Bronx News Roundup, Friday, May 6

It's a beautiful Friday in the Bronx, people. Enjoy. Now, let's get down to business.

Weather: As I mentioned in the brief pre-amble, it's a beautiful day in the Bronx. Nary a cloud in the sky right now and temperatures are expected to top out in the low-70s. Enjoy it will it lasts -- showers are forecast for Saturday and Sunday (at least until about noon and then it should clear up for the rest of Mother's Day).

Story of the Day: Garden's Ambitious Azalea Project Opens Saturday
Flower-ophiles, this story is for you. (Plus it keeps with the "beautiful Bronx" theme I'm working on this morning.) The Bronx's New York Botanical Garden opens its 11-acre Azalea Garden tomorrow and Times critic Edward Rothstein weighs in with a rave review. While the garden, made up of more than 70,000 new plants at a cost of $5 million, appears wild, but is actually a meticulously plotted, researched and arranged vision. It's part of a larger plan for the Garden, which is being orchestrated by designer Laurