Bronx News Roundup, May 1

Welcome to May everyone. Lots of interesting stuff to get to on the blog today, but first, let's get to the news roundup.

We'll start with this great little story on the Times' City Room blog about a tree that survived the 9/11 attacks downtown and is now blossoming in Van Cortlandt Park. The before and after pictures are inspiring and there's nice video story included as well. The tree is scheduled to be uprooted from the Bronx and replanted in the 9/11 memorial park in two years.

Int their Morning Buzz news wrap, the Times mistakenly calls Bronx State Senator Jose M. Serrano an Assemblyman and says he introduced a bill in Albany to impose a 5 cent tax on plastic grocery bags given out at supermarkets. But the link to the story in the NY Post says the bill was introduced by Micah Kellner, a Democratic Assemblyman. I'm confused. We'll get to the bottom of this.

A legally blind man fell to his death in a Riverdale building elevator shaft yesterday.

In a departure from previous policy, the NYPD is now telling people why they are stopping and frisking them in the South Bronx, Harlem and East New York.

A Bronx woman, who's fiancee (and the father of her two-year-old child) died suddenly two weeks ago (while at his computer watching videos), was not able to harvest enough sperm from his dead body to get pregnant and give their child a sibling. I know, it sounds bizarre. I'm glad we're here to point these stories out and the Daily News is around to write them.

An accused drug dealer escaped from police custody in the Bronx yesterday.

And, finally, some sports: northwest Bronx high school boys volleyball teams, Walton and Kennedy, finished the season tied for first place in the Bronx Division VI.

Kennedy Loses Championship Final at the Garden

-Photo slideshow by Adi Talwar

The Kennedy Knights boys hoop squad, playing for the Bronx and the memory of fallen teammate Andre "Pops" Davidson who died last summer during a pickup game, could only hold off the Lincoln juggernaut and history for so long.

After closing to within two points of the Railsplitters toward the end of the first half, Kennedy could not contain superstar senior Lance Stephenson's team in the second half as Lincoln cruised to a 78-56 victory in the boys city championship final at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon. It was Stephenson and Lincoln's fourth title in as many years.

A tough, but not surprising loss for Kennedy, which had only lost one game all season and had won 15 in a row going into the championship. But Lincoln is incredibly big and athletic and Stephenson is probably the best player in the city, if not the entire state. It would have been a huge upset, one of the biggest in city history, if the Knights had won on Saturday.

Stephenson was in foul trouble in the second quarter, which allowed the Knights to come back, but they didn't do enough with Lincoln's superstar out of the lineup. "We should have capitalized when Lance went out," Kennedy coach Johnny Mathis said, according to the Times.

Read the Five Boro Sports game story here. Read the Daily News story here.

Lincoln moves on to the state federation tournament where they will play Rice High School (Harlem) in a semifinal match Saturday.

Kennedy Playing for Fallen Player in Tomorrow's Championship

Nice story from Five Boro Sports on Kennedy High School's extra motivation for tomorrow's boys basketball championship game tomorrow at noon at MSG. Last summer, former Kennedy player Andre "Pops" Davidson, a Highbridge area resident, died while playing in a South Bronx pickup game.

Now, Kennedy is using his memory to spur them to victory. A daunting task considering they're playing Lincoln, which has won the last three city championships.

We'll have photographs and highlights from the game on Monday. Have a good weekend.

Bronx News Roundup: Nov. 3

First of all, we hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween weekend. Secondly, we hope everyone of age is voting tomorrow. Now, on to the news.

On Halloween, violence hit the Boogie Down particularly hard. Two young men were killed in the Bronx that day. One of them, an immigrant from the Ivory Coast named Terrence Taylor, who his family called Abdul Toure (his African name) was shot in the head at a party in Highbridge.

Another, Alesio Vega, 22, was fatally shot inside a Morris Avenue home.

Last Thursday, Steven Armento, a friend of actor Lillo Brancato, a native Bronxite who starred in "A Bronx Tale" and played a bit role in the "Sopranos," was found guilty in the murder of off duty cop Daniel Enchautegui. Armento, 51, was convicted of first-degree murder after expressing little remorse for the killing, even bragging that it would make him "a king in jail," according to prosecutors.

Armento is actor Brancato's ex-girlfriend's father. The two broke into a Pelham Bay home to look for drugs after spending all night at a Yonkers strip club, when Enchautengui confronted them. A shootout ensued and Enchautegui got the worst of the exchange, taking a bullet to the heart. Click here to read more about the trial. Brancato is expected to face trial later this month.

Validus Preparatory Academy, a new high school in the south Bronx, has gotten political during this long presidential campaign, writing journals, staging debates and a mock election (Democratic candidate Barrack Obama won 88 percent of the votes).

Speaking of elections, Jeffrey Klapper is hanging on as a Conservative candidate in the 81st Assembly district where he faces powerful incumbent Jeffrey Dinowitz. According to the Gotham Gazette, Dinowitz is sitting on $171,067 in campaign contributions, while Klapper hasn't raised a dime.

Bayside High School beat Kennedy in the Bronx school's own girls volleyball tournament last weekend.

Bronx News Roundup: Oct. 20

Thanks to Nick for posting about the Tour de Bronx. I think I speak for many participants, when I say that I'm a moving a little slowly today. Congratulations to all who finished whatever route they ended up taking.

Here's the Bronx news floating around the Internet today.

Terms Limits
The big story this week, of course, will be how Bloomberg's bid to extend term limits to include a third term will shake out. The Times' reports that Bloomberg may be pressuring nonprofit groups to support the extension. Meanwhile, Comptroller Bill Thompson, a mayoral hopeful, said the mayor's using strongarm tactics and threats to bully support for the legislation.

In the Bronx, Council members Joel Rivera, Maria Baez and Oliver Koppell support the term limits extension. James Vacca and Annabel Palma oppose the plan. And Helen Foster and Maria Carme del Arroyo haven't made up their minds.

According to NY1, 16 members support the plan, 19 members are opposed and 16 are still undecided.

Following hearings last Thursday and Friday, there is expected to be a Council vote later this week. The outcome will change the trajectory of dozens of 2009 city races.

Crime
A hostage situation ended without violence on Saturday evening in Belmont. Three men were attempting to rob a family by gunpoint, but police were quickly called to the scene and the family was taken hostage. Police eventually negotiated the family's safe release and arrested the three suspects. Here's the NY1 report on the story.

A Bronx doctor was accused of molesting a boy at a health clinic in Washington Heights. Dr. Jaime Luis Cortes was also charged with molesting two boys in the Bronx in 1994, but was acquitted.

Sports
In a match-up of perhaps the two best high school football teams in the Bronx, perennial power Kennedy defeated resurgent Clinton, 14-8. Apparently, Clinton did a lot of trash talking before the big game, only to be put back in their place.

Schools
Students from throughout the Bronx gathered last Friday at Hostos Community College to address school violence and ways to stop or mediated it.

The Streetsblog writes about how PS 76 is turning a biking tragedy into a learning experience. In June, PS 76 fifth-grader Michael Needham died (following 18 days in a coma after being hit by a speeding car outside of the Allerton Library. On Wednesday, PS 76 students will participate in a bike rodeo to promote bike safety.

BREAKING NEWS: Cause of death announced in death of basketball player Andre "Pop" Davidson Jr.

More than a month after 18-year-old Andre "Pop" Davidson Jr. collapsed and died while playing basketball, the city medical examiner has reached a decision about the cause of his death: Ellen Borakove, a spokesperson for the examiner, said Friday that Davidson's death was the result of a heart condition he lived with since birth.

"He had an irregular heart rhythm that was caused by a heart issue he was born with--congenital heart defect ," Borakove said. "He died of natural causes."

In the days immediately after Davidson --who grew up in Highbridge and started last year for Kennedy High's basketball team -died, some family members and friends suspected that his death was heat-related; there was no air conditioning in St. Mary's Rec Center, where Davidson was competing in a tournament game when he collapsed July 5.

Reached by phone Friday night, an emotional Nicole Givens --Davidson's mother -- said she still believed Davidson's death could have been prevented, and that the lack of air conditioning was one of several contributing factors.

"I still feel he could have been saved," said Givens, who added the medical examiner's office had informed her of its decision on Thursday.

Givens said this feeling, along with witnessing during the past several weeks the influence her son's life had on his community, had left her overcome with emotion.

"I've been crying all day," Givens said. "And I really haven't cried. I've been taking care of everyone else."

The West Bronx Blog will continue to provide updates on this story as more details are uncovered. Also, look for a front-page feature in the August issue of the Highbridge Horizon about the life, death, and influence of "Pop" Davidson; that issue hits the streets this coming week.

Still no word on cause of Davidson's death

Tuesday marked one month since the sudden death of 18-year-old Highbridge resident and basketball star Andre "Pop" Davidson Jr. , but there is still no word from the city medical examiner on the cause of his death. Megan Cuccia, a spokesperson for the examiner's office, said Wednesday that the investigation into Davidson's death is still pending. Cuccia would not reveal what tests the examiner is conducting.

Davidson, a starter for Kennedy High this past season, collapsed and died at St. Mary's Rec Center on July 5, while competing in a basketball tournament. The gym had no air conditioning, and many of Davidson's family members suspect that heat played a role in his death.

Davidson's friends and family will gather at Nelson Park this Sunday at 1pm, to celebrate what would have been his 19th birthday.

Highbridge resident, basketball star dies

Andre Davidson Jr. a former basketball star at John F. Kennedy High School who was beloved by his Highbridge community, died Saturday doing what he loved.

Davidson, known to loved ones as "Pop", collapsed during a basketball tournament game at St. Mary's Rec Center, in the Mott Haven sectio of the South Bronx. He was only 18 years old, and had graduated from Kennedy High only days earlier. The Daily News reported this morning on Davidson's death; the News quotes Davidson's great-grandmother, Rhoda Lucas, as saying the cause of death is unknown at this time.

Davidson's family is in the process of planning funeral services, expected to take place later this week.

Residents of Highbridge -- especially those on Woodycrest Avenue between W. 166th and W. 167th Streets, where Davidson lived with Lucas --are grieving today. Manuel and Jaison Rodriguez, 16 and 17 years old respectively, sat on a staircase adjacent to Davidson's home as they shared memories of a friend they had known since childhood; the three met on a basketball court roughly ten years ago, when all of them were small children.

"We had a good childhood together," Jaison Rodriguez said. "We played a lot of crazy games. We played tag and stuff."

Manuel and Jaison said their friend's favorite NBA player growing up was Allen Iverson, and that Davidson often wore Iverson's replica jersey. After awhile, Manuel said, he was too small to keep pace with his friend on the court. But Davidson's reputation grew along with his height.

"He was crazy good," Rodriguez said. "Like one of the best players in Highbridge. He was guaranteed to go to the NBA, I know that for a fact. He was that good." Asked to assess Davidson's strengths as a player, Rodriguez replied, "He just liked dunking on everybody."

Rodriguez added that Davidson was also known for his sense of humor, his fashion sense -- which earned him another nickname, "Mr. Smooth" --and his compassion.

"I could say he always had my back," Rodriguez said. "He was a real giving person too. If I ever needed something, I could go right to his house, he'd give it to me."

A memorial in front of Davidson's home indicates the impact his death has already had on his neighborhood. Four sheets of posterboard are filled with handwritten messages like "Love you so much. I will always miss your big, bright smile," and "R.I.P. Pop. You will always live on through Highbridge."

One of the sheets displays a photo of Davidson wearing his red graduation cap and gown.

Many of the messages express shock at their friend's passing.

"Just the other day, we was laughing at you punk," reads one. "Now we can't believe you not here anymore."