Assembly Members Rivera and Arroyo Endorse Espada

Assembly members Jose Rivera (center) and Carmen Arroyo (right). Photo courtesy of Franck Laboy.

Bronx Assembly members Jose Rivera and Carmen Arroyo endorsed State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. for reelection outside the Bronx County Courthouse yesterday morning.

In a press release sent out afterwards, Espada's press director Franck Laboy said, "Assembly Lady Arroyo extolled the virtue of Espada's experience." Rivera, meanwhile, advised voters to disregard what they may have read or heard about Espada in the news. "Espada has guts," said Rivera, according to Laboy.

State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. has also endorsed Espada, but most Bronx elected officials are either backing Espada's opponent Gustavo Rivera or staying neutral.

Villaverde to Challenge Jose Rivera

Sergio Villaverde, an attorney and former police officer, announced in a press release earlier this week that he will challenge Assemblyman, and former party boss, Jose Rivera in the Democratic primary in the 78th District in September.

I spoke briefly with Villaverde, a Kingsbridge Heights resident, on the phone yesterday.

"We have some good grassroots support," he said, adding that he'll be bankrolling part of the campaign himself.

"Since the state doesn't limit how much a candidate can contribute to his own race, that makes it a lot easier," Villaverde said. "I'm not going to be asking too many people for money."

Still, Villaverde is holding a fundraiser at the Hard Rock Cafe in Yankee Stadium on April 26. And he says he'll be out knocking on doors soon.

Villaverde was a cop for 10 years and now practices family law. He's a member of Community Board 8 and was once a member of Community Board 7. He ran for City Council when Adolfo Carrion vacated his 14th District seat to run for borough president, but lost to Rivera's protege, Maria Baez.

We'll have more on this race soon.

Hector Ramirez to Challenge Nelson Castro in 86th

PHOTO: Last night in University Heights, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. handed out turkeys with District Leader Hector Ramirez.

District Leader Hector Ramirez is actively drumming up support for a 2010 run against 86th District Assemblyman Nelson Castro, the Norwood News has learned.

Though Ramirez has yet to make an official announcment, two sources close to Ramirez who requested anonymity, said that Ramirez was working to position himself for a run at Castro's seat, which he will have to defend come next election season.

The sources also said that if Ramirez does run, he will enjoy the backing of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., who was influential in Fernando Cabrera's upset primary victory over incumbent Council member Maria Baez in September.

Last night, Ramirez looked the part of campaigning candidate (see above picture) as he handed out Thanksgiving turkeys to local residents with Diaz in University Heights.

Diaz spokesperson John DeSio would only say that the borough president has handed out a lot of turkeys (some 4,000, DeSio says) and that it was Ramirez who brought the gigantic banner that prominently features both Ramirez and Diaz, Jr. Clearly, Diaz, Jr. didn't object to the photo op. But for now, DeSio said he couldn't comment further.

In August of 2008, when Castro's predecessor, Luis Diaz, left his position and took a job with Gov. David Paterson, the Bronx Democratic County Committee passed over Ramirez, a long-time party loyalist, and chose Castro, a relative new face in Bronx politics, to fill the vacancy. Many, including Luis Diaz and Castro himself, were surprised by the decision made by then-Democratic County boss Jose Rivera.

In the end, Castro, a former registered Republican who moved to the Bronx from Washington Heights a few years ago, became the first Dominican assemblyman from the Bronx, not Ramirez. (For more on Castro, read this story from the Mount Hope Monitor.)

But now, with Rivera out and Assemblyman Carl Heastie running the County party, it looks like we could be in for a serious fight between Democratic rivals in the 86th.

Stay tuned.

Community Board 7 Conditionally Votes To Approve Armory Mall Plan

We'll have a full story up on the blog and on the Norwood News Web site by this afternoon, but for now, we wanted to report the news that Community Board 7 voted last night to approve The Related Companies' city-backed and publicly-subsidized project to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a giant mall.

The vote was only advisory, but it moves the project up the food chain.

There were a handful of dissenting votes, but a large majority of the 27 board members in attendance voted to recommend the project with a list of conditions, including the signing of a binding and enforceable Community Benefits Agreement (CBA).

It remains far from certain what community benefits that agreement will include, but Chairman Greg Faulkner and the bulk of board members said they felt voting yes with conditions would be the best way to stay involved in and have input in the project as it goes forward.

Earlier in the day, Related sent a letter to the Board agreeing, in very broad (some said vague) terms, to the Community Board's conditions.

Speakers at the meeting, including members of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), representatives of the Jerome Avenue-based supermarket chain Morton Williams, Assemblyman Jose Rivera and a couple of people who said they'd been burned by Related in the past, sternly implored Board members to vote it down.

The Board now has 13 days to send their voting record and other materials to Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. who will then have 30 days to deliberate on whether or not to support the project. After that, the project goes to City Planning and then to the City Council.

Tune in later for the story on last night's hearing, which turned very interesting toward the last hour and a half.

Bronx News Roundup, June 11

Another day, another political scandal. Actually, two political scandals.

An organization created by Councilman Larry Seabrook has left the "lightest of footprints" since it was founded 10 years ago, according to The Times. But that hasn't stopped it raking big bucks, by subleasing space at inflated rates to other groups associated with Seabrook - money that was later reimbursed by the city.

Allegations of financial impropriety have dogged Seabrook since the 1990s. For a quick sampling see here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Also in today's papers: Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo's grandson, who serves as her chief-of-staff, has been charged with stealing $200,000 from a non-profit. Some of the money was allegedly spent on flights to Puerto Rico for Arroyo and her daughter, Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo.

Assemblyman Jose Rivera is proud of Espada, whose defection means the Democrats no longer hold the Senate. On a sidenote, very few Bronx pols (to my knowledge) have openly criticized Espada since this whole thing kicked off, despite the effect his actions will likely have on many of their legislative agendas.

Espada once wore a wire to secretly record conversations with the Rev. Al Sharpton, Seabrook, and others.

Espada is playing down an apparent burglary at his co-op in Bedford Park. BoogieDowner, did you hear about this?

Still on Espada, a quick look at who he could face in next year's Democratic primary.

A Daily News columnist bashes the Bronx DA's office for failing to prosecute anyone for the murder of toddler Khamerin Antwine two years ago. In the Mount Hope Monitor, recently, we wrote about another Bronx toddler whose murderer has yet to be caught

On a happier note, Green Carts are gaining a foothold in the Bronx and other parts of the city where fresh produce is hard to come by.

A new 5,000-square-foot museum is opening tomorrow in the Hebrew Home at Riverdale, on Palliside Avenue.

Bronx pols head (another) worst offenders list

In today's NY Post there's a list of state lawmakers who owe the city fines for campaign-finance violations. Five of the top seven worst offenders are from the Bronx. Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo heads the list with $33,648 in unpaid fines (going back over 15 years). Also up there are State Senators Pedro Espada Jr. and Ruth Hassell-Thompson, and Assemblymen Jose Rivera and Michael Benjamin.

"I guess these guys view these fines as kind of like parking tickets," one government reform advocate told the Post. " People feel they can violate the law with impunity."

More here.

In other political news, the Bronx GOP chairman Jay Savino has decided to endorse Mayor Michael Bloomberg for relection, after weeks of playing hard to get. Savino's support means three of the city's five GOP county chairman are backing Bloomberg, which will allow him to run as a Republican.

Word of Savino's about face doesn't seemed to have reached the Bronx County Young Republican Club, however. As of this morning, the group (who call themselves "a small herd of pachyderms amongst a mass of jackasses") is still hawking Term-Limit Mike Bloomberg buttons on their Web site.

Bronx News Roundup Feb. 3

Lots of housing news today:

The State Assembly yesterday passed a series of bills designed to strengthen rent-regulation laws. In previous years, the legislation would have thrown out by the Republican majority. Now the Democrats are in charge things are expected to change. It'll be interesting to see what State Senator Pedro Espada (who's chair of the Senate Housing Committee) does. In the past, he's been criticized by tenant rights groups for being too "landlord friendly."

More than 50 percent of Bronx residents worry they'll be priced out of the borough by rising rents.

A rezoning proposal could transform a 30-block area near the Yankee Stadium. Under the plan, many of the auto repair shops and parking lots that dominate the neighborhood will be replaced by apartments buildings and acres of retail space.

A 128-unit apartment building, aimed at low-incomes families and those leaving the shelter system, has sprung up on Freeman Street in a neighborhood that come on leaps and bounds in the last 20 years. Intervale Green, as the building's called, was built using a "green" design. Tenants will receive a free computer, Internet access, and other benefits.

Bronx residents can voice their opinions about proposed MTA service cuts and fare increases at a meeting this Wednesday.

The Bronx is becoming a mecca for immigrants from across the globe.

In his weekly column, Bob Kappsatter says Assemblyman Jose Rivera, the former Democratic party chairman, may run for borough president. If he does (which would certainly spice things up) son Joel would abandon his own bid and run for a third City Council term, says Kappstatter, where he could face a strong challenge from Radame Perez of Mastermind Management. More about Mastermind here.

Bronx News Roundup Jan. 6

A Bronx Marine has been killed by a landmine in Afghanistan.

Three men were in court yesterday to face charges relating to the death of two Bronx firefighters in January 2005. Firefighters Curtis Meyran and John Bellew were forced to jump to their deaths from the fourth floor of a Mount Hope building. The men on trial - a building manager and two tenants - are accused of illegally erecting walls inside their apartments so they could rent out the rooms - in the process creating a series of deathtraps. More here. And more background on the fire here.

The Grand Concourse's revival continues with the recent opening of the pedestrian (and skateboarder) friendly Lou Gehrig Plaza (pictured below). The plaza is opposite the Bronx County Courthouse at East 161st Street. Previously the area was used for parking. More here.


The Bronx Zoo could be hit by budget cuts.

Assemblyman Jose Rivera - the recently disposed Democratic party boss - still wields political clout thanks to a small band of loyalists (Baez, Seabrook, etc.), according to the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter in his weekly column.

The Times talks to a Bronx sanitary worker about his 22 years on the job.

An early morning house fire on City Island has left several people injured.

A determined 25-year-old has been given a second shot at an education courtesy of The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund and a South Bronx non-profit.

Perhaps new mom Ashlee Simpson wasn't being as original as she thought. A five-year old bull mastiff from Bristol, England, is also named after our fine borough. Bronx (the dog, not the kid) is in the news because he was drunk and depressed after his abusive - and soon to be out of pocket - owner feed him Stella Artois.

(Photo by J. Fergusson)

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 3, Part I

Welcome to Wednesday's roundup. Since we haven't done one of these since last week, this will be more like a week's roundup and I'll try to touch on all of the big stories floating around right now. There's a lot to get to, so I'm going to break this up into two parts. First, let's talk politics.

Adolfo to Replace Hillary?
With Senator Hillary Clinton taking the Secretary of State job in the Obama administration, pundits and politicos around the country are talking about her successor. One name that keeps coming up: Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, who has been getting decidely mixed reviews on this blog ever since it was first brought up.

Here's MSNBC's take, the LA Times, Congressional Quarterly offers up its short list, CNN weighs in.

The ultimate call is up to Governor David Paterson, who had his eyes on the seat until his former boss, Eliot Spitzer resigned under a cloud of scandal. Paterson says he'll wait to make a decision, probably until January. If Paterson goes with a Hispanic candidate, the general consensus is that he'll choose either Carrion or Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, who's represented the Lower East Side and parts of Brooklyn and Queens since 1992.

The Future of the Bronx Dems
Daily News Bronx Bureau Chief Bob Kappstatter's Monday column talks about the fallout from Carl Heastie and the Rainbow Rebels court victory last week, which gave them control of the Bronx County party. He writes that former party boss Jose Rivera's supporters -- including Council members Oliver Koppell (11th Council District) and Maria Baez (14th and the party's number 2), and Assembly members Naomi Rivera (80th Assembly District and Jose's daughter) and Nelson Castro (86th) -- could feel a backlash in upcoming elections.

The Death of Ramon Velez
Controversial South Bronx leader Ramon Velez, the borough's political "godfather," died on Sunday after a years long battle with Alzheimers disease.

