Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 27

The Bronx's first restaurant week, officially known as Savor the Bronx (we mentioned it in yesterday's roundup) is getting a shoutout from ZagatBuzz. "The borough is giving everyone an excuse to get their butts way uptown," the site says.

The Irish Echo reports that the Transportation Committee of Community Board 8 has given its OK to the naming of a street near Gaelic Park in Kingsbridge for the late human rights activist and lawyer Frank Durkan.

The Bronx Museum of Arts will screen the documentary "Garifuna Nation"on Friday at 7 p.m. (Video)

Kappstatter gives us the rundown on what the political machinations may be behind Bronx Democratic boss Carl Heastie not nominating a new executive director of the city Board of Elections for more than a year now. Also in the column, is news of the first meeting of the Bronx Young Democrats Club tomorrow night.

The New York Times Arts section reports some hard news about the new Poe Park visitors' center being shuttered and vandalized for lack of funding to staff the raven-shaped building.

City Comptroller John Liu discussed the economy with Bronx Community College students last week and made other stops in the borough. (Video)

Bronx News Roundup, Wednesday, May 18

Lots going on today in the Bronx, like the distribution of the latest Norwood News in the Fordham, University Heights, Bedford Park and Norwood communities and some other stuff. We'll roll out the NN stories in this space over the next few days, but don't wait for that. Pick up your copy today. Ok, I'm done plugging. On to the news!

Weather: Flood Watch still very much in effect today, with thunderstorms possible after 2 p.m. Keep galoshes, emergency row boat, handy.

Story of the Day: Yankee Parking Garages Flailing 
Sometimes I think Juan Gonzalez, the Daily News columnist, only writes about the mess that has become of the Yankee Stadium parking garages. Today, he's back telling us how terrible the garages are doing financially and that the nonprofit created to manage them, Bronx Parking Development, Inc., is on the verge of defaulting on its $237 million tax-exempt bonds. In April, only 31 percent of the garage complex's 9,000 parking spaces were filled with paying customers. To make up for last year's losses (when 60 percent of the spaces were being used), Bronx Parking hiked it's rates to $35 for self-parking and $48 for valet. So much for former deputy mayor Dan Doctoroff's prediction that the parking garages would pay for themselves and put money back into city coffers. Right now, they're a money pit. On the plus side, this could give more ammunition to the borough president's idea to take one of the garages and turn it into a fancy hotel. 

Quick Hits:
Here's the DN's take on the Living Wage bill debate. (We'll have more on this later today, including the news that Bronx Councilman Jimmy Vacca is leaning toward the mayor's view that the bill will impede development and away from the rest of the Bronx delegation's view that it won't and that it's a step toward providing quality jobs in the borough.)

Were the recent Bronx Zoo "escapes" (see: cobra and peahen) really just an elaborate and brilliant PR stunt? Bravo, says Sal Cataldi, who predicts a slew of Bronx Zoo-related headlines that could be on the horizon, including: "Lady Gaga Image Found in the Spots of a Newborn Giraffe" and "Bronx Zoo African Grey Parrot in Talks to Replace Regis Philbin." Hilarious stuff.

Comptroller (and possible mayoral candidate in 2013) John Liu is making the rounds in the Bronx, saying the city needs to address the problem of homelessness, which he believes is about to explode due to the ending of a voucher program, with a more "holistic" approach. Liu, a Bronx Science grad, also recalled biking on the Grand Concourse during his high school years: "There were blocks where you had to ride your bike fast. There were a lot of dogs around."

Bronx rapper Cory Gunz talks about his hip hop influences growing up in the Boogie Down.  

On the 420th anniversary of her birth, the charismatic feminist and early Bronx settler Anne Hutchinson is getting her due. Today, in conjunction with Bronx Week, borough historian Lloyd Ultan is leading a trolley tour that will detail her life. The first scheduled tour already left, but the afternoon tour begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse.

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 4

Rose Donaghey, a 90-year-old veteran Bronx waitress known for her unstoppable work ethic, missed her first day on the job in over two years because of last week's blizzard. She works at the Wicked Wolf in Throgs Neck, and has served in restaurants all over the city for decades.

The Daily News' Bob Kappstatter breaks down the borough's crime stats for 2010. Like the rest of the city, the Bronx saw an overall decrease in crime but a jump in violent crimes--including a sharp rise in the number of stabbing fatalities. Here's a look at the stats for the 52 Precinct from last week's Norwood News.

Assemblyman Peter Rivera could be leaving his post for a gig in the new Gov. Cuomo's administration. If he does, a special election would determine who would fill his district seat, which covers West Farms and Parkchester.

Bronx spiritualist Chris Ochun, and other city psychics, are predicting who will win tonight's $330 Mega Millions lotto jackpot.

A quarter will soon get you five minutes less in parking time at meters in the outer boroughs, thanks to changes made at the start of the new year. The price increase won't actually go into effect in the Bronx until March.

City Councilwoman Helen Foster, who represents several neighborhoods in the South Bronx, had the worst attendance rate in the City Council last year, making it to 61.7 percent of her meetings, according to amNY. Foster told the paper that her absence was due to a number of ill family members. Bronx reps Joel Rivera and Larry Seabrook were also among the worst no-show members.

City Comptroller John Liu axed plans to build a new 911 call center in the Bronx, saying the budget for construction of the center, and another in Brooklyn, is now nearly double what it was estimated to cost when approved in 2005.

Bronx Congressman Eliot Engel has been cleared by the House ethics committee, which was investigating how he and other members of Congress spent travel stipends while visiting foreign countries.

Comptroller's Task Force Releases CBA Report Based Partly On Lessons Learned From Bronx Projects

We'll get to the comptroller's group's report in a minute, but first, a little look back. 

Last winter, the City Council killed a Bloomberg-backed plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall, largely because community activists, job advocates and a united front of Bronx elected officials said the project lacked a strong Community Benefits Agreement; most notably, there was no guarantee for living wage jobs.

What started out as a local story went citywide and Community Benefits Agreements -- or CBAs: agreements signed between the developer and community stakeholders that promise additional benefits for local residents impacted by the coming development -- became a hot button issue among political, development and labor circles.

While strong CBAs, including some with living wage guarantees, were being signed in other big cities around the country, developers in New York City, backed by it's pro-development (with no string attached) mayor, was late to the game. Some CBAs were signed -- at Atlantic Yards (Brooklyn), the new Yankee Stadium (Bronx) and the Gateway Center Mall (Bronx) -- but they lacked teeth and true community involvement, community and job advocates charged.

The Armory case became an entirely different animal altogether and the prospects for a strong and enforceable CBA seemed possible. There were active community groups involved in the process from the beginning and the developer, the Related Companies, repeatedly said it would enter into an agreement at some point. But real negotiations began late and it all fell apart over the living wage issue.

In the aftermath, living wage legislation was introduced in the City Council (though its since stalled), Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. convened a new star-studded task force to create a new plan for developing the Armory (no word on what's happening with that) and new Comptroller John Liu created his own task force to create a "proposed framework for public benefits agreements in New York City that would create clear expectations, encourage broad participation and result in enforceable public benefits that comply with legal standards."

Liu's group -- made up of what appears to be a diverse and vast group of labor leaders, real estate developers, academics, business associations, thinktank types and lawyers (plus Al Rodriguez, general counsel for Diaz, the only elected official who appears to have a voice in this report and was very active in the process, according to Scott Sieber, Liu's spokesman) -- delivered the goods this week to some degree of controversy.

John Liu Discusses the City Budget, CBAs and More on BronxTalk

On Monday night on BronxTalk, NYC Comptroller John Liu talked with host Gary Axelbank about the city budget, community benefit agreements, recent audits of the EDC and DHS, and many other topical subjects.

For more than 15 years, BronxTalk has been seen live each week on Bronxnet's Cablevision channel 67. It's also on Verizon Fios channel 33 and streamed live at http://www.bronxnet.org/. Produced by Jane Folloro, BronxTalk is repeated each day at 9:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. Archives are available at blip.tv (search for "BronxTalk").

Comptroller to Talk Budget at Hostos Tonight

Tonight, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Comptroller John Liu is going to give a presentation on the city's budget at Hostos Community College, Savoy Multi-purpose room, 120 E.149th St. For more information, call (212) 669-3089. 

Celebrating the Lunar New Year in the Bronx

Asian-American dancers and singers, along with Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Comptroller John Liu, helped ring in the Bronx’s Lunar New Year Celebration at DeWitt Clinton High School on Saturday, Feb. 20.
(Photo by Adi Talwar)

John Liu on BronxTalk Monday

This Monday night NYC Comptroller John Liu will appear on BronxTalk, the borough's flagship talk show.  Beginning at 9:00pm, Mr. Liu will talk with host Gary Axelbank about development and Community Benefits Agreements, MTA funding and student fares, water rates, lost revenues at the Department of Finance, and a variety of other civic issues.

Viewers can call in with questions or comments at 718-960-7241.

For the past fifteen years, BronxTalk has been seen live each week on Cablevision channel 67.  It's also on Verizon Fios channel 67 and streamed live at www.bronxnet.org.  Produced by Jane Folloro, BronxTalk is repeated each day at 9:30am, 3:30pm, and 9:00pm.  Archives are available at blip.tv, search for "BronxTalk."

Upcoming shows:

March 1 - Rep. Joe Crowley

March 8 - Councilman James Vacca

March 15 - Bronx Blogs

Praise and Prayers for Cabrera on Inauguration Day

Fernando Cabrera's ceremonial inauguration last night at Bronx Community College played out like a star-studded spiritual revival as a small army of city politicians lined up to offer congratulations and predict a bright future for the Bronx's newest City Council member.

Although the night was ostensibly about Cabrera, who unseated two-term incumbent Maria Baez last fall, it was also bigger than him.

Speakers, from U.S. Senator Charles Schumer to new Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio to Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., hailed Cabrera's induction into the City Council as another big step in the positive reshaping of the Bronx political landscape.

"Something wonderful is happening in the Bronx," said DeBlasio, going on to praise the "new and dynamic leadership" in the borough.

DeBlasio and others said new B.P. Diaz and new Bronx Democratic Party leader Assemblyman Carl Heastie had made great strides in uniting the borough's historically-fractured gaggle of elected officials.

This manifested itself at the end of 2009 with the Council's nearly unanimous rejection of a Bloomberg-backed plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory (which sits in the middle of Cabrera's 14th District) into a shopping mall. That wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the Bronx Council delegation's cohesion during the failed negotiations of a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with the Armory's designated developer, The Related Companies.

During his rousing speech, Diaz, who opposed the Armory plan without a CBA that would include guarantees of good-paying jobs, heaped praise on Cabrera for showing "leadership and courage" in stepping up during the negotiating process in December, though he had yet to take office. That was partly due to Baez's inexplicable absence (she's reportedly ill, but never made an official announcement about what's happened to her), but it was also because Cabrera offered his services and proved to be an asset during the process.

"It was there that he showed that over the next four years, we're going to have a productive time," Diaz said.

Liu Supports Living Wage Job Requirements at the Kingsbridge Armory; Barron Backs Diaz's Efforts

Photo: Council member and Comptroller-elect John Liu supports a living wage requirement at the Armory.

With the Bronx City Council delegation coalescing around Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.'s push for living wage requirements and a strong community benefits agreement as part of the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, other members from the outer boroughs are also starting to express their support.

On Monday night, during an interview on "BronxTalk," Queens Council member and Comptroller-elect John Liu told host Gary Axelbank that he supported the inclusion of a living wage requirement for retail tenants at a revamped Armory mall.

"We want to make sure development deals [like the Armory project] create decent paying jobs for Bronxites," Liu said. He added later that a strong community benefits agreement deal like the one Diaz has proposed would "set the standard for Bronxites and the rest of the city as well."

The problem, he said, is that workers in the Bronx and the rest of the city aren't getting paid enough to live on. "The concept of living wage is that minimum wage isn't sustainable for any families or any working class people."

Related has repeatedly said a living wage requirment would essentially kill the project because the developer wouldn't be able to attract tenants with those types of restrictions in place.

But Liu said the requirement should not be a deal-breaker because Related is getting millions in tax breaks and is buying the Armory for well below market value.

"[Living wage] is not an imposition on the private sector because it only comes into play when companies, like Related, are getting a large accomodation from the city," Liu said.

In the end, he thinks a deal will get hammered out before the Council votes sometime in December. (See the whole interview here.)

In a phone interview today with Norwood News reporter Alex Gibbons, Brooklyn Council member Charles Barron said he supported Diaz's efforts in negotiating a strong benefits agreement that would include living wage.

Barron, who, like Liu, is on the Council's land use committee, which will be looking at the merits of the project next Tuesday during a public hearing, said that such an agreement would amount to a revolution in New York City. Although he said he couldn't tie his vote to (or make it contingent upon) the signing of a benefits agreement, he said, "it would set a positive precedent...it's the right way to go."

With Council members lining up in support of Diaz's living wage push, it will be interesting to see if Mayor Bloomberg "goes to bat for Related" and tries to squash this precent-setting proposal, as one "Council insider" told the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter earlier this week.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 18

The trial for the four men accused of plotting to bomb two Riverdale synagogues will begin next June 14. At the hearing where the trial date was set, lawyers for the accused, who are pleading not guilty, said that their clients were entrapped by a federal government informant. They also said that key evidence -- recorded conversations in which the defendants allegedly discussed the bombing plans -- doesn't exist. More on this, including courtroom sketches, from NY1 and Daily News.

NY1's Dean Meminger examines the impact of the new Gateway Center mall, which the Related Companies the mayor's office and other elected officials are touting as a huge boon for the south Bronx. From the interviews, local residents seem to think it's been a valued addition as well. Related is facing opposition to its plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into another mall because they have not entered into a Community Benefits Agreement.

Not surprisingly, Maria Baez failed to show up for the first post-primary City Council meeting, "keeping intact her hold on the Council's worst attendance record," writes the Times' Ray Rivera. She said on Tuesday night that she was going on vacation for a few days.

An assistant principal at a middle school in Morrisania was arrested for driving drunk on Thursday morning at 7 a.m. Her 10-month-old baby was in the back seat.

The Bronx Democrats have thrown their weight behind John Liu for comptroller after their original choice, Melinda Katz was beaten soundly in Tuesday's primary.

A fire ripped through a Morrisania area grocery store and mosque early this morning.

Rape charges against five Hoftstra students, three of whom are from the Bronx, have been dismissed.

Councilman Talks MTA Rescue Plan on BronxTalk

On Monday night, Queens Councilman John Liu, who's running for City Comptroller and is chairman of the Council's transportation committee, appeared on BronxTalk to discuss the MTA budget crisis and possible solutions that could stave off the pending service cuts and fare hikes.

Basically, he said getting people on board to help out the MTA has been difficult, but that he supported a payroll tax, like the one proposed by Senate Democrats on Monday, to help bridge the budget gap. Unfortunately, a handful of suburban Democratic Senators are refusing to support the bill. Without unanimous support, Senate Democrats, who hold a slim 32-30 majority, will have trouble passing any rescue plan.

Click here to watch the full video.

Hosted by Gary Axelbank and produced by Jane Folloro, BronxTalk can be seen live on Mondays at 9 p.m. on Bronxnet's channel 67. This coming Monday, BronxTalk will feature an interview with new Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Seabrook and Liu Hold Transit Meeting

Council Members Larry Seabrook (east Bronx) and John Liu (Queens), who is also a candidate for city comptroller, are holding a meeting on Monday evening about the transit cuts. Details ...

New York City Council Member Larry B. Seabrook, Chair of the Civil Rights Committee and Council Member John Liu, Chair of the Transportation will host a community meeting and speak out in District 12, on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s toll and fare increases and service cuts on bus and subway lines. The increase in transit fare will also mean an increase in the Access-A-Ride fare from $2.00 to $2.50.

This community meeting will be held on Monday, March 30, 2009 at 3825 White Plains Road & E. 220th Street, at 7 p.m.