Bronx News Roundup, Monday, Aug. 8

Happy Monday, Bronxites! Your weather forecast for today calls for sunshine and temps in the high 80s.

Story of the Day: Espada Spent the Most Senate Cash

File photo by Jeanmarie Evelly

Pedro Espada's lavish spending habits have him back in the headlines again (just in case you've forgotten, see here.) State Senate documents released this week show that the infamously indicted former Bronx rep. spent more taxpayer money in his last three months in office than any other Senator did in double that time, doling out $750,000 in expenses and to pay staffers.

Espada managed to rack up the high tab despite the fact that he and his office were conspicuously quiet during the months in question, October to December, which was after he lost the primary to now-Senator Gustavo Rivera. During these final months in office, Espada was criticized for missing several important sessions in Albany, including a vote on housing legislation that he was the main sponsor for.

We wrote about Espada's bloated office staff roster last fall, after we noticed the number of employees on his payroll had practically doubled in the months leading up to the primary. His staff at the time insisted, however, that any campaign work they did for Espada was off the Senate clock.

In other Espada news: the Soundview Healthcare Network which he founded (and was indicted for looting) will lose $10 million in Medicaid funding because of repeated violations of state law, according to the NY Post.

Quick Hits: 
A New Jersey-based advocacy group set up shop outside Nativity of Our Blessed Lady parish in Eastchester, where they say they are urging sexual assault victims to come forward and share their stories. The church's priest, Father James Duenas, was arrested last week on molestation charges.

More ink on the Bronx-based indie flick "Gun Hill Road." (Read some of our coverage here and here.)

B - to the - R - to the - O - N - X!!! News Roundup, Feb. 25

We're skipping the usual intro today and just giving you the "BX Marks the Spot" hip hop video shown yesterday at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.'s state of the borough speech yesterday. Produced by Bronxnet's Derek Woods and featuring Opera Steve, Silkedeezy and Steve Kane, the video was created in response to what Diaz Jr. perceived as negative stereotyping of the borough by "American Idol." Enjoy. The Bronx, The Broooooooooooonx!



Story of the Day:
Diaz Jr. spoke at length yesterday about his support for the Fair Wage for New Yorkers Act, also known as the "living wage" bill, which was born out of the battle over wages during the Kingsbridge Armory mall negotiations in 2009. The legislation, sponsored by Bronx council members Oliver Koppell and Annabel Palma, would tie city subsidies to wage guarantees. In other words, under this law, if a developer receives city subsidies -- tax breaks, no-interest loans, etc. -- then the companies who move into the devleopment will be required to pay employees who work there, $10 an hour, plus benefits, or $11.50 an hour, without benefits.

City Limits writer Neil deMause sifts through the arguments on both sides of the issue in this hearty piece of in-depth journalism.

A couple of follow-up notes on this: 29 Council members support bill, including everyone in the Bronx delegation aside from Jimmy Vacca. They need five more to create a veto-proof super majority. Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera told me yesterday that they will work hard to get Vacca into the fold, but that the east Bronx representative has a "different constituency" than he and the other Bronx delegates and that the living wage issue isn't as important to them, and consequently, Vacca. "All politics is local," Rivera said. Stay tuned.

Quick Hits:

The Bronx Sports Column: Who's the Bronx's Best Point Guard? Dwight Hardy Makes His Case

Dwight Hardy, welcome to the conversation. (More on Hardy in this Bronxnet video above.)

Before this season, the question of who is the best current Bronx-bred point guard came down to two names: Villanova University senior Corey Fisher and Kemba Walker, a junior at the University of Connecticut.

After a highly productive three-year run mostly coming off the bench for Nova, Fisher, who attended New Jersey hoops powerhouse St. Patrick's Catholic School, etched his name in NYC street ball lore over the summer when he dropped 105 points in a summer league game.

A highly-touted McDonald's All-American out of Manhattan's Rice High School, Walker started the season in flames for the unranked Huskies, torching ranked foes Michigan St. and Kentucky during a preseason tournament and single-handedly putting UConn back on the national map.

