building say they've rarely, if ever, seen him there. CBS news reported that Espada's Westchester neighbors say he lives there at least five nights a week.
The Daily News' Juan Gonzalez says Espada's claims of Latino empowerment "the most cynical part of this sordid affair." Gonzalez points out that a key piece of rent regulation legislation -- repealing rent decontrol, which would put 200,000 apartments back under rent stabilization rules and help thousands of Latino tenants -- was on the verge of becoming a reality. Now, it appears to be a long shot.
(This is interesting because on Tuesday, Josephe Starburg, head of the biggest landlord advocate/lobbying group, ironically called the Rent Stabilization Association, praised Espada's move, saying "the crazies" -- by which he means tenant advocates -- were beating him up.
In other politically-related scandal news, City Council member Maria del Carmen Arroyo's nephew, Izquierdo Arroyo, resigned from his post as chairman of a South Bronx charter school after he and an associate were recently charged with emblezzling money from a nonprofit building management company.
In Bronx Supreme Court, a former police officer was sentenced to prison for one to three years for killing a drunk driver in Longwood in 2007.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Espada defects; GOP now the majority party
Some big news out of Albany.
According to The Times, State Senators Hiram Monserrate (Queens) and Pedro Espada have voted with the Republican Party to overthrow the Senate’s Democratic leadership, in a move that could end the Democrats brief control of the State Senate.
Liz Benjamin also has the story.