During some of the Bronx's worst times, in the 1960s and 1970s, Velez built the Hunt's Point Multi-Service Center into a hub for social services with millions of dollars in government contracts as well as one of the borough's most powerful political organization. (Former Bronx Borough Prez Fernando Ferrer and Congressman Jose Serrano both came out of his camp. Serrano sent out a fawning press release following Velez's death.).

He also turned the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade into one of the biggest ethnic showcases in the country and championed Puerto Rican causes at the highest levels.

Velez was also investigated dozens of times for corruption, but was never convicted of anything.

Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez brilliantly puts Velez's life and contributions into perspective. If you read nothing else about Velez, read this. Great personal story from Gonzalez at the end.

Here's the Times' obituary of Velez.

Look for Part II later this afternoon.

Bronx News Roundup: Tuesday, Nov. 18

[See update at the bottom of this post]
It's getting chilly on Bronx streets in more ways than just the temperature.

Early Monday morning in Bedford Park, police discovered a man, described as being in his 30s, shot in the stomach. Medics took him to St. Barnabas, but he was pronounced Dead on Arrival. Police say the investigation is ongoing. The Post has a small blurb about it in its Daily Blotter.

A man has been arrested in connection with a shooting on Morris Avenue (near the Cross Bronx Expressway) that left a 17-year-old girl dead and two other teenagers wounded. Late Sunday night, Brandin Santiago was arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

The Daily News picked up the Norwood News' story about how the city's Dept. of Health is going to turn the old Fordham Library into an animal shelter. Here's the Norwood News story about it.

Speaking of the Health Dept., the agency has created a Web site where residents can track rat infestations and how they're being dealt with. Here's the Web site: https://gis.nyc.gov/doh/rip/.
Enjoy.

The city says it was all a big understanding that led them to build a new school on a contaminated site in Mott Haven.

Speaking of Mott Haven contamination, residents in that area are complaining that a toxic sludge is mucking up an abandoned railway.

Fordham University and Albert Einstein Medical School are teaming up to help strengthen their science and medical programs.

And for dessert, Daily New Borough Chief Bob Kappstatter's political gossip column. He says Assemblyman Jose Rivera has the Bronx Democratic party running a budget deficit; District Leader Hector Ramirez, Luis Diaz's hand-picked successor in the 86th Assembly District, says he was betrayed by two lawyers associated with Rivera's County leadership. (Rivera's man, Nelson Castro, ended up winning the seat.) And he gives Councilman Jimmy Vacca a pass for voting in favor of a term limits extension (after he initially opposed it) because he says Vacca received some concessions for his district from the mayor.

[Update, 3:32 p.m. Thanks to Mr. Kappstatter for clearing up this last tidbit, which I misinterpretted earlier. It wasn't that Vacca received any concessions from Mayor Bloomberg for voting in favor of the term limits extension. But he could have lost some valuable goodies for his district if he didn't support the measure. It's a subtle, but substanative difference. The question remains: was it a smart move and what exactly did he protect? I think we'll see how some of this plays out during the fight over the mayor's plan to consolidate neighborhood senior centers. Vacca and others in the Bronx (like Oliver Koppell) who voted for the term limits extension have voiced their opposition to the plan. Will Bloomberg back off or roll right over them?]

Bronx News Roundup Nov. 11

Happy Veterans' Day!

Here's some Bronx-related news from the past few days.

Tomorrow, a man who grew up in the Bronx and fought and died in the Korean War, will be given a long overdue burial in the Arlington National Cemetery. Cornelius Charlton, who died in 1951 aged 21, received a medal of honor for his bravery, which entitled him to burial in the Arlington National Cemetery. But his family was never notified he was eligible. Charlton will finally be laid to rest at the cemetery tomorrow and a ceremony will be held in his honor.

Eighth graders at CIS 339 are ecstatic about President Elect Obama’s victory. They feel top priority issues for the new president should be improving the public school system, the economy, and health care.

Hundreds of students at five Bronx high schools in West Farms are unable to access their library because of delays in library construction, which was supposed to be finished in the summer before the start of the school year.

