Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 28

Just a few Bronx news stories to get you caught up on this snow piled Friday afternoon.

A very important cautionary tale from yesterday. Two young Bronx girls collapsed from carbon monoxide poisoning after their mother left them in her running car while she dug it out of the snow. Problem was, fire officials said, the mom neglected to clean the tailpipe, causing carbon monoxide to flood the interior of the car. Both kids are in stable condition and are expected to be fine.

But let this be a stern reminder to all parents digging their cars out of this massive snow build-up: CLEAN THE TAILPIPE FIRST!

More on the death of former Bronx State Senator Guy Velella who died yesterday: Times,  Wall Street Journal, NY1 and WNYC. 

Bronx-born director Rashaad Ernesto Green recounts his experience showing his new Bronx-based movie "Gun Hill Road" at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. At the end of the week, the movie was picked up by a startup distributor.

Upstate local governments are combining forces to clean up the Bronx River before the water even gets to the Bronx.

Enjoy the weekend.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 29

Happy Halloween weekend everyone. Be safe. Be nice.

Three more members of the Latin King Goonies group accused in the brutal Morris Heights anti-gay attacks were indicted yesterday. Charges were dropped against four of the suspects, but now seven of the 11 suspects arrested have been indicted.

An in-depth and often hilarious look at how Bronx Democrat George Gonzalez stumbled into the position of heading the city's Board of Elections (he was fired this week after just two months on the job). The Voice's Tom Robbins writes that Gonzalez was the choice of Bronx Democratic lawyer and political operator Stanley Schlein.

If Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. doesn't vote on the proposal to turn a vacant army reserve center into a homeless shelter (he is boycotting the vote, saying the proposal doesn't meet the needs of the Bronx or the Wakefield community), the mayor's office says the site will be handed over to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which will turn it into a homeless shelter without his input.

While Diaz won't say that he thinks the mayor is delivering payback for the borough president's role in killing the city's plan to transform the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall, Community Board 12 chairman Father Richard Gorman has no problem saying it. "This is payback for the borough president killing the Kingsbridge Armory," Gorman tells Daily News reporter (and former BxNN intern!) Rob Sgobbo. "The city is playing games. They have no interest in what the neighborhood thinks."

Yesterday, we had two posts -- here and here -- on the distressed Milbank buildings that the city is taking a more active role in rehabbing. Several other news organizations also wrote about it, but who needs them when you have us, right?

The man accused of killing a 17-year-old girl on Southern Boulevard told police his girlfriend (who has not been charged in the crime) helped him do it. She apparently thought the co-murder would help them solve their relationship issues, a source told the Daily News.

Speaking of murders, a Bronx gas station attendant was killed in a botched robbery attempt last night.

And when it rains, it pours: A Riverdale man accused of letting his dog die from over-heating in a van will undergo a mental evaluation.

Bronx students and environmentalists are hoping a third attempt to re-introduce oysters in the Bronx River will take and help clean up the water.

The Kentucky women's basketball team is expecting big things from Bronx-bred Jennifer O'Neill.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 1

If you couldn't tell by the soggy weather this morning, it is indeed October now. Because of the rain, expect subway delays if you haven't already experienced them. On to the news!

First, an awesome picture of some of the subway flooding problems and a report that the 4 train was delayed after a tree fell near the 167th St. stop. [Update: a reader alerted us that this photo was taken in 2006. But it's still awesome.]

As of 10:57 a.m., the MTA was reporting delays on the 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D F, M, and N, Q, R lines.

To the relief of its 800-plus workers and doctors, Westchester Square Medical Center, slated to close on Dec. 31, will remain open but the amount of beds in the hospital will shrink, state Health Department officials say.

Internal Affairs reportedly raided 12 Bronx police precincts to seize and audit all tickets handed out over the past 13 months. 

The late actor Tony Curtis grew up in the Bronx, the son of dirt-poor Hungarian immigrants. His given name: Bernie Schwartz.

Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez points out that Eva  Moskowitz, who founded the Harlem Success charter schools and opened two new schools in the Bronx this year, spent some $1.3 million on marketing and recruitment, which swelled the waiting list to get in and pressured state officials to let her open schools. Gonzalez admits the schools have been successful, but says the money is the reason regular public schools can't compete.

The trial of four men accused of plotting to bomb two Riverdale synagogues is nearing conclusion as the defense wrapped up its case yesterday. They called very few witnesses, instead relying on their cross-examination of a government informant who they say entrapped their clients. Closing arguments begin Monday.

The Bronx driver accused of beating a traffic cop pleaded not guilty yesterday after turning himself in to authorities.

The Manhattan College and Fordham University men's soccer teams face off tomorrow night.

A deal to save the so-called "birth place of hip-hop" is near completion.

Hostos Community College is hosting a dominoes tournament on Sunday that will benefit the school's Emergency 100 and Scholarship fund. Entry is $30. Winners can earn up to $2,000 in prizes.

And finally, after conducting an online poll, the Wildlife Conservation Society has named the new beaver recently found in the Bronx River. It's Justin Beiber, er, Beaver. Justin joins Jose who was discovered in 2007 and named after Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano. The discover is another great sign of the river's resurgence. Plust, the two are planning a world-wide tour to the delight of pre-adolescent beavers everywhere.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 20

A tragic car crash on Saturday killed six members of the Joy Fellowship Church, on East Gunhill Road, when their van overturned on the New York Thruway. The group was on their way to a church event in upstate Schenectady when a tire blew out on their van. The church's bishop, Simon White, and his wife, Zelda, were among those killed. A vigil will be held to honor the victims tonight.

Former Yankees managers Joe Torre and Don Mattingly will return to the Bronx tonight for a tribute to the late George Steinbrenner.

A Bronx woman was arrested after a fatal hit-and-run accident that killed a motorcyclist in Manhattan on Sunday night.

A section of Valentine Avenue in Bedford Park is being called "Heroin Avenue," for its rampant drug and gang problems. The area has long been a hotspot of violent activity for the 52nd Precinct. 

Former beat cop Anthony Mango, who patrolled the St. Mary's Park Houses in Melrose in the 1970s, inspired a young Kevin Taylor to join the force himself. Taylor is now an NYPD lieutenant in Manhattan.

A second beaver was spotted in the Bronx River this summer. It will join Jose, the first beaver to call the river home in over a century, who was first spotted back in 2007 and named after Sen. Jose Serrano.

An 11-year-old Throgs Neck girl who went missing last week has returned home safely, according to police.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 3

Happy Friday, everyone. On to the news!

Big feature in the Times today on Pedro Espada Jr.'s fight to retain his seat in the 33rd Senate District despite multiple efforts to knock him out of office. Despite the effort, most of which are being made on behalf of challenger Gustavo Rivera, one analyst said Espada should still be considered the favorite. “You’ve got to believe he’s the favorite, and if you don’t, you’re underestimating a guy who should not be underestimated,” Scott Levenson, of the Advance Group, told the Times.

Here's some audio the Times has on the race, along with the story. 

A recent Times poll says opposition to the proposed mosque near Ground Zero is more intense in the outer boroughs. In the Bronx, 54% of respondents were opposed to the mosque being built so close (two blocks away) from Ground Zero.

14-year-old Bronxite, Brittany Lopez, read 325 novels and comic books this summer and was crowned winner of New York City Public Library's summer reading contest.

The Bronx River is getting $5 million in clean-up funds, part of settlement with several Westchester County towns accused dumping raw sewage into the river. Here's the link to the Hunts Point Express story about the funds infusion.

The Bronx River Art Center will be mobile for the next two years while they renovate their Tremont Avenue headquarters.

Bronx Latino has scenes from Tuesday's blogger fiesta. We couldn't make it, but we definitely support these type of gatherings. Bronx bloggers unite!

Enjoy the weekend, everyone. Stay out of Earl's path, if you can.

Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 31

With the Bronx continuing to head many "worst of" lists, Crain's wonders who will save it.

A NY Post reporter kayaks the Bronx River, and likes what she sees.

The Bronx is home to a growing number of DVD and video stores specilizing in Nigerian-made movies. The film industry there is called "Nollywood."

Councilman Jimmy Vacca is supporting a bill which would force the city to address the rising raccoon population in the outer boroughs.

In his weekly column, the Daily News' columnist Bob Kappstatter calls out Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera for skipping a televised debate. We wonder what annoys Rivera more - the criticism of her record or being called "Snooki." Kappstatter also suggests Assemblyman Carl Heastie, the Bronx Democratic party boss, is loath to endorse Gustavo Rivera in his race against State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., in case Espada retaliates by supporting Assemblyman Nelson Castro, who faces a primary opponent in Heastie-backed Hector Ramirez.

Fight Back New York, a pro-gay marriage group, has been digging up dirt on State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. 

Dan Doctoroff, the former deputy mayor and development czar, played a key role in getting several massive construction projects off the ground, including the new Yankee Stadium and Bronx Terminal Market. City Limits looks back at his legacy.

Local residents and shoppers will be able to purchase special "parking memberships" when the Botanical Garden's new 825-spot parking garage opens in 2012.

One of the men on trial for allegedly trying to blow up two Riverdale synagogues last year, ranted about his hatred for Jews in secretly-recording conversations played in court yesterday.

Fordham Prep's talented soccer team has high hopes for a strong season.

Bronx Congressmen Jose Serrano and Eliot Engel, and several of their colleagues, are currently receiving hefty taxpayer-funded pensions on top of their six-figure salaries.

From last week's Village Voice: a police officer from the 41st Precinct in the Hunts Point secretly recorded his superiors demanding that he meet a quota of arrests and summonses, something the NYPD has always denies it does. These same superiors also ordered officers to downgrade crime complaints, he claims. The revelations come on the back of a four-part series in the Voice concerning a precinct in Brooklyn and another disillusioned cop with a hidden tape recorder.

Bronx News Roundup, July 27

A new study of health violations at sports stadiums across the country found New York among the worst offenders. At Yankee Stadium this year, 48 percent of vendors were cited for unsanitary conditions.

The number of rapes in the Bronx is on the rise, while funding for rape crisis and counseling programs is being cut dramatically.

The tragic deaths of two teens who drowned in the Bronx River this month shouldn't keep residents from enjoying River Park, says Daily News columnist Patrice O'Shaughnessy, who called the park "one of the most beautiful places in the Bronx."

Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera is challenging the petitions of her primary challengers. This and more Bronx political gossip in Bob Kappstatter's weekly column.

A 23-year-old man was shot to death yesterday in Olinville, adding to what's been a rise in the number of homicides in the 47th Precinct. 

A group of women in the south Bronx say the process of applying for welfare is so discouraging that some opt to go without the assistance they need.

Bronx News Roundup, July 23

Kenneth Clarke, 40, who worked for Con Edison, was gunned down Wednesday night in his home on Van Nest Ave. The Daily News has the story.

Crystal Reyes, one of the teens who drowned in the Bronx River on Sunday, was laid to rest yesterday morning. (Here's more on the tragedy, and its aftermath in the community).

The Times reports that only 53 people attended the Charter Revision Commission’s public session on Wednesday at Bronx Community College. The group's mission was to create proposals to put before the voters in November.

Ex-Bronx cop Juan Acosta was sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison for aiding the distribution of cocaine and aiding the robbery a rival drug courier.

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Montefiore Medical Center, along with four other hospitals in Manhattan and Brooklyn, have agreed to a pilot program that seeks to cut medical malpractice costs. [You may need a subscription to access this story in the Wall Street Journal; another version of the article is available here.]

Following the rape of a 79-year-old Bronx woman on Monday, officials have put a $12,000 bounty on the offender's head yesterday. State Senator Pedro Espada,Jr. helped with the bill, adding $5,000 of his own money that was matched with $5,000 from the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation.

Robert Bella told indiewire.com that his well-received film, “Colin Fitz,” was largely shot in the Bronx's Woodlawn Cemetery. The film was shot on 35mm and was “in-the-can” for $150,000, he recalled.

Speaking of film, the UK's dailymail.com reviewed the flick "City Island," which was named after and filmed on Bronx turf, this morning.

In an article headlined "Ruben's No Pedro," the Albany Times-Union reports that Democratic conference leader John Sampson is co-hosting an August fundraiser for Ruben Diaz, Sr. next month in the Bronx, at Maestro's. Senior's son, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., is sharing the hosting duties with Sampson. 

Bronx News Roundup, July 22

Sherr-una Booker says she'll refile charges against David Johnson, the former top aide to Gov. Paterson. Booker filed a police report last fall saying Johnson assaulted her in their Bronx apartment, but the case was dismissed when she missed a court appearance the day after getting a phone call from the governor.

Sam Suzuki, the slumlord who got prison time for ignoring court orders to repair his crumbling apartment building on E. 172nd Street, was released from jail this week but could be sent back by the courts as early as next week.

Funeral services were held yesterday for the two teens who drowned in the Bronx River last weekend. (See here for more on the incident, and its aftermath in the community).

A kitten named Motz was rescued from a sewer by city workers yesterday in Morris Park.

A new documentary called "The Lottery," tracks students from the Bronx and Harlem as they compete for a seat at the very competitive Success Academy charter school in the Harlem (Success Academy will open two schools in the Bronx this fall).

Roses at the Bronx Botanical Garden are being bred to resist insects, meaning some of the plants will be pesticides-free. 

AM New York says rats are making nests in MTA metro card machines. That's not the only foul thing that maintenance workers have to deal with--they say riders use the machines as personal urinals (the article calls out several Bronx stops along the D among the worst offenders).

Construction could be finally in the works for a towering, long-unfinished apartment complex on Oxford Avenue.

Bronx News Roundup, July 21

Veterans at the Bronx Veterans Affairs Hospital, in Kingsbridge, are learning to channel their post-war tension into music as volunteers teach them to play musical instruments.

Ruben Diaz Jr., ex-Yankees Roy White and Darryl Strawberry and Yankees scout Cesar Prescott, gathered to remember late team owner George Steinbrenner before a baseball tournament on Randall’s Island yesterday.

Don Coquí, an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant in New Rochelle, is celebrating its first anniversary this month. Its owner, Jimmy Rodríguez, is the founder of Jimmy's Bronx Cafe and the son of the founder of Marisco del Caribe in the Bronx.

The city Administration for Children's Services will fund Rosalie Hall, a center for pregnant teens, for another year. Although the number of beds must be reduced from 16 to 10, the funding may allow the center to provide birthing services and full-time residency for young mothers and their children.

Christopher Benfey, a professor at Mount Holyoke and contributor to the New York Review of Books, wrote about his experience attending “Emily Dickinson’s Garden: The Poetry of Flowers,” at the Botanical Garden on the New York Review of Books website this morning.

The Point, a community development organization in the South Bronx, which reclaimed vacant land in the city for a 400-square-foot garden, is setting an example for Detroit and other American cities. The Center for American Progress released an article about the benefits of urban farms today.

Bronx native Latisha Ryer, 35, was arrested on charges of possessing and selling crack cocaine in Port Jervis today.

The Daily News reported that teens jumped fences to swim in the Bronx River yesterday, in spite of the recent deaths in the area.

Bronx News Roundup, July 20

A 15-year-old Bronx boy was shot and killed in a shooting Monday morning in Brooklyn.

In the wake of this weekend's drownings, the Times takes a closer look at the Bronx River and its re-emergence in the public eye in recent years.

The part of the river where the two teens drowned--near the Bronx Zoo, in West Farms--is a popular swimming spot, according to the Daily News.

Police are looking for a man who raped and assaulted a 79-year-old woman in the elevator of her Westchester Square apartment building. State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. is holding a press conference today at 1 p.m., at Benson Street and East Tremont Avenue, to rally for the community's involvement in catching the assailant, according to press release sent this morning.

Dan Cantor, Executive Director of the Working Families Party, writes that the best way to change Albany is to vote Pedro Espada out of office. His party has already endorsed challenger Gustavo Rivera.

The Daily News Bob Kappstatter has more on this race in his weekly column. We'll be posting more details on some of the candidates today, so check back here for updates.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is the most marketable player in baseball, pulling in more money for sponsors than any other player, according to a recent survey. 

A gas station attendant came upon a five-foot long snake in Melrose. Police were called to catch the animal and take it to Animal Control. 

A blood drive and baseball game fundraiser are being planned for beloved Throgs Neck little league coach Joe O'Grady, who is battling cancer.

Speaking of noteworthy coaches: Bob Hawthorn, who coached men's tennis and squash at Fordham University for 54 years, retired yesterday.

Bronx News Roundup, July 19

We'll start the week off with the tragic story of the two Bronx teenagers -- Crystal Reyes, 15, of University Heights, and David Lee Luccioni III, 17, who was about to start his senior year at Grace Dodge High School -- who drowned yesterday in the Bronx River. (More from the Daily News, NY Post, NY1.)

According to city officials and news reports, Reyes was struggling after jumping into a fenced-off part of the river near the dam around 180th Street. Luccioni jumped in to save her. They both became entangled in tree branches below the surface. Both were taken to near-by St. Barnabas and pronounced dead on arrival at about 4 p.m. Despite the "No Swimming" signs, the spot is popular with young people looking to cool off. There were about 20 kids swimming in the area when Reyes began flailing and yelling for help and Luccioni went after her.

The Times has a more lighthearted summer river story about the local kids who jump off the cliffs in Spuyten Duyvil, much to the chagrin of the local MTA cops.

Speaking of the MTA, the budget-crunching agency is about to introduce a series of new cost-cutting measures, including jacking up prices on unlimited Metrocards and the creation of a "limited unlimited card" that would charge more for heavier users.

Two Riverdale synagogues that became targets in a failed bombing plot last year will receive federal grants to beef up their security.

Hundreds of city buildings, including 1694 Davidson Ave. in Morris Heights, are again deteriorating after being rescued decades ago. (The Davidson building is owned by Bronx Heights Neighborhood Community Corporation, a non-profit.  Back in 2008, tenants and board members began complaining about the way the organization was run and the affect this was having on the buildings.  Here's the story that appeared in the Mount Hope Monitor.)

A Bronx-born filmmaker is working on a documentary about New York accents.

What's Going On This Weekend?

 

The Family Art Project presents "Making Music" this Father's Day at Wave Hill

Friday, June 18
Student Art Exhibition
The Bronx River Art Center presents the Spring Student Exhibition which honors and celebrates the wonderful works of art created by local students. The exhibition is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bronx River Art Center, 1087 East Tremont Ave., or visit the Bronx River Art Center website for more information.

Speed Networking Mixer
Join SPC in trying to bring unity and collective success to the Borough of the Bronx! Create great connections easier and faster than ever, promote your business to a professional and eager crowd and gain new ideas to help improve the longevity of your business. The event will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Blend Cafe, 582 East Fordham Rd. Reserve your spot at HTTP://BRONXCONNECTS.EVENTBRITE.COM.

Arthur Aviles Tribute
At 8 p.m. at the Pregones Theater, 571 Walton Ave, dancer/choreographer/director and now filmmaker Arthur Aviles will be honored with a 2010 Master Artist Award. For this special occasion he has created an "autobiographical fantasy; the colors of the rainbow that make up my life and career to date in an evening of dance, song and film." Featuring dance films To Be Real (premiere) and This Pleasant and Grateful Asylum, the exuberant dance piece Dorothur's Journey. For more information visit the Pregones Theater website.

Bronx News Roundup, June 18

Bronx teens Rashawn Birthwright, 17, and Javon Maldonado, 17, were stabbed to death yesterday in two unrelated incidents. Maldonado died on the doorstep of the NYPD's 41st Precinct station house in Hunts Point hours after Birthwright was stabbed on Gunther Avenue and died at Jacobi Medical Center. The Daily News has the story.

12-year-old Bronx twins Jason and Corey Grant have started a Facebook-page campaign to persuade LeBron James to play for the New York Knicks. In four days, the site has tracked one million votes in support of LeBron's switch.

After giving birth three times with the help of Bronx midwives, New York state assemblywoman Amy Paulin is seeking to pass a bill that will afford other women a similar, though safer, experience. The bill would repeal the requirement that midwives have a “written practice agreement” with a doctor or hospital, thus allowing them to travel and still have access to doctors and medical facilities.

"Reflections of a Heart," a play about black soldiers who fought in World War II, depicts Isaac Woodard Jr.'s experience in the post-war Bronx. Read the full review here.

The Parks Department and the Bronx River Alliance is inviting New Yorkers to paddle down the Bronx River with their dads this Sunday during the Father's Day Paddle. Participants will canoe through Bronx River Forest, the Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo. Find out more here. [The event appears to be sold out, but you can sign up for the waiting list.]

Former boxing champ Juan La Porte will bring fighters from his Bronx gym to an amateur boxing card hosted by Billy Costello. Now battling lung cancer, Costello continues to spotlight NYC fighters and host matches on NYC turf.

Obama has chosen Rev. Susan Johnson Cook, the senior pastor of Bronx Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in New York and executive director of the Multi-Ethnic Center Inc., for the position of ambassador for international religious freedom. The Catholic Review has the full story.

Bronx resident Edda Lopez-Lennards was featured in the Daily News this morning for her housing struggle involving the Bank of America. Read Norwood News' coverage here.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the premiere episode of Comedy Central's 'Portable Lounge,' a roaming online talk show featuring rising comedians, will take place in the Bronx. Here's more on this show.

Bronx News Roundup, June 17

The Bronx International Film Festival kicks off today (we're one of the festival sponsors). We've been posting trailers for some of the films being screened, so check back here later. And click here for more info, or to reserve tickets.

An off-duty Bridges and Tunnels cop fired his gun at a group of attackers during a road rage scuffle following an accident on the Major Deegan.

Gothamist showcases a collection of striking photographs from the LIFE image archive of the South Bronx during the early 1950s dubbed the "Bronx Slums."

Make sure you buy a ticket--and keep your recceipt--before boarding the Bx12 bus. Transit officials are cracking down on fare-beaters who've been taking advantage of the MTA's "pay at the curb" option, where tickets are purchased before riders board the bus.

The owners of a Westchester building that was the source of an oil spill in the Bronx River on June 2nd will be footing the bill for its cleanup.

The Huffington Post profiles Edda Lopez, a University Heights resident who is taking on Bank of America in a foreclosure battle (the Norwood News ran a story on Lopez earlier this month, as did this blog. Read here and here.)

The Huffington Post also chronicles, through photos, one blogger's trip to a Bronx recycling facility.

Paul DeRienzo, a South Bronx elementary school teacher, writes that charter schools--largely concentrated in the South Bronx and Harlem--could be making our school system more racially segregated.

Police are investigating two fatal stabbings that happened yesterday. 

The South Bronx has seen one of the highest jumps in subway ridership in recent years, according to a survey (the Aqueduct Racetrack stop, in Queens, has the lowest ridership, with a 72 percent drop-off over the past decade).

Bronx News Roundup, June 3

Another great day in the BX, another day of news! Enjoy!

According to authorities, toxicology tests show that the officer who killed himself, another officer and injured four women, in a car crash last month on the Bronx River Parkway, had an alcohol level twice the legal limit. NY Times has the story here.

The sudden oil spill into the Bronx River yesterday, came from a 12-story apartment complex in White Plains. The leak spanned three to four miles. According to a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Conservation, some wildlife has been affected.

Four men have been charged with running a $5.7 million medicaid scam. With a clinic in the Bronx, next to the Bronx VA, they allegedly bribed homeless medicaid recipients to come to their office for unnecessary dental treatments.

Co-op City residents are getting fed up with all the garbage that continues to pile up as 100 of maintenance workers continue to strike against the management company and the new contract they have offered.

A failed robbery attempt in a home in the Van Nest section of the Bronx led to the shooting of two adults and a 14-year-old boy. All were taken to Jacobi Medical Center and are in stable condition.

The Child Sex Abuse Bill gets denied for the fifth year in the New York Legislature. The bill is asking for victims to be allowed to file lawsuits against predators well after the stature of limitations has expired.

Mayor Bloomberg takes another shot at making elections non-partisan. Legal experts argued in a rowdy meeting last night at Lehman College over whether nonpartisan elections would hide candidates' beliefs from voters.

Bronx News Roundup, June 2

Hope everyone enjoys the beautiful day! Here's your daily dose of Bronx news:

The Bronx may have the honor of holding New York's first public alternative fuel station that will provide natural gas, ethanol and biodiesel. The station will be located near Hunt Point's Food Distribution center and is said to be at least five times the size of a regular gas station.

City budget cuts are affecting everyone, everywhere. Due to an expected budget cut between $2 -$3 million, the Bronx district attorney's office may have to lay off nearly 45 assistant prosecutors by the end of this month.

St. Barnabas Hospital had to place an emergency court order when the family of a patient experiencing internal bleeding, refused to allow doctors to give her a blood transfusion because it was against their religious beliefs. Read more here.

From some unknown place, oil is spilling into the Bronx River. Westchester County officials are cleaning up the oil spill, causing the closure of a northbound lane on the Bronx River Parkway. Read here also.

As we all know, the Bronx is considered the poorest county in the state. Many blame it on the poor wages Bronxites receive, that is why council members and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.,  are proposing the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act. The act would guarantee that when public subsidies are awarded to businesses for development projects, the jobs created will pay at least a living wage. While the mayor and other business interests appear to be skeptical about the plan, El Diario says the bill is a step in the right direction. Here's our story on the living wage bill from last week. (We have a bigger story on this in the latest edition of the Norwood News, which is on streets now. Pick up a copy today.)

Bloomberg announced that planned raises for all public school teachers will be eliminated for the next two years. According to Bloomberg, it would save the jobs of more than 4,000 teachers.

Bronx News Roundup, May 21

Happy Friday everyone. To the news! 

We'll start with this ugly, sad and disturbing story about a 14-year-old girl stabbed to death in Melrose. The mother's ex-convict, pseudo-boyfriend was arrested in connection with the murder. More from NY1 here.

More (budget related) ugliness : Arts and cultural institutions could be hit hard by Mayor Bloomberg's budget cutbacks. The New York Botanical Garden, here in the Bronx, could lose 42% of its city funding, which officials there say could lead to significant staff cuts and scaled back hours and programming. 

Housing ugliness: A housing court judge took the rare step of issuing an arrest warrant for the landlord of a building on E. 172nd St. that has racked up more than 600 code violations. 

Ok, now for some happier stories. There's going to be a revival of the old hootenanny music scene at Lehman College tonight.

A look at the extreme remote control car scene on the Bronx River near Gun Hill Road.

The Times reviews the new Civil Rights art exhibit at the Bronx Museum of the Arts.

The Bronx Lighthouse charter school received a $100,000 technology grant.

The intersection at E. 203rd Street and Mosholu Parkway, near PS 8, is getting a much-needed crossing guard.

A lawyer who is suing a Bronx judge for not paying back a $500,000 loan (that he allegedly used to pay off gambling debts) had here house raided by investigators early this morning.

Story of the Day: Floatin' on a River

The Bronx River Flotilla (Photo by Adi Talwar)

Bronx River lovers traveled down the northern borough’s rapidly improving central waterway on May 1 for the 11th Annual Bronx River Flotilla.

From now on we'll be posting a "Story of the Day" every weekday. It's part of an effort to keep this blog colorful and highlight some of the stories and photographs that have appeared recently in the newspapers published by (or affiliated with) the Bronx News Network - namely the Norwood News, Mount Hope Monitor, Tremont Tribune, Bronx Youth Heard, Hunts Point Express and Mott Haven Herald.

New in the Tremont Tribune

April's edition of the Tremont Tribune is out and online. This month's issue includes:

A profile of NYC Justice Corps, a local program that gives recently incarcerated young adults a chance to start over.

The Borgatti family, Belmont legends who own Borgatti's Ravioli and Egg Noodles on E. 187th Street, have been making handmade pasta for 75 years.

Family, friends and co-workers of Megan Charlop dedicated a "ghost bike" to the beloved Norwood resident at Crotona and East Tremont Avenues, where she was killed in a biking accident in March.

Two contenders recently jumped into the Senate race to challenge Pedro Espada, Jr.--but experts say a run against the incumbent state senator could be an uphill battle.

Bronx River Alliance volunteers snagged an alewife herring near the River Park dam in West Farms. Sightings of the fish have excited conservationists, who say it's another sign the river's health is rebounding.

Plus: A new library for MS 254 . . . Congressman Jose E. Serrano on student loan reform . . . An interview with Belmont Library manager Danielle Wansi . . . Community Boards fight against budget cuts . . . and some neighborhood happenings in our events calendar.

More here.