Bronx News Roundup, May 5

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Now here's some BX news for you:

Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas was back in the courtroom yesterday after going AWOL for a couple of days. Villegas is facing a law suit filed by a former law school colleague that claims Villegas owes her $500,000, which he borrowed to pay back a gambling debt.

Special needs students from the New York League for Early Learning's Harry H. Gordon School got a taste of Little Italy yesterday as the pre-preschoolers ventured through restaurants on Arthur Avenue.

The Bronx district attorney's office has dropped all charges against the four Bronx boys who were accused of hitting an off-duty police officer with a snowball.

Eighth graders from the Learning Tree Cultural Preparatory School in the Bronx took a two-week trip to Kenya to trace President Obama's roots.

Just for a day, the chronically ill teenagers from the Children's Hospital at Montefiore were able to forget their pains and enjoy their first Prom Night.

During his battle with the state legislature over the state's financial crisis, Governor Paterson offered lawmakers the choice of either giving him authority to furlough more than 100,000 state employees or face a shut down of New York's government.

As part of "Affordable Housing Day," city officials announced in the Bronx on Monday that 100,000 affordable homes have been completed. They have a goal of completing 165,00o by 2014.

The city announced it will be building a new complex in the Melrose that will have green roofs, along with a series of gardens where residents can plant vegetables.

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.

PS 56 Celebrates Dreams and Change

Plenty of people (including myself) traveled long and far to get to the inauguration on Tuesday, but PS 56 held their own post-inaugural festivities right here in Norwood today. Students in the choral group performed for their classmates, singing songs inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr and President Obama. Fifth graders Rufino Lopez, Elham Chowdhury and Junaid Ahmed channeled Abraham Lincoln, Dr. King, and President Obama, giving energetic recitals from the Gettysburg Address, King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, and Obama’s election-night acceptance speech.

About as moving as the inauguration itself, but with better dancing. The speakers were younger, but about as rousing as Obama, and the auditorium was a whole lot warmer than the national mall yesterday.

Carrion Being Vetted

It's been a few weeks since news reports indicated that Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion is being considered for the position of director of White Office on Urban Policy.

Lest you think the Obama team is reconsidering, Assemblyman Michael Benjamin just told me that he received a vetting call last week from the FBI. Benjamin said the agent asked him about the brief period in 1997 when Carrion was not employed. Benjamin confirmed for the agent that Carrion had taken a leave from the nonprofit Promesa (where he worked briefly after being the district manager of Community Board 5) to run for City Council. Benjamin worked on Carrion's successful Council campaign.

An Offer They Can't Refuse?

Bronx Democratic boss Jose Rivera has invited the top Dem presidential candidates -- Obama, Clinton, and Edwards -- to a June 8 forum on Puerto Rican politics at Hostos Community College.
There was a time in the Bronx when the road to the White House was paved through our fair borough. Candidates didn't need to be invited. They just knew they had to come to Concourse Plaza or some other such venue and kiss the ring of local party honchos.
The Bronx hasn't held the brass ring for presidential aspirants for a few decades at least.
But now that New York has moved up its presidential primary date to early in 2008, and voters will actually get to pick among a large field of candidates, Democratic contenders won't be able to take the Empire State's delegates for granted.

So, it's no coincidence that Rivera is now extending an "invitation" to his fellow Democrats to stop by for a visit. How influential he and our borough are, or are perceived to be, will be determined in the nature of the candidates' RSVP's.

Carrión Woos Clinton, Shows His Stature

The borough president must be feeling pretty pleased with himself.
Not only did Chuck Schumer, New York's senior senator, show up for this morning's State of the Borough Address at Hostos College in the South Bronx, but Hillary Clinton did as well.
Both heaped praise and superlatives on a beaming Carrión.
Clinton's appearance seems to have put to bed rumors that the BP favors another presidential hopeful, Barack Obama.
When asked by a reporter whether he supports Clinton, Carrión said: "I absolutely do. Look, she’s our New York Senator, she’s a friend, she has worked very hard to bring resources to this state and I think she’ll do the same for this country. And when I talk about an urban agenda, I think we’re on the same page."
(Photo: J. Fergusson)

Carrion and ...

Obama? (Odd mention here of a Feb. 21 meeting, but seems to be a typo since the item references the Illinois senator's visit last week.)