A judge ruled that city officials broke environmental laws when they proceeded with construction of the Mott Haven school campus without first outlining safety measures to protect students from exposure to pollutants. The 6.6 acre site used to be home to a rail yard, laundry, and coal plant.

Members of the exclusive Yale Club in New York complain that their facility is overrun with nonmembers, and in particular, those from the Bronx. The IRS is investigating whether the club is following tax-exemption rules to reserve 70 percent of its rooms for members. Members claim the club is not, making it difficult for members to book rooms and use club facilities.

Early Monday morning at the corner of East Tremont and Boston Road, a pit bull attacked a pregnant woman, biting her on the leg. In an attempt to rescue the woman, a police officer fatally shot the dog.

Party Chairman Jose Rivera and attorney Stanley Schlein, the former legal mind for the Bronx Democratic Party, allegedly exchanged heated words during the Somos El Futuro Conference in Puerto Rico. Schlein left the Democratic Party earlier this year to act as counsel for the "Rainbow Rebels," a group of rival politician challenging Rivera's leadership.

Waiting on Rebels v. Rivera

Yesterday the two sides battling over the leadership of the Bronx County Democratic Committee were supposed to face off in court, but 'Rainbow Rebel' spokesman Tom McNeil reports that lawyers for the two sides met in the judges' chambers for most of the afternoon. McNeil said he expects more of the same today.

Stay tuned ...

Bronx News Roundup Oct. 14

According to NY1, five of the Bronx's eight council members support Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plans to extend term limits. Only Annabel Palma and Jimmy Vacca, neither of whom are term limited, are against it. Helen Foster is undecided. Across the city, 15 council members support the extension, 19 oppose it, and 17 say they haven't made up their mind. All but one of those supporting the overhaul are term-limited. Funny that. A vote is expected in the next two weeks, but the Justice Department will have the final say.

Davidson Community Center on Burnside Avenue is celebrating its 40th birthday. More here in October's Mount Hope Monitor.

Did Nelson Castro lie under oath? Richard Soto, whose brother Mike lost to Castro in September's primary, says he did. Now Soto's filed a complaint with the Bronx DA, according to Bob Kappstatter in the Daily News. This is more bad news for Jose Rivera, the embattled party chairman. Castro, who running for Assembly in the 86th District, was the only primary candidate Rivera supported who won.

Despite being 72, it appears that Rivera still packs a punch - albeit a soft one. Kappstatter says Rivera knocked him with an "intimidating knuckle tap to our jaw" for writing negatively about him and his supporters. It's not the first time Kappstatter's got on the wrong side of a Bronx pol. Earlier this year, Assemblyman State Senator Ruben Diaz accused him of spreading lies and rumors. But Diaz didn't resort to fisticuffs. Instead the good reverend promised to pray for him.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer is asking readers whether schools and politics mix. Last week, the UFT filed a lawsuit accusing the principal of C.S. 134 in Morrisania of forcing a teacher to remove a pro-Obama poster from the school's union bulletin board.

Violent crime is on the rise, says the Daily News. Here in the west Bronx, the 44th Precinct has seen a huge increase. Murders and rapes are up nearly 50 percent on last year's figures. In the Five-Two and Four-Six there's better news, with most violent crime categories down.

Several Bronx schools are helping to raise awareness about the dangers of breast cancer.

Three abandoned lots in Melrose are being redeveloped.

Will Board of Elections Discuss Bx Dem Battle at Meeting Tomorrow?

As Liz Benjamin of the Daily News Poltiicker blog reported on Friday, Stanley Schlein, the lawyer for the group of Bronx pols who have claimed victory in their bid to replace Jose Rivera as county leader, has filed “general objections” to Rivera’s certification of his own victory with the Board of Elections. This is the latest salvo in a battle that may end up in court.

Now, we’re wondering whether any of this will be discussed at a meeting of the Board of Elections’ commissioners tomorrow. We spoke to both Bronx commissioners (there is one Republican and one Democratic commissioner from each borough, though Queens currently has two vacancies), Nero Graham (the Democrat) and J.C. Polanco (the Republican).

Neither knew whether this issue would come before the commissioners tomorrow, but it’s hard to imagine there won’t be at least some discussion of it.

Stay tuned.

