Bronx News Roundup, June 7

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, now for some Bronx news!

Police are asking for the public's assistance in finding two young men who allegedly shot and killed a Bronx, livery cab driver, 48 year-old Cesar Santos, yesterday on Sedgwick Avenue. Read more here.

A car crash on the Cross Bronx yesterday, left three people injured, two of which are in critical condition. Two other passengers fled the scene on foot.

Police are asking for the public's help in finding 54 year-old Bronx resident, Evelyn Rodriguez, who has been missing form her Bronx home on Knox Place since June 1.

38 'Blood' gang members have been indicted and are being hit with a variety of charges, including their alleged involvement in a shooting that led a stray bullet being lodged into the head of Bronx teen, Vada Vasquez. Read more here.

Former Bronx resident and current Broadway show "Wicked" understudy, has filed a civil suit against Bayer, saying that the their birth control pills caused her to have a stroke at the age of 27.

Fight night at the Yankee Stadium this weekend had a great turnout and pleased many. Read more here and here.

Supremem Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor returned to the Bronx last week and made a visit to her old school. Read here and here.

Finally, the Times goes into the home of Roberto Garcia, the senior director of governmental and community relations at Montefiore Medical Center who was recently honored for his work as chairman of Community Board 2. Garcia lives on a historic block in Longwood. (FYI: Garcia used to be the director of the Jerome-Gun Hill BID and also head of economic development for the Mosholu Preservation Corporation, which publishes the Norwood News and also oversees the Bronx News Network.)  

Bronx News Roundup, May 19

Students from two Bronx middle schools will have their community-inspired lunchroom table artwork displayed throughout city parks this summer.

More than 40 percent of street lights are non-working on major city highways, including the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Major Deegan.

The Times Square bombing suspect stopped waiving his right to a speedy court appearance and made his first appearance in a federal court yesterday. (Not really Bronx specific, but we thought you should know.)

The parents of 6-month-old Sophia Lopez from the Bronx, are searching for a bone marrow donor for their daughter. They are urging Hispanics to come out to the donor drive this Saturday at PS 71 in Pelham Bay.

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is scheduled to speak at a Hostos Community College graduation ceremony next month.

The New York City Housing Authority will begin to monitor the energy consumption of tenants within public housing. If the amount of energy used doesn't change, it is a possibility that these tenants will have to begin to pay.

The city's Human Resources Administration is fighting back against Bloomberg's budget cutbacks on case workers and services offered to people with HIV and AIDS. The agency is facing a $75 million cut.

A federal judge refuses to dismiss the case of the four men who claimed to have been pressured into plotting to bomb two synagogues in Riverdale.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 6

State Senator Jeff Klein is considering running for attorney general, should current Attorney General Andrew Cuomo run for governor.

A sickly Westchester boy - whose father lives in Norwood - traveled to the Dominican Republic recently for stem-cell treatment. The procedure is illegal here in the US.

Unemployment in the Bronx is actually down on 2007 levels.

Last weekend, Rocking the Boat, a Bronx-based organization that uses boat-building to empower youth, organized a boat-trip around Manhattan, to raise money for charity.

Animal Feeds, a 4,000-square-foot store in Morrisana that sells what its name implies, is doing brisk business, despite the recession.

The first doses of the H1N1/swine flu vaccine have arrived in the city. Health care workers at Montefiore Medical Center will be among the first to be vaccinated. In their monthly column in the Mount Hope Monitor, Morris Heights Health Center has more on what you need to know this year to stay flu-free.

NY1 profiles State Senator Pedro Espada for Hispanic Heritage Week.

Allison Oldak, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.'s Republican opponent in the Nov. 3 election, has yet to raise any money for her campaign. In April, in a special election, Diaz faced another cash-strapped challenger in Anthony J. Ribustello.

By my count, three Bronxites - Diaz, Adolfo Carrion (Diaz's predecessor who now works for the White House), and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor - have been included in Hispanic Business Magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential Hispanic-Americans. There's no room, however, for Espada, who's arguably more influential than both Diaz and Carrion.

Bronx News Roundup, August 7

In a Mott Haven park, teenagers in an urban gardening program have been ripping up the remains of an old basketball court so they can grow vegetables.

As you'd expect, The Times has some pretty exhaustive coverage - articles, graphics, video, etc. - on Sonia Sotomayor, the Bronx-raised judge, who was confirmed to the Supreme Court yesterday.

More on that murder in Belmont early yesterday morning. Anton Spaqi, a 65-year-old Albanian, was shot dead on Hughes Avenue not far from his home. According to police, he was an avid gambler with an extensive criminal record, including a conviction for immigrant smuggling.

Discarded cans and bottles, along with old pallets, have long-provided a valuable income source for those short on cash, and that's especially true in this bad economy.

A veteran cop at the 40th Precinct may have lost his job for trying to hook up with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl, but he's been allowed to keep his pension.

A ferry service between Riverdale and downtown Manhattan would benefit both neighborhoods, say Riverdale residents.

Mayoral candidate Robert Burck, more commonly known as the "Naked Cowboy," has been campaigning in the Bronx.

Sotomayor Confirmed; Diaz and Serrano Hail Proud Moment

This afternoon, the Senate confirmed the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor by 88 votes to 31. Sotomayor, who grew up in the Bronx, will become the first Hispanic and only the third women to serve as a justice.

Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. released this statement:

The Bronx has a new ambassador, Sonia Sotomayor. Her confirmation to the Supreme Court makes us extremely proud and at this moment, in every corner of our borough, Bronxites of all political stripes are celebrating this historic achievement. Sonia Sotomayor represents the best of our borough, and she has always been proud of her Bronx background and her childhood in the Bronxdale Houses. She will be a great role model for Bronx children. The Senate has confirmed an amazing individual as our newest member of the Supreme Court, and Bronxites everywhere are overjoyed.

Congressman Serrano also sent out a statement praising the confirmation. He said, in part:

I cannot describe the feelings of happiness and pride and what it means to me personally. I can say that our nation took another giant step forward today. I extend my deepest congratulations to Justice Sotomayor.

Diaz and Serrano say they'll organize a celebration in the Bronx to honor Sotomayor's achievements.

Bronx News Roundup for July 22

The 'right' criticizes President Barack Obama for focusing too much on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's personal background and not on her judicial record.

The Stella D'oro Company released comments to the sweet-toothed today to claim one reason for declining profits has been due to the high wages they pay their union workers.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer is calling on Fannie Mae to secure responsible buyers for the Ocelot Apartments in Crotona, Bronx. After high mortgage prices caused landlords to abandon the building site a year ago, tenants and lawmakers are hoping to rope in someone to repair deteriorating conditions and keep the units affordable.

In response to the growing culture in his city, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. announced upcoming events that will mark Dominican Pride Week, which is set to last until Sunday.

The Bronx weighs in on a study that shows it houses more residents who are overweight than any of New York City's other boroughs.

Data taken from crowded areas of the Bronx and Harlem, the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health has found that exposure to pollution can reduce childrens' IQ.

Actors are exploring new tastes on the BronxNet public access station's hit show called "Bronx Flavor." The show features tours of local restaurants while mixing in a little bit of comedy to spice it up. You can watch all the episodes on the bronxflavor.com.

Coaches get excited about the 50th anniversary of the Army-Notre Dame college football match-up, which will be played at the new Yankee Stadium in November.

To the dismay of drivers, Bronx-bound traffic will be closed for another three weeks as construction continues on the Throgs Neck Bridge

Bronx News Roundup June 1

The two Bronx synagogues targeted in the recent bombing plot revealed on May 20th will each receive $25,000 in federal money from the Department of Homeland Security. This money will be used to provide alarms and surveillance equipment to protect the synagogues. Senator Kristen E. Gillibrand has also requested an additional $25 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative that will finance further security initiatives at organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.

A recent audit confirmed a Daily News report from last July that Bronx Court officials broke the law by illegally investing estates of the deceased in uncertain securities.

The fifth New York City swine flu related death to be reported is that of a Bronx infant. City officials have yet to confirm if the death is a result of the virus.

Critics of the recently nominated Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor are openly labeling the Bronx native as harsh, difficult to work with, unintelligent and racist against Caucasians. Judge Sotomayor's critics mainly consist of conservative groups and Republicans. In fact, Judge Sotomayor graduated from Princeton and Yale Law School and has a track record of rejecting more discrimination claims than accepting them. None of these critical claims have been found to have substantial proof.

Sonia Sotomayor's classmates recall the Supreme Court nominee as distinguished even in high school.

Joel R. Rivera announced his candidacy for the Bronx 77th Assembly District.

Bronx Democratic Senator Jeffrey Klein announced that he plans on introducing a school governance bill that will allow the mayor to retain control of the Panel on Education Policy. However, Klein also want to increase parental involvement in the local community boards by incorporating the boards with local Community Educational Councils. Klein believes that local boards will give parents a stronger voice to improve the conditions and test scores at local schools.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Fire Department conducted a full-scale emergency response drill at Bronx Reservoir on Sunday.

Bronx News Roundup, May 26

President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx-born federal appeals judge, to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor, 54, who's of Puerto Rican heritage, grew in Bronxdale Houses in the south east Bronx, attended Cardinal Spellman High School, and went on to Princeton and Yale. If confirmed by the Senate, she'll be the first Hispanic justice.

Here's Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s statement on her selection:

It is with great joy that the whole borough of The Bronx received the news of President Obama’s nomination of one of our own, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, to the Supreme Court. Over the last 30 years, Judge Sotomayor has proven herself to be an accomplished attorney and an excellent jurist who is dedicated to the rule of law and our constitutional values. A patriot of the highest order, Judge Sotomayor has worked tirelessly with the utmost of integrity to serve our country.
If confirmed as the next Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Sotomayor will bring a legal and human perspective that will improve the Supreme Court for years to come.

More here on Sotomayor's humble beginnings and her career-to-date.

Clinton High School's boys and girls won the PSAL Bronx outdoor track and field titles on Sunday.

For Buddy Stein, the former editor of The Riverdale Press, last Wednesday's attempted bombings in Riverdale bought back some unpleasent memories: the firebombing of the Press' offices in 1989. Here's a Press editoral, published back in February on the 20th anniversary of the attack.

Marc Sternberg, the principal of Bronx Lab High school, a high school on the Evander Childs campus, writes in the Daily News that mayoral control saved his "dying school." We've linked to this before, but here's a very different take on mayoral control from Vincent Wojsnis, a teacher at MS 399 on East 184th Street.

Because of the fiscal crisis, Soundview Park's planned renovation won't be as extensive as the city originally intended.