Both play for top 10 teams and are worthy heirs to the point guard throne held in the past by Bronx legends like Rod Strickland and Kenny Satterfield. Both are more like so-called combo scoring guards than classic pass-first versions like Strickland, a Truman High alum who starred in the NBA.

But on Thursday night, JFK grad Dwight Hardy, the starting point guard for a resurgent St. John's team, forced his way into the conversation. On a nationally-televised ESPN game, Hardy outplayed Walker in Madison Square Garden on his way to 33 points. His performance carried the Red Storm to a convincing 89-72 victory and put St. John's in a position to possibly earn a NCAA tournament birth.

In the aftermath, Hardy told the Daily News: "I was just in a zone. When I'm in a zone, I just kind of black out. . . . The basket just keeps getting bigger and bigger."

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 14

The man charged with burglarizing three Bronx churches in November and December has been indicted. Nathaniel Linden is also a suspect in several other break-ins.

Riverdale-area politicians Eliot Engel and Oliver Koppell were left stunned by Sunday's massacre in Tuscon, Arizona, in which their freind, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was critically injured.

Several Bronx pols, including Koppell and the Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., spoke at a pro-living wage event in Harlem last night. Koppell is the primary sponsor of a living-wage bill currently before the Council.  Here's the latest on what may or may not happen.

The city is planning on replacing the closing John F. Kennedy High School with two charter schools, according to an internal Department of Education document obtained by The New York Times.

In an analysis piece, the Riverdale Press looks at whether the DOE "set up" JFK for failure.

St. Augustine in Morrisania is one of six Bronx Catholic scheduled to be closed at the end of the school year. Here's some reaction from students and teachers.  See here for more about these closing schools.

Cops are asking for the public's help in catching those responsible for two violent robberies in the Bronx this week.

A jury has aquitted Thomas Cordero -- the so-called "nude housekeeper" -- of murdering Eastchester resident John Conley. This despite DNA evidence and a confession. Conley was stabbed to death in October 2001.

A Bronx woman has been charged with giving other women illegal breast and butt implants.  Yes, you read that correctly.  The Mount Eden resident allegedly imported the silicon from the Domincan Republic and charged $1,000 per op.

A Bronx boxer and former Golden Gloves champ is trying to turn his life around after a stint in jail.

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 7

Two Bronx police officers gave a baby CPR last night, saving her life.

In a civil suit, a Bronx man claims police officers sodomized him with a baton when they responded to a domestic dispute between him and girlfriend in 2004. Ralph Johnson, who works on Wall Street, is suing the NYPD for unspecified damages.  The NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau (which the Village Voice portrayed as hugely incompetent in a recent article) previously deemed Johnson's allegations unfounded, and the Bronx DA declined to prosecute.

The Bronx teacher who was reassigned to administrative duties after blogging about her former exploits as a call girl, talks to Maire Claire about her past and present. [via the Daily News]

In his weekly column, the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter remembers Elaine Kaufman, the Bronx-raised owner of Elaine's, the famed Upper East Side restaurant and bar.  Kaufman died last Friday age 81. 
 
Come January, six of New York's 62 state senators will be Latino. If they stick together, they may give their fellow Democrats a few sleepness nights, argues political reporter Gerson Borrero.  Four of the six represent the Bronx, or parts of the Bronx, including Gustavo Rivera, who Borreo says is "expected to be the lap dog for organized labor." 

Looks like Pedro Espada, Jr., the man Rivera is replacing, is AWOL from Albany again.  Last week, Espada skipped the special session called by Gov. Paterson. 

John F. Kennedy High School is one of a dozen public schools the city Department of Education says its considering phasing-out because of poor performance.  The decision wasn't unexpected: JFK received a D grade in its latest progress report. (The closing of troubled schools has been a source of contention in recent times, with the DOE often clashing with parents, teachers, and the teahers' union.  Last year, the union and others sued the city, and successfully blocked efforts - temporarily at least - to shutter 19 schools.  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. is another critic of the closures.  Here's his reaction to yesterday's announcement.) 

Students at MS 180 in City Island run a highly successful food drive. 

Yesterday, Gov. David Paterson pardoned six immigrants who faced possible deportation because of crimes committed in their younger years.  Among the pardoned: a former crack-addict from the Bronx who's now a CUNY big-wig. 