A Taste of the Proceedings

Just to add to the post below, here's a little video taste of what went on inside the Paradise Theater tonight. Jose Rivera left the theater with his supporters after he spoke.

Bronx News Roundup Sept. 26

The Rainbow Rebels, a coalition of Bronx politicians attempting to oust Party Chairman Jose Rivera, are gearing up for Sunday's key vote at the Uptopia Paradise Theater. In theory, the vote should determined whether Rivera stays or goes. But the losers will probably take the winners to court, says the Daily News. If Rivera (pictured) does fall, Assemblyman Carl Heastie is favorite to replace him.

The mother of an unsupervised 5-year-old boy, who was abandoned two miles from home by a school bus driver, is suing the city.

The barely-used Sheridan Expressway should be razed according to a "Freeways without Futures," a study by the Congress for the New Urbanism. See here and here.

Yesterday the House of Representatives passed a bill requiring calling card providers to disclose all fees and conditions associated with their cards. The bill, sponsored by Bronx Congressman Eliot Engel, could put an end to hidden costs and charges. Those most affected are usually immigrants and American soldiers abroad because they rely on cards to call home. On average, cards deliver just 60 percent of the minutes they advertise, according to a study released earlier this year by the Hispanic Institute. More here in the Norwood News.

Recent hurricanes have killed more than 600 people in Haiti and left thousands without homes. New York officials are asking residents to donate toothbrushes, children's clothes, bottled water, and the like. In the Bronx, items can be dropped off at Cox Nissan at 1235 E. Tremont Ave., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., through Sunday. More here.

(Photo by Alma Watkins)

Bronx News Roundup Sept. 24

Police say they've taken down a lucrative drugs and money-laundering ring headed by a Clay Avenue man. Jose Diaz-Ortega, 28, allegedly told associates in Puerto Rico to hide kilos of cocaine inside children toys which were then mailed to addresses in the United States. Ortega was picked up in June and is being held on $500,000 bail. On Monday police made more arrests.

Yankees Catcher José Molina (pictured speaking at a baseball clinic in Roberto Clemente State Park in June) smashed the final home run at the old Yankee Stadium. That much is clear, says The NYT. But there's a debate over who should be allowed to keep the now sacred ball. (The slightly grumpy looking guy on the left, by the way, is Ray Negron, the children's author and special assistant to George Steinbrenner.)

Ramon Jimenez, a community activisit and Harvard-educated lawyer, tells The NYT that he's lost faith in his former ally Assemblyman Jose Rivera, whose position as Bronx county leader is currently under threat. Recalling Rivera's start in politics some 25 years ago, Jimenez said:

A lot of people helped him because he was seen as a progressive candidate. But instead of empowering people, it came to be about ‘me, me, me.’ We expected something different from José. He had ability and creativity in organizing. That slowly dissipated and he became more concerned about his power and his family.

More here.

A wave of high-profile retailers, including Best Buy and Applebees, are coming to Fordham Road.

Bronx Congressman Eliot Engel is attempting to stop what he sees as intrusive and unnecessary searches by customs officials at airports and border crossings. According to The Sun, the federal government now allows agents to read and copy travellers' personal papers and any documents they might have stored on a laptop.

Bronx News Roundup Sept. 23

The Rainbow Rebels, a group of disillusioned Bronx pols who are attempting to overthrow party boss Jose Rivera, held a rally last night to protest Rivera's leadership. Some 400 people showed up. Originally, the Rebels planned to vote for a new leader, but a judge forced them to cancel at the last minute. Instead, they will fight it out with Rivera loyalists at a meeting this Sunday at the Utopia Paradise Theater. Here's Bob Kappstatter's latest column on the issue.

In January 2007, Dr. Leandro Lozada, a popular pediatrician who ran a health center in North Fordham, was brutally murdered in his Yonkers home. Back in March, the former owner of Lozada's house was convicted of murder. Now an accomplice has also been found guilty.

In an anti-smoking initiative, the Department of Health is distributing 330,000 match boxes to bodegas in the South Bronx, Harlem, and parts of Brooklyn. The boxes come emblazoned with grisly photos of blackened lungs and rotting teeth in an attempt to shock smokers into quitting.

A Bronx bus driver, who allegedly dropped off a 5-year-old boy two miles from his Eastchester home, has been suspended without pay.

Concourse Village residents and Community Board 4 are trying to stop the building of a citywide homeless intake facility on Walton Avenue at 151st Street. The neighborhood was previously home to a two-story intake center - the notoriously busy Emergency Assistance Unit. That site closed in 2005. The new one will be 7-stories high. A public hearing is being a held to examine the possible impact of the new center on Thursday at Hostos Community College (120 E. 149th St., Savoy Multi-Purpose Room, 2nd Fl.) The hearing begins at 7 p.m.

Doctors at Jacobi Medical Center and North Central Bronx Hospital want to unionize.

A recently unearthed photo of a baseball diamond near the old Yankee Stadium has parks advocates crying foul. They're claiming, not for the first time, that the city is failing to replace all the parkland swallowed by the new stadium.

At the weekend, the Bronx Museum of the Arts played host to a breakdancing competition.

The Coalition for Muslim School Holidays is holding a "Ramadan Awareness Event" tomorrow at the Bronx County Courthouse (851 Grand Concourse). It starts at 5 p.m. The press release says:

Come learn about Ramadan and support our campaign for equality in public education! We want the City Council to pass Resolution 1281, which calls for the DOE to recognize the two Eid holidays in the school calendar.

The Norwood News wrote about this issue last year.

Bronx News Roundup Sept. 22

Here's some Bronx-related news from the past few days.

Police say they've arrested one of the men who robbed and viciously assaulted a Boston-based radio host in Kingbridge Heights on Sept. 14. Pelagio de la Cruz was hit over the head with a baseball bat and seriously injured. In the aftermath of the attack police released this surveillance video.

Hostos Community College is looking for a new president.

It's an important day in the chaotic world of Bronx politics. The Rainbow Rebellion, a coalition of Bronx politicians who are trying oust Party Chairman Jose Rivera, are meeting at 7 p.m. at Dresier Loop Community Center in Co-op City (at 177 Dreiser Loop), where they hope to elect new leadership. More here, on how this works. UPDATE: I just received a call saying tonight's vote has been cancelled. Instead there will be a rally at the same location to protest Rivera's leadership. Apologies for being a little vague; we'll have more later. SECOND UPDATE: According to The Times a State Supreme Court judge ruled that the event couldn't take place because of limited space in the hall. The Daily News also has the story. Elizabeth Benjamin is calling it "a significant victory" for Rivera.

State Senator Efrain Gonzalez tells The Times that his ongoing legal issues may have played a role in his surprise primary defeat at the hands of Pedro Espada. Strange. In a interview on Sept. 10, Gonzalez told us his indictment wasn't to blame. "I came up short because of a lack of resources," he said. "It was not about my leadership and it’s not about the indictment." Party boss Jose Rivera told the Norwood News there were a number of reasons why his man lost. "It's hard with all the newspapers, including yours, that are calling him a crook." Of Espada, Rivera said: "I call him the Puerto Rican Michael Bloomberg. He's not as rich as Bloomberg but he's a millionaire and we couldn't compete with that."

If you missed it, The Times has some wonderful coverage (articles, photos, video and audio) on the history of Yankee Stadium, which last night hosted its final game.

In what appears to be a tragic accident, a young couple fell to their deaths from the roof of a Soundview apartment building, following a night of partying. On a side note, it always amazes me that the Daily News doesn't moderate their comments (or if they do, they do a lousy job). Check out the posts at the end of the story. I'm all for free speech, but...

Bronx Political Showdown -- Dems Hold Rival Meetings

First, my apologies for the light posting this week. We're a little shorthanded with my deputy editor, Alex Kratz, on his honeymoon (he'll be back next week), Norwood News production this week, and a stomach virus that had me laying low most of this week.

OK, back to business ...

It looks like there will be two rival attempts to elect a Democratic County Leader.

The Rainbow Rebels are trying to use party rules to stage a rival County Committee meeting on Monday night in Co-op City to Jose Rivera’s, which is scheduled for Sept. 28 at the Paradise (now the Utopia Paradise by the way). More here.