Bronx News Roundup, June 22

Weather: In the high 70s today, and thunderstorms likely this evening.

Story of the Day: Future of the Muller Center To Be Debated Tonight
A hearing is scheduled tonight to get public input on the fate of the Muller Army Reserve Center, a 55,000-square-foot former military base in Wakefield that the Bloomberg administration wants to turn into a homeless shelter.

Bronx News Weekend Roundup, May 31

Weather: The holiday weekend has ushered in a wave of summer-like weather. Today will remain sunny with a high of 81 degrees. Scattered storms are in the forecast for tomorrow.

Story of the Day: Bronx Woman Murdered While Holding 2-Year-Old Son
A woman was shot and killed Sunday night in East Tremont while walking home with her youngest child, who was found crying next to his mother's body on a Park Avenue sidewalk near 178th Street. Claudia Millan, 29, was shot in the head just a block from her home, where her brother and three other children were waiting for her. Her two-year-old son Jah-mere was found unharmed other than a cut on his calf. Police have no suspects as of yesterday.

The tragic act of violence came at the end of a bloody Memorial Day weekend: eight people were shot to death in seven different shootings across the city, according to the Daily News, including 16-year-old Johnny Moore, who was killed in Mott Haven on Sunday night, supposedly during an argument over a basketball game. On Friday, three other people--including a five-year-old girl--were injured in a shootout in Soundview.

Quick Hits:
A 14-month-old girl is in critical condition at Jacobi Hospital after falling five stories out of her apartment window on Monday morning.

Hip-hop pioneer and spoken word poet Gil Scott-Heron, who grew up in the Bronx for most of his teeange years and attended the Fieldston School in Riverdale, died on Friday at the age of 62.

A Bronx man was arrested Friday for calling in a bomb threat to television station W-PIX11--because he no longer wanted to see reruns of the Charlie Sheen sitcom "Two And A Half Men." Freddy Caldwell threatened to detonate the building if they didn't stop running the show, according to police.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native, has received a whopping $1.2  million to pen a memoir for Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

A section of a South Bronx street, on Cortlandt Avenue and 156th Street, was renamed this weekend to honor Sgt. Jose Velez, who was killed in Iraq five years ago at the age of 35.

City beaches--including the Bronx's own Orchard Beach--officially opened to visitors this weekend.

An intersection at the corner of Olinville and Waring Avenues will finally be getting a traffic light installed, to the relief of parents and administrators at nearby PS 96 who say several accidents have taken place there.

This fall, a group of entrepreneurs are set to unveil the first beer named after the borough this fall--the Bronx Pale Ale. 

Ricard Azzopardi, who works as a spokesman and aide to Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein, chased off a would-be rapist who was attacking a woman on the street outside of his home in Albany.

Editor's Note: BxNN will keep posting this clock in our daily news roundups -- tallying the days until the NYPD releases neighborhood sector crime stats, which we requested from them via a Freedom of Information Law request last year. For some background, see our Norwood News' editorial here.

Sotomayor Honored During Bronx Children's Museum Event at Lehman College

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor reads to kids at Lehman College on Saturday.

Supreme Court Justice and native Bronxite was the guest of honor Saturday afternoon during a celebration at Lehman College that marked the culmination of the Bronx Children's Museum's "Dream Big" initiative.

If you've never heard of the Bronx Children's Museum, it's because it only exists as an organization, which was founded in 2005 by then-borough president Adolfo Carrion. It was incorporated in 2008 and is slated to move into a building on Mill Pond Road near Yankee Stadium and the Gateway Mall in 2013. Current Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. has pledged $3 million for the project.

In the meantime, as part of its mission, the Children's Museum is organizing various literacy and arts-based efforts. This summer, it collaborated with BronxWorks and The Point to work with youth to produce an art exhibit, which included everything from photography to puppetry, for Saturday's event at Lehman College. The exhibit opening was highlighted by music from the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, which was accompanied by musicians from the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music.

“Your library card is your passport to anywhere you want to go,” Sotomayor told kids at the event. “Tell your parents Justice Sotomayor told you to pester them to take you to the library.”

Bronx News Roundup, July 13

Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner died in Florida this morning after suffering a heart attack. He was 80 years old. Already, the accolades are coming in thick and fast, including this statement from Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr:

Today I join 1.4 million Bronxites, and Yankee fans across the world, in mourning the passing of a great man, ‘The Boss,’ George Steinbrenner. During his tenure as owner of the New York Yankees, Mr. Steinbrenner did everything in his power to create his own winning tradition in the Bronx, an effort that resulted in seven World Series championships. While other baseball fans were jealous of this success, Yankee fans, like myself, loved him for it. Both the Bronx and New York City have lost a giant today—in baseball and in charity—and my deepest condolences go out to the Steinbrenners and the entire New York Yankees family.

In other news, Sonia Sotomayor, the Bronx-raised supreme court justice, is writing a memoir.

As we mentioned in our story of the day, plans to do away with the Sheridan Expressway are gaining traction.

More on State Senator Pedro Espada's press conference outside the Bronx Board of Elections yesterday, during which he claimed "God is on my side." Here's our coverage of the event.

Bob Kappsatter's weekly political column includes news of Assemblyman Nelson Castro messy divorce, and a look at which Bronx Council members have been awarded the most member item money.

Tentative plans in are place to bring free broadband Internet access to the Bronx, the borough with the highest percentage of households without it.

Bronx detectives believe they know who's responsible for the 1981 murder of 20-year-old Janet Agosto.

In Westchester Square, traffic cops spend their days guarding their colleagues' private vehicles, which are often parked next to expired coin meters, according to the Post.

Bronx schools are set to receive a large slice of the $37 million in capital funds Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. has at his disposal in fiscal year 2010.

Last Saturday, at a Bronx firehouse on East 150th Street, local residents gathered to commemorate the lives of fire victims and to celebrate the city budget deal which saved several firehouses from closure.

Bronx News Roundup, July 8

Non-profits and community organizations in the Bronx, and all across the state, might not be getting their usual grants from state legislators this year. Governor Paterson vetoed thousands of member item requests (among other cuts) in an attempt to balance the state's long-overdue budget. He delivered his list of vetoes to legislators yesterday; you can check out what got nixed here.

Speaking of political pork: City Councilman Oliver Koppell didn't fair so well this year in securing district funds compared to other council members, according to the Riverdale Press. 

This stifling heat wave is finally starting to drop off (thankfully!). Unfortunately, thousands of outer borough residents are still without power, as Con Edison works to repair outages caused by this week's strain on the power grid.

A Bronx man was arrested on animal cruelty charges after leaving his dog in a van while he went for a swim. Police tried to revive the animal after freeing it from the 140 degree car, but the dog died shortly after.

The New York Times has a story and photo slideshow on the growing Mexican population in Belmont, the neighborhood traditionally known as the borough's "little Italy."

Bronx-native and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor raved about her dumpling lunch in Chinatown yesterday but had little to say about Lindsey Lohan's recent legal troubles, according to the Daily News. 

A man who tried to rob two women on East 180th Street last year--an attempt that scored him a measly $4--was sentenced to life in prison this week based on a number of previous convictions and unlawful run-ins. 

Bronx News Roundup, June 4

Happy Friday! Here are today's Bronx headlines:

There's been some relief in the ongoing garbage saga in Co-Op City today: the sanitation department removed 100 tons of garbage that's piled up since maintenance and sanitation workers at the enormous housing complex went on strike Tuesday. And while the trash is gone, the strike isn't--union workers have still not settled an argument with management over health benefit changes and possible wage freeze.

On a related note, WNYC's culture blog "Gallerina" has named Co-Op City's developments as one of the ugliest buildings in New York City. 

Boxing returns to Yankee Stadium this weekend, with the much anticipated match between Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman taking place Saturday night. It's the first time the Yankees have hosted a boxing bout in over 30 years.

Chaos has been averted in the Bronx courts, as an appeals judge declared the merger of the Bronx Criminal and Supreme Courts as legal yesterday. A lower court had declared the joining of the two courts, which occurred in 2004, as unconstitutional back in February--a ruling that could have jeopardized thousands of convictions that have happened there over the past few years.

Speaking of Bronx judges: a housing project in Bronxdale is being renamed today after Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who grew up there.

Sotomayor is also at Hostos Community College today as the commencement speaker. 

New Yorkers just can't get enough of the new Bronx Zoo lion cubs, as this Times travel article points out.

The Daily News profiles a Soundview couple's apartment.

Swimmers across the country, including a group at St. Mary's Recreation Center, coordinated the world's largest swimming lesson yesterday to raise public awareness about water safety.

More on the tomorrow's sushi-fueled protest planned near Pedro Espada's Mamaroneck home (the event commemorates the one year anniversary of the State Senate coup).

Education official Eric Nadelstern is the DOE's new "rising star" according to this City Hall piece. Nadelstern was raised in the Bronx and spent decades working in the borough's schools.

Stuart Applebaum, president of the  Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, has been named one of the city's most effective labor leaders by City Hall, largely for his role in opposing the Related Companies deal at the Kingsbridge Armory.

City Hall also takes a look at the flurry of political activity happening in the Bronx this summer.

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 9

Police are investigating the ex-boyfriend of Lakisha Scriven, who was ruthlessly gunned down in front of her children on Monday morning in Wakefield.

In an article titled, "Best and Worst for Latinos in 2009," the Daily News named Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor among the best Latinos while Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. was named among the worst.

Since 2006, the number of emergency meals served in the Bronx has increased by 110 percent.

The family of a Bronx grandmother killed by an off-duty, possibly drunken police detective as she was crossing the street in October is suing the NYPD for $20 million.

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg vetoed a bill that would give cars a five minute grace period in time regulated parking zones.

Bronx News Roundup, September 23

Newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will throw the first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Saturday's game against the Boston Red Sox. Sotomayor's pitching arm will be used to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Yankee Stadium.

Yesterday, Jonathon Huff, a dean of a Bronx high school-- the Urban Assembly Academy of History and Citizenship for Young Men-- pleaded not guilty to the charge of inappropriately touching a 14 year-old student.

The Bronx Supreme Court sentenced a former police detective, Christopher Perino, to four months in jail after he was convicted of perjury during an attempted murder trial in the Bronx.

Police arrested a Bronx man, William Crean, for allegedly setting fire to a building in Westchester Square in March. The fire caused $2 million worth of property damage and minor injuries to three fire fighters. Crean faces charges of arson and up to 25 years in prison.

The New York City Administration for Children's Services cut their budget, and they will no longer provide 5 year-old children with after-school day care. Only children under 5 years-old will receive day care assistance, which leaves many Bronx working parents struggling to find care providers.

This afternoon, police arrested seven Bronx hospital workers (six at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center and one at Jacobi Hospital) for taking bribes and steering patients into clinics operating insurance scams. Authorities are still conducting an investigation of bribery and insurance scams at New York City hospitals.

Yesterday, a sudden shooting in Mott Haven on East 146th Street left a 25 year-old woman dead and a 25 year-old man injured.

Bronx News Roundup, August 10

ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization, found that the Bronx has the highest unemployment and poverty levels in New York. Despite this, 13 other counties are receiving more money from the federal stimulus package. The Bronx has currently received $258 million from stimulus packages and WNYC chronicles how different reporters analyze the use of this money.

After multiple protests from the public and Bronx politicians, Fannie Mae canceled their online auction of 19 Bronx buildings. The buildings, owned by Oncelot Capital Group, are in disrepair. Opponents of the auction, including Senator Chuck Schumer, are happy that Fannie Mae did not hold the auctions and sell the buildings to another speculator like Oncelot.

A Bronx-born contestant, Kenny Bermudez, on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew reflects on how he chose dancing over a life of crime. Now as a part of the Bronx-based dance crew, Rhythm City, Bermudez teaches dance classes at the Bronxdale Community Center and tours around the world.

Yesterday, a Bronx man, Angel Cruz, was killed after being hit by a car when walking along Interstate 87. Police are still looking for suspects for the hit-and-run incident.

Police continue to search for a suspect involved in a fatal shooting on Friday night.

In more crime news over the weekend, two Bronx brothers are now facing charges in the death of a Manhattan Holocaust survivor.

Saturday was a day of celebration for many New Yorkers as Bronx native, Judge Sonia Sotomayor was officially sworn into the Supreme Court.

Also over the weekend, a moped accident proved fatal as it left a father dead and his son injured.

A BoogieDowner blogger is wondering why the NY Daily News is so aggressive in covering Bronx real estate. Do they have a vested interest?

Bronx News Roundup, August 6

Two men were murdered yesterday: a 65-year-old was shot dead on Hughes Avenue in Belmont, and a 63-year-old was stabbed to death inside his Marion Avenue apartment.

The Orchard Beach lifeguard station looks like "a house on fraternity row," according to the Post, with cases of beer stacked up outside, and staff drinking at their desks. The Parks Department says no laws were broken because the men were off-duty, and swimming was over for the day.

A housing project in Castle Hill has received a $25 million "green" makeover, with the aim of reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.

Congressman Joseph Crowley (D - Bronx/Queens) wants his constitunents to speak up about health care reform.

More on Kubwa and Kidogo, the two hyenas that flew in from Denver recently and now reside at the Bronx Zoo.

The Campaign Finance Board should seize Pedro Espada's assets, the Daily News argues in a strongly worded editorial. The majarity leader (aka the "Senator of the Year") continues to make a complete mockery of the rules governing political money, the paper says, and should be stripped of his Senate salary.

With the US Senate likely to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination later today, Puerto Ricans living in New York are bursting with pride.

Bronx News Roundup, August 4

Construction on a new, large-scale housing development on Eagle Avenue in the South Bronx starts today. The development will be called St. Ann's Terrace and it will have eight buildings with 640 affordable housing units.

As Bronx BP Ruben Diaz approaches his decision on whether to support The Related Companies' plan for the Kingsbridge Armory, Bronx residents hope he will improve the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). Diaz hopes to include stronger enforcement mechanisms for the CBA.

Today, the United States Senate will begin to debate Judge Sonia Sotomayor's appointment to the Supreme Court. The vote for Sotomayor is expected to be confirmed by the end of this week.

The New York Daily News suspects that Bronx Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo and her daughter, City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo will soon be arrested for benefiting from their relatives stealing $20,000 from a nonprofit organization.

Riverdale Avenue between 254th and 260th Streets has a variety of affordable shops and restaurants recently profiled in the New York Daily News.

Bronx News Roudup, August 3

A Bronx woman, Angela Murray, has been arrested for the murder and robbery of Guido Felix Brinkmann, a Holocaust survivor, Manhattan resident and owner of a popular nightclub in the 1970s. Police are still searching for Murray's male companion in the crime.

Monroe College graduate, Trina Thompson, is suing her college for her inability to find an appropriate job after receiving her degree in information technology. Thompson is demanding that Monroe repay her $70,000 spent on tuition because the college did not provide adequate career services. I wonder, does Thompson think she is the only college graduate struggling to find employment today?

On Saturday, a crowd of more than 150 South Bronx community members gathered to honor the late Hilton White, an inspirational community leader and basketball coach. During the celebrations, the playground where White once coached basketball was renamed Hilton White Playground and the adjacent street was renamed Hilton White Way. Many of White's protegees, including professional basketball players, doctors and lawyers, gathered at the event to reflect on White's positive influence on the neighborhood.

The New York Daily News declares Judge Sonia Sotomayor the Bronx's latest cultural icon. Her inspirational story is compared with those of other Bronxities Colin Powell and Jennifer Lopez.

Early Saturday morning police shot and killed a man on Southern Boulevard in the Bronx. The man, later identified as Oswaldo Sevilla, fired multiple shots at police before he was shot.

New from the Norwood News

The latest edition of the Norwood News is hot off the presses and on streets and online now. Here's a quick preview of some of the stories you'll find.

Some in-depth Kingsbridge Armory development project coverage, including a look at Community Board 7's approval (with conditions) of the Armory plan.

The day after the vote, the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) held a rally to push the issue of living wage jobs ($10 an hour, plus benefits) at the Armory once the mall is completed. Union leaders and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson showed up to voice their support.

We try to make sense of all the zany twists going on in the 14th District Council race.

On Monday night, a young man was found murdered on the Grand Concourse.

A host of initiatives are bringing more fresh produce to the northwest Bronx.

Our Inquiring Photographer asks residents what they think about the impending confirmation of Bronxite Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

Plus, find out everything that's going on in the local arts and entertainment world in our Out & About section. And check out all the local programs, services and opportunities in our Neighborhood Notes section.

Pinstripe Politics July 22

Yanks for Sotomayor

Last Thursday, former Yankee and current YES Network announcer David Cone, testified at Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court Confirmation hearing. Speaking before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Cone recounted details of the Sotomayor decision which helped end the Major League Baseball Players Association strike of 1994.

Said Cone:

Judge Sotomayor grasped not only the complexity of the case but its importance to our sport. Her decision was upheld by a unanimous Court of Appeals panel comprised of judges appointed by different presidents from different parties with different juridical philosophies.

On the day he announced her nomination, President Obama observed that some have said Judge Sotomayor saved baseball. Others may think this is an overstatement, but look at it this way. A lot of people, both inside and outside of baseball, tried to settle the dispute.

via Former MLB Pitched David Cone Testifies at Sonia Sotomayor's Confirmation Hearings

The Senate Judiciary Committee will next meet to consider Sotomayor on July 28th.

No Fordham Contests?

Starting this November 20, Yankee Stadium will become the occasional home of Division I college football. Notre Dame will host Army this fall, and Army has scheduled three more games for each of the next three years, including one against local favorite Rutgers.

Homer Denial

The Steinbrenners still are not convinced that Yankee Stadium requires changes. On the subject of the Yankees' big home run totals, Yankees Chairman Hal Steinbrenner commented, "Right now, it's not a big enough sample size."

Actually, scientifically speaking, 47 games is a large enough sample size.

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).

Congressman Jose E. Serrano Testifies for Sotomayor

In testimony during the Senate's confirmation hearings last week, the local congressman for the 16th District, Jose Serrano, praised the nomination of native Bronxite Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The hearings on Capitol Hill wrapped up last Thursday and it's widely assumed Sotomayor will be confirmed sometime in early August as a replacement for David Souter.

In his testimony Serrano chose to focus not on the accomplishments Sotomayor has made throughout her career as a New York City judge, but on the obstacles that are common to those people (like himself) who come from her kind of background.

"We come from rough neighborhoods," Serrano said inf ront of the Senate Judiciary Comittee. "We were surrounded by people making do on too little."

"Around us were many distractions that could have taken us down a totally different road," he went on, "but there was also ambition and people determined to make something of themselves."

His testimony lifted Sotomayor up to be reveled not for the work she has done in her time as a judge, but for what Serrano says, are the values of "hard work and looking out for one another" that are prevalent for someone growing up less fortunate in the Bronx.

"Everyone watching this nomination should know that based upon her background and ideals, they are in good hands with Judge Sotomayor," he said.

Bronx News Roundup July 20

Symphony Space and the Bronx Museum of the Arts recently commissioned a musical piece by jazz musician Arturo O'Farrill in honor of native Bronxite Sonia Sotomayor, who has been nominated to the Supreme Court by President Obama. The composition will be performed by O'Farrill and his Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra on November 5 and 6 at Symphony Space.

A recent medical study following pregnant women from the South Bronx and upper Manhattan found that the mothers who breathed in smog while pregnant gave birth to children with lower IQs than children who were not prenatally exposed to smog.

A Bronx Supreme Court Judge is debating whether to throw out his conviction of a Bronx landlord after a 2005 fire causing two firefighter deaths because a member of the jury sent complimentary messages to a firefighter who testified at the case through Facebook.

The New York City Police Department is drastically cutting its budget, but the crime rate is still dropping. At a recent police meeting, the Bronx borough commander argued to keep specialized officers on the streets of the 52nd Precinct, but higher-up police officers wanted to move the officers to a different precinct with more crime. At the end of the meeting, the 52nd Precinct kept the special officers, but it remains unclear how long these officers will remain in the area, especially since the Department will have to decrease their number of officers.

Today, Senator Charles Schumer and Bronx housing advocates will insist that Fannie Mae find a buyer for their mortgages of 19 Bronx buildings in disrepair instead of selling the mortgages through an online auction. Tenants of these buildings (most of them located in Crotona) feel that if another speculator buys the mortgages for the buildings, conditions will not be improved. Senator Schumer would like a preservation agreement to ensure that the buildings will be cared for by the future buyer.

Yesterday, the New York Daily News published a report declaring that heroin is gaining popularity in New York City. Their evidence includes the monumental heroin drug bust in Riverdale over July 4th weekend.

The New York Times published a profile of Arthur Avenue over the weekend. It is still one of the best locales for quality Italian food and grocery shopping.

Bronx News Roundup July 14

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings are underway and already full of controversy. Today, Sotomayor will face direct questioning about her past case rulings and public comments. Just this morning, Sotomayor admitted that she used a bad choice of words when saying that a "wise Latina woman" could reach a better conclusion than a "white man."Sotomayor went on to explain that she believes that "different life experiences" "enrich the legal system." Other issues to be discussed today include abortion, gun control and her ruling in the firefighter discrimination case. Check out the New York Times Live Blog for updates on the hearings.

In a recent article in the New York Daily News, Bob Kappstatter points out that Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. is not the only flawed member of the Bronx Democratic Party.

During the All-Star break halfway through the season, fans and players reflect on the positives and negatives of the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

Tough economic times have left behind a trail of abandoned apartment buildings, many of them in the Bronx. Property owners cannot pay back their loans and apartments are falling into deplorable conditions.

Court documents recently revealed that hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for job training programs in the Bronx were diverted for unknown use in the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp. (BOEDC). Court proceedings are still going on.

Community Board 7 will vote on the redevelopment plan for the Kingsbridge Armory Tonight. For more information about the redevelopment at the Armory, view our Kingsbridge Armory Coverage Preview.

Bronx News Roundup July 13

Yesterday, July 12, police arrested Bronx resident Mark St. Pierre after a violent driving spree leaving one dead, 12 injured and eight cars damaged. Police say that St. Pierre started driving from a parking lot on East Gun Hill Road, hit two cars before crashing into and immediately killing Miguel Colon at the intersection on East Gun Hill Road and Knapp Street, and continued on to damage six more cars. St. Pierre faces charges of manslaughter, homicide and vehicular assault.

Former Bronx BP Adolfo Carrion, Jr. recently publicized his plans as the White House Director of the Office of Urban Affairs to forge a new national urban policy. Today, the White House is hosting a day-long urban policy discussion with urban government officials and policy experts to determine the best course for future policies. President Obama is expected to announce a plan to send Carrion and other representatives on a tour of U.S. cities to research and discuss urban issues. Issues to be discussed at the White House include a Department of Education model and housing, social and economic benefits in poor urban neighborhoods.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings are being held today in Washington D.C. Issues that will be discussed at the hearings will most likely include her judgment on the white firefighter discrimination case and her comments about being a Latina woman. The New York Times has a live blog for a play by play of the hearings.