Police believe they may have collared the so-called "ice-pick robber" who was wanted for a string of robberies in the Bronx and Manhattan.

A city Department of Transportation pilot program could see the speed limit on some Bronx streets cut to 20 miles an hour.

The Barnes & Noble in Co-op City recently unveiled a 3,000 square-foot toys and games boutique which doubles up as the ultimate play area.  Here's the press release.

State Senator Jeff Klein is reminding crooks that it's now a felony to vandalize or steal from a house of worship.

Ed. note: Start a discussion about any of these stories, or anything else you want to talk about in our forum. Highlight problems in your neighborhood with our SeeClickFix feature. And find out what's happening in our constantly-updated events calendar.

Story of the Day: Clinton and Kennedy High Schools Share Rivalry and Growing Pains

Check out the Norwood News for a look at the rivalry between Kennedy High School and DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx and what they're each up against this year. (Photo by Adi Talwar)

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 12

For years now, the city has been giving tax breaks to several New York City strip clubs, including the now-closed Hunts Point Triangle.

The owner of a Bronx hardware store says there's something fishy about the city's Better Business Bureau and its grading system. 

The Bronx Ink profiles Grace Outreach, a Bronx-based nonprofit that helps women prepare for college and the workplace.

Police have arrested a man in connection with the murder of a gas station attendant during a botched robbery attempt in Laconia on Oct. 28.

A Bronx man who was hit by a stray bullet during a wild shootout in Harlem in August, is suing the city for $20 million. In the complaint, the man's lawyer writes: "This is a clear case of police officers improperly following police procedure with respect of discharging of firearms in a crowd." During the gunfight, one person was killed, and several others were injured, included two cops.

State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. is sponsoring a bill which would prohibit state lawmakers from earning a second income. If passed, Diaz himself would be forced to give up his $15,000 annual stipend as a Pentecostal minister.

Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo has named 50 prominent New Yorkers to serve on his transition team. Among those: Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

A Bronx woman whose husband stabbed and very nearly killed her three years ago, has been unable to return to work, and is now struggling to hold onto her home. The bank is after it (foreclosure has been looming) and so is her soon to be free husband.

Earlier this month, the Department of Education delayed the release of John F. Kennedy High School's progress report, after concerns were raised over discrepancies in the student discharge rate.  Today, the report was finally published; the school received a D grade, and could be phased out.

The neighborhoods of Hunts Point and Longwood are featured in The Times' "Living In" column.

New in the Norwood News

Just in time for the weekend, the latest edition of the Norwood News is out on streets and online now. Here's a quick preview:

Bronx Community College students, staffers and faculty "March for Dignity." Plus, an op-ed from one of the march organizers.

Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the mayor's office square off again over a Bronx development space that has implications for the Kingsbridge Armory. (I'm detecting a theme between these two political entities.)

Speaking of development, Bronx pols say the city's new living wage study is rigged to favor the mayor's view on development.  

High School football rivals DeWitt Clinton and John F. Kennedy are struggling through growing pains this year.

More on the great pumpkin carving king.

In a move to curb New York's rampant obesity and diabetes problems, the city looks to ban people from using food stamps to purchase soda and other sugar-heavy drinks.

And much more.

Follow us on Twitter: @norwoodnews and check us out and like us on Facebook.

The Bronx's Best and Brightest

With high school graduation season in full swing, we thought we would take a minute to congratulate all of our outstanding Bronx scholars. 

Here is a (not quite complete) list of valedictorians at Bronx high schools this year, provided to us by the Bronx County Historical Society and schools we were able to contact::

Megan Ma
Bronx High School of Science
Christopher Sacco
Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music
Alexander Amoateng
DeWitt Clinton High School
Rikelmy Burgos
Discovery High School
Todd Hirsch
High School of American Studies at Lehman College
Jen Branch
High School for Teaching and the Professions
Vrutel Patel
John F. Kennedy High School
Laura Tazarez
Kingsbridge International High School
Quashay Hardy
Leadership Institute (HS 279)

 [The list continues after the jump]

High School March Madness: Bronx's Wings Academy Advances to Semi-finals of City Championship

March Madness is officially upon us. And while the college tournaments have yet to begin, a lot has transpired since the New York City high school boys basketball playoffs started last week. After searching through the interwebs I've put together a little hoops roundup with some information on how the Bronx teams performed.

Spoiler alert: with one exception, they all lost.

John F. Kennedy, the northwest Bronx's best prospect and last year's city championship runner-up, was eliminated in a second round game against East New York Transit Tech, who beat the Knights 68-67. J.F.K had a bye the first round. The Post has a rundown of that upset right here.

Evander Childs, The Bronx High School of Science, and Christopher Columbus all met similar fates in their first round match-ups last Tuesday. Evander Childs lost to the #30 seed Prospect Heights, Bronx Science lost against the #32 seed Ft. Hamilton, and Christopher Columbus lost to the #28 seed Far Rockaway.

Dewitt Clinton made it through the first round, beating the 40th seed George Washinton 71-53. The Governors were humbled, however, in their second round match-up against the #8 seed Brooklyn Collegiate, who won 87-46.

The Bronx continues to be represented, however, by the #3 seed Wings Academy.

The Wings, hot off winning the borough championship last month, had a bye the first round and dispatched their first opponent, the #19 seed South Shore, in a second round game 88-75.

On Sunday, the Wings beat Abraham Lincoln High School 78-59. Lincoln has been the reigning city powerhouse; this will be the first time in nine years they do not compete in the finals at Madison Square Garden. The Daily News has more on that game here. Now, the borough champs are to face the #2 seeded Boys and Girls High School in the semifinals tomorrow. If they win that game, the Wings will advance to the finals, playing the winner of a Cardozo (#1)- E. New York Transit (#12) game.

PSAL has the playoff brackets up online, regularly updated. They can be found here.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 16

At a hearing in Manhattan on Wednesday, a slew of Bronxites, including several representatives from the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, urged the Federal Reserve and the government in general to do more to help struggling homeowners.

A front page story in the NY Times about the tribulations of the housing and organizing group, Acorn, starts off with former city housing commissioner Shaun Donovan praising the group for its work on a South Bronx affordable housing development. Lots of interesting stuff in this article, including its ties to the Working Families Party, which has wielded a lot of political clout in Bronx and city races this fall.

Here's the Stella D'oro cookie factory closing story from the workers' side. Here's the story from business/owners' side.

The state released its September unemployment figures yesterday. The Bronx unemployment rate jumped one-tenth of a percentage point to 13.3 percent. The overal city unemployment also jumped one-tenth of a point to 10.3 percent. The state rate is 8.9 percent.

A Bronx woman is suing a Manhattan club for excluding her because of her race.

The Bronx's JFK High School girl volleyball team improved to 6-0 this year.

DeWitt Clinton's football squad is ranked 8th in the city, according to the latest poll in the NY Post. Clinton play rival JFK, at JFK, this afternoon at 5 pm.

PSAL Tennis

May 8th 2009, Indian field tennis courts: Tennis teams of DeWitt Clinton High School and John F Kennedy High School, played against each other during the second round of the PSAL "C" division playoffs. A total of 5 matches took place. Kennedy won 3, upsetting the favorites Clinton. I would like to congratulate and thank both coaches for having done an excellent job training their students, both at tennis and good conduct. Thank you Coach Charlotte Oestreicher (Kennedy), Thank you Coach Mark Morey (Clinton). It was a pleasure watching the young ladies play. I hope you enjoy the photographs. Please click on the images to view captions and larger images.

First Singles: Melissa Santana of Clinton won 10:5 against Octavia Davis of Kennedy.
Second Singles: Shatira Taylor of Kennedy won 10:7 against Hoa My Tran of Clinton.
Third Singles: Gsele Diaz of Kennedy won 10:6 against Edili Ramirez of Clinton.
First Doubles: Fannis Castillo and Terry Martin of Clinton won 10:3 against Carolina Guerrero and Saadisha Martin of Kennedy
Second Doubles: Alexis Rattler and Teara Shaw of Kennedy won 10:5 against Noryolleth Amaro and Marian Otenwarder of Clinton