Two Wounded in Bedford Park Shooting

By David Greene

A wild early morning shootout on Tuesday in Bedford Park sent two victims to the hospital, police and witnesses said.

The incident was reported at 1:15 a.m., on Tuesday, July 26. Upon their arrival, police discovered two people shot outside of 264 E. 199 Street, near Briggs Avenue. According to a NYPD source, one victim was shot in the leg and the other in the arm. Both were transported to St. Barnabas Hospital and were expected to fully recover.

A second police source said detectives were looking for a black male wearing a purple jacket who was seen running from the scene. One resident of the building, who declined to give her name, said, "They were arguing. It was horrible. One of the victims was in front the building until the first two gunshots went off."

The resident said a second person was shot a minute or two later, a short distance away.

By late Tuesday morning, police still had no suspects in connection to the case.

Bronx News Roundup, Aug 26

Great story in the Times today about a hoarder in Bedford Park whose apartment had turned into a literal sea of stuff. The photos are amazing. Recently, Part of the Solution (POTS), the soup kitchen and multi-service organization on Webster Avenue in Bedford Park, enlisted a company that specializes in extreme hoarder cases to help make the apartment habitable again.

Testimony began in the trial against the four men accused of plotting to blow up two Riverdale synagogues, with an FBI agent saying he paid a confidential informant nearly $100,000 a year to help him catch local would-be terrorists. Defense lawyers say the FBI and the informant came up with the plot and entrapped the four defendants.

NY1's Dean Meminger takes a look at Freedomland, the Bronx amusement park that was located in the space now the Bay Plaza mall in Co-op City. It only lasted five seasons in early 1960s, but was the biggest amusement park in the world when it was built, according to borough historian Lloyd Ultan.

BoogieDowner has details on the new and improved dog run at Williamsbridge Oval Park. (The bloggers, who live in the building where Pedro Espada owns a condo that he claims is his primary residence, also say they recently received a hypocritical robo-call from Espada.)

If Espada is re-elected in the 33rd District this fall, a group of women state senate candidates and incumbents say they will not vote for him as majority leader.

The Bronx DA's office has bed bugs.

Bronx-bred hoop star Corey Fisher, fresh off a 105-point outburst in a summer league game, is ready to take on more of scoring load during his senior season at Villanova.

Bronx News Roundup, October 28

A wounded Marine from the Bronx will root for the Yankees tonight while sitting next to the First Lady, Michelle Obama, at the World Series opener.

The Daily News suspects foul play in the Bloomberg administration's purchase of 10 acres of land in the East Bronx this past July. The New York City government paid $46 million to buy the land from a realty firm connected with the Mafia and the firm originally paid only $5.5 million for the land in the 1990s. The land will be used to build a backup center for 911 operators.

A Bronx resident was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree arson after allegedly starting a fire in Yonkers. The fire killed one firefighter and injured two others.

Yesterday, street vendors accused the police of harassing them with fines during a protest on the steps of City Hall. In the Bronx, vendors complained that police commonly issue $1,000 fines to vendors who have a vendor license, but do no have a cart permit.

amNewYork compiled a list of Edgar Allen Poe's New York City residences just in time for Halloween. Included in the list is Poe's last residence at the Poe Cottage in the Bronx, which is now open as a museum.

Boogiedowner recently profiled two restaurants in Bedford Park on 204th Street between Grand Concourse and E. Mosholu Parkway.

National List is Shortened, But Bronx Post Offices Remain on Chopping Block

After a round of hearings, the United States Postal Service (USPS) recently released an updated and shortened list of offices nationwide that face possible closures due to decreases in mail volume. The list was whittled down from 417 to 371. But despite fervent opposition, the names of all seven Bronx locations originally listed remain slated for closure.

Included in the Bronx bunch is the Botanical Station, which the Bedford Park community has made clear it won't let go without a fight.

Bedford Park resident and Community Board 7 member, Barbara Stronczer, has spearheaded the fight to save the Botanical Station by collecting more than 700 petition signatures and rallying the support of local officials. Fernando Tirado, district manager of CB7, recently spoke on the station's behalf at a Postal Closure hearing.