The Throgs Neck Bridge will remain closed to trucks traveling North this Monday due to the fire on the bridge on Friday morning. As of now, the ramp to the Throgs Neck off of the Cross Island Parkway will be closed until further notice while investigators search to determine the cause of the fire. Cars will still be able to travel from Queens to the Bronx on the two open lanes, but expect traffic.

Metropolitan Jewish Health System opened a new site at Hutchinson Metro Center. The health system will provide services for all of the Bronx community.

The death of Kenneth Jackson in a fire in Bronxdale housing on March 24, 2008 is still being investigated. Now his sister, Janet Jackson, has sued the Housing Authority claiming that the smoke detector in her brother's apartment was not installed properly.

Bronx News Roundup, July 6

New York Magazine recently published an extensive profile of the Bronx State Senator Pedro Espada Jr.'s rise to power and role in the Albany leadership coup. From his humble beginnings in Puerto Rico to his seemingly ruthless quest for domination in the Senate, Espada makes for a fascinating story. This article provides some clarity for the web of chaos in Albany.

Highly disturbing, though, is Espada's confession, "Plotting [the coup] was fun.” Also discussed in the article is Espada's mysterious financial situation. Espada has circumvented the campaign finance disclosure rules by simply not filing reports of where his money comes from. Instead, Espada frequently chooses to pay a fine and not disclose his monetary sources. Still, the article holds that even though Espada appears to be relishing in the fact that he is a villain in the Senate, he is not entirely at fault for the corruption in Albany. New York Magazine also places some of the blame on the Bronx political system's corruption and lack of diversity.

Right now, New York State Republicans are dangerously close to securing Espada in his much sought-after throne as Senate president. Governor Paterson’s decision to continue with the Senate’s voting on bills despite the coup could lead to an alliance between the Republicans and Democratic Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz Sr. When the same-sex marriage bill is put on the table at the Senate, many suspect that Diaz, who is anti same-sex marriage, will side with the Republicans. This could be the force needed to ensure Espada’s presidency.

In other news, Republican and fellow Bronx native C0lin Powell defends Sotomayor, despite the Supreme Court's ruling reversing her decision against white firefighters denied a promotion due to their race.

In a drug bust in the Bronx on Saturday, police found millions of dollars worth of heroin hidden in Build-A-Bear stuffed animals. 12 suspects were arrested and charges are still pending.

Former police cadet, Tommy Rodriguez, shot in the Bronx early this morning is now in stable condition after surgery.

On Saturday, July 4, a police officer in the Bronx shot an armed man, Jesus Roldan. Roldan did not drop his weapon despite multiple orders. He is now in critical condition.

Fondation Cartier in Paris will display the works of South Bronx-born graffiti artist and rapper, Koor in an upcoming exhibition. Koor is now based in Brussels.

The historical Bronx church, Saint Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, held its last mass yesterday. The church, which opened in 1849, is set to close due to a decline in attendance and structural problems.

The Bronx Zoo will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Congo Gorilla Forest this month. Activities will include guided tours, African arts and crafts and African dances.

Bronx News Roundup, June 18

The annual Bronx Independent Film Festival starts today at Lehman College.

Pedro Espada's housekeeper in Westchester has been interviewed by the Bronx DA about her boss' much-talked about residency.

One of the pit bulls rescued in a raid on a dogfighting ring in Mount Hope last summer has been re-homed. See here and here. More here on the raid itself (scroll down).

The Bronx DA is investigating a lawyer who represents landlords in Bronx housing court. The big questions: Does the lawyer actually exist? And, if not, what does this mean for the tenants he - whoever he is - has helped evict?

A Bronx detective, charged with perjury after a teenage suspect secretly recorded an interview the two had (an interview the detective said never happened), is an honest man, his lawyer insists.

An artist has created a life-size bust of a Bronx teenager who was shot dead in January.

Some of the funding the city threatened to take away from the Bronx Zoo has been restored.

State Senator Jose M. Serrano has an op-ed in today's Albany Times Union about stimulus accountability.