Stronczer was surprised and saddened to hear about the latest listings. She is at a loss of how to proceed from here.

"I'm not sure what to do," she said. "They made up their minds without the community."

Going forward, Stonzcer says its going to depend on those in government positions that she had reached out to.

"You count on elected officials at this point and and see what they plan to do next."

According to a USPS representative, the fate of the Bronx offices are still under review and no final decisions will be made until 2010.

Name Your Neighborhood

A little more than a decade ago, when the Norwood News expanded beyond Bedford Park to include another neighborhood to its south in Community Board 7, we wondered what to call it. In the 1970s, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition called its local affiliated association the Fordham-Bedford Community Coalition, named for the southern and northern street boundaries. And the nonprofit housing company that sprung from that group called itself the Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation.

In the Norwood News, we call the community “North Fordham,” which has long irked colleagues affiliated with both aforementioned organizations. We thought it better described the community north of Fordham Road and south of Bedford Park and its namesake boulevard. We felt like Fordham-Bedford was a confusing conglomeration of the two neighborhood names of Fordham and Bedford Park.

Last week, we got this e-mail from John Reilly, the long-time executive director of Forhdam Bedford Housing Corporation, who reported with no shortage of glee that Wikipedia now has an entry for Fordham-Bedford while North Fordham has none .

Gentlemen: How interesting that Wikipedia now recognizes Fordham Bedford as a neighborhood in the Bronx. It does not seem to reference anything about North Fordham. It would seem that the march of time and popular recognition are gradually winning out and that places are ultimately named by the people who live and work there. Just as “Holy Comforter” is now Concourse House, Fordham Bedford is STILL Fordham Bedford (as it has been for 35 years!)

And, we must admit, he has a point. Even if Fordham-Bedford is a made-up name that relatively few people use, North Fordham is no less made up or infrequently used. It also has the disadvantage of being more recently made up and by people who don’t live or work in the neighborhood.

But detracting from Mr. Reilly's argument is that the Wikipedia entry says Fordham-Bedford comprises two smaller neighborhoods – Fordham and Bedford Park. Our purpose in naming the neighborhood was to give it its own distinct identity, separate from Bedford Park.

So, we put it to you dear readers : If you live between Bedford Park Boulevard and Fordham Road, and between Webster and Jerome avenues, what do you call your neighborhood? And if you don’t feel like your neighborhood has a name, and you tell people you live on the Grand Concourse or Kingsbrige Road, or East 198^th Street, what would you like it to be called?

We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Recap of Bedford Park Shooting

Here's some photos of the makeshift street memorial for Juan Jerez, a 15-year-old Bedford Park resident gunned down last Friday night on the corner of Minerva Place and Creston Avenue.

Yesterday more than 20 of Jerez's friends gathered around the memorial, which they placed at the site of his death. They all said that the shooting was accidental and that Jerez was an innocent victim. He was shot while playing basketball, they said.

An unidentified 15-year-old companion of Jerez was also shot once in the right leg, but will survive.

The police arrested Daikwan Giles, 17, a suspect, in connection with the shootings. According to police, Giles also lived in the neighborhood.

Bedford Park Shooting Update

In a recent update on the Friday night murder of Juan Jerez, a 15-year-old Bedford Park resident, police say an unidentified second victim, also aged 15, was shot once in the right leg during the same incident.

Police also say they have arrested a suspect, Daikwan Giles, aged 17, in connection with the shooting. Giles lives directly down the street from where the two vicitms were shot on the corner of Minerva Place and Creston Avenue. Charges are still pending.

Here's a link to our previous posting about the incident.

Shooting in Bedford Park Leaves 15-year-old Dead

Last Friday, June 12, 15-year-old Juan Jerez was fatally shot outside of his apartment complex on Minerva Place, Bedford Park.

Jerez, a freshman in high school, was on his way to play basketball with a group of friends when he took two bullets to the chest, killing him almost instantly, according to friends.

Today, a crowd of his mourning friends gathered around the site of his death, lighting candles, drawing graffiti on the street and placing poems and pictures of the victim on the sidewalk. Around 20 teenagers, ranging from high school freshman to high school seniors, stood in silence to honor and remember their friend.

Although it was difficult for these teens to talk about the tragic incident, all of his friends insisted that the shooting was an accident. They unanimously agreed that Juan did not have any known enemies, but added the area is notoriously dangerous. The Jerez family was not present at this makeshift memorial. Some of Juan’s friends said that the family returned to the Dominican Republic to bury their son.

Many residents near Minerva Place agree that the neighborhood is not safe.

Maria Santiago, who lives next door to the Jerez’s apartment complex, said that she heard three gunshots on Friday night. She also said that the police arrived quickly and there are now more police in the area. Still, she believes that “the police don’t do anything.” There are multiple teenage gangs who are often so violent and aggressive in the street that her younger daughter is afraid to go outside alone in the evening.

Nelson Infante, the owner of a restaurant around the corner from the Jerez’s apartment, has known Jerez’s mother for 10 years. He described Jerez as a “good kid,” but said he did not know any information about the shooting.

As a business owner in Bedford Park for 28 years, Infante says that the neighborhood has gradually become “worse and worse.” There is a profuse amount of fighting, gangs and drugs. He blames teenagers for the violent outbreaks saying they just “don’t want to go to school.” As for Jerez’s shooting, he said, “I am shocked that it happened to Juan, but not shocked that it happened in the area.”

Outrage, Apologies Over New Bedford Park Homeless Shelter

The outrage was on the part of local residents who, at a Community Board 7 housing committee meeting inside the Bedford Park Senior Center, vehemently opposed the opening of a new homeless shelter on Briggs Avenue, directly across the street from PS 8. Teachers, parents and other residents found out about the shelter only after it began taking in homeless families on Christmas Eve.

The apologies came from Peter Rivera, the director of the firm, Aguila, Inc., that manages the new facility (and several others in the city), who said he took "ownership" for making the mistake of not coming to the community sooner. "Mea culpa," he said, trying to explain, but was soon drowned out by a chorus of angry yelling.

This story is a can of worms that we'll only open slightly on the blog today, but here's a few notes of interest.

-The homeless shelter will cater only to homeless families -- parents with children. However, there is no guarantee that the residents will not have prior criminal records (something residents were extremely apprehensive about). Most of the families currently in the building are single mothers with their kids.

-One woman, who's 91-year-old father lives in the building, said the families all seem "earnest" and that conditions and the atmosphere of the building had greatly improved in the past few months.

-The building, 3001 Briggs Ave., has a terrible history of housing violations and landlord neglect.

-There may be evidence that previous tenants were harassed out of the building to make way for the homeless shelter. If the evidence is compelling, the Dept. of Homeless Services says it will terminate the contract with Aguila and move the transitional residents elsewhere.

-If the evidence is not compelling, it's very unlikely DHS will terminate the contract or move the facility elsewhere simply based on residents' complaints.

-PS 8 teachers are worried the influx of children from the shelter will overburden an already vastly overcrowded elementary school. But only one child from the center has enrolled at PS 8 and they have yet to show up for school.

-Housing advocates say the bigger issue, aside form overcrowding or bringing in criminal elements to the neighborhood, is that the city is knowingly taking away affordable, rent-stabilized housing, and replacing it with transitional housing. This only perpetuates one of the main factors of homelessness, which is a lack of affordable housing.

-Rivera, the son of Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera, did not lose his cool once, despite an incredible amount of anger and animosity directed at him. He also couldn't explain why he didn't come to the community beforehand or how the building became empty and available for lease as a homeless shelter.

-The owners of the building, Briggs Realty, LLC, declined to show for the meeting.

-In the end, the CB7 housing committee said it would not support the new shelter and they would bring it up at the next general board meeting, Feb. 17, at the Bronx Library Center. At that meeting, they will also discuss Rivera's plan to open a similar shelter just a couple of blocks away at 2903 Valentine Ave.

New from the Norwood News

The newest edition of the Norwood News is jam-packed with important stories about the northwest Bronx and it's online and on the streets now. Pick it up for free or browse through our award-winning Web site.

Here's a quick preview of what you'll find:

After a string of damaging blows to her public image -- including an atrocious attendance record at Council meetings and hearings, exorbitant phone bills and the funding of a non-existent tenants association -- The Norwood News spent two months gathering up the details and trying to get Councilwoman Maria Baez to tell her side of the story. Read the entire story here.

A successful program for high school dropouts in the northwest Bronx slated to be closed will stay open for at least another year.

We examine the complex and controversial trend of private equity firms scooping up scores of Bronx apartment buildings.

Plus, Bedford Park nuns assure a successful school's future by leasing their land...the story behind the new Farmers Market in Norwood...Crime down overall in 52nd Precinct, but same-old problems persist...Speaking of crime, vandals completely trashed the Oval Park rec center in Norwood, shutting the place for three days in the middle of summer.

Also, check out our expanded Neighborhood Notes section as well as Out & About, our entertainment and arts guide.

And don't forget to sign up for our e-mail edition and breaking news alerts by filling out a tiny form and creating a Norwood News acount.

Enjoy!

Bedford Park is HOT!!

The citywide media have discovered the appeal of Bedford Park. Time Out New York and the New York Times almost simultaneously featured the neighborhood in its pages over the last week. The Times highlighted it in its "If Your Thinking of Living in ..." series and Time Out included it in a package of short articles about neighborhoods along the subway lines.

Just a couple of minor quibbles -- The Times piece says a coffee shop may be opening across from Lehman College, but there are already two bustling ones very close by on Bedford Park Boulevard. And the caption on the picture of the kid skateboarding has him misplaced in Bronx Park, rather than what is obviously Mosholu Parkway.

Hey Bedford Park residents! What do you think of all the attention? Do you want to be discovered or would you rather the attributes of your community be your little secret?

Cop Kills Wife's Mugger in Bedford Park

A frightening scene erupted outside of a Bedford Park apartment building on Saturday night when a gun-wielding mugger attacked an off-duty police officer's wife and 3-year-old daughter.

According to the Daily News, Officer Nadin Perez, 43, who works in Manhattan, opened his apartment door to find someone pointing a gun at his wife, who was screaming for help, and daughter.

Perez pulled out his own gun, secured his family behind him and then chased after the attacker down the apartment building's stairs, firing several shots. At least a couple of those shots hit their intended target, Carlos Ruiz, 47, who later died at Montefiore Medical Center.

Police are saying the shooting was justified because Ruiz had at least one gun, possibly two. It's unclear, however, if he actually fired any shots at Perez.

Listen to an audio report on the shooting from 1010 WINS.

Citing police sources, the NY Post reported that Perez's wife, Jeanette, was holding "$20,000 in gambling winnings that she was holding for a jailed man" when she was attacked by Rios.

Living in Bedford Park

In today's AM New York:

The residents of Bedford Park don't necessarily want people to know about their neighborhood. It's not for lack of pride; quite the opposite. They just want to keep this quiet, working-class enclave all to themselves.

Nestled in the northwest Bronx between the New York Botanical Garden and Lehman College, Bedford Park is a diverse, family-oriented neighborhood...

Read the full article here. Bedford Park residents, anything to add? Did they get it right? Feel free to leave a comment.
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The Latest From the Norwood News

Check out all the latest news from Norwood, Bedford Park, North Fordham and University Heights at the Norwood News Web site. Our latest edition hit streets today.

Gunmen Caught in NW Bronx Apartment

Police arrested two gunmen apprehended at 2970 Marion Avenue in Bedford Park this morning. Special unit trucks blocked streets and officers stormed the building, guns drawn, according to neighbors waiting for operations to end before being allowed to enter or leave their buildings.

Another resident of 2970 said the gunmen were caught in a first-floor apartment.

-Reporting and photo by Annie Shreffler for NYCity News Service.

New Norwood News Stories Online Now

Check out a fresh batch of Norwood News stories, online now.

Hard copies will be out on the streets of Norwood, Bedford Park, North Fordham and University Heights tomorrow.

Enjoy and become informed about your neighborhoods.

Green Space in Unlikely Places

Bedford Park is full of little gardens where you least expect them, like this one on Bainbridge and 201st that's part of the Bronx Green-Up program:



And this garden that was planted in the lot next to 2965 Marion and is tended by a tenant in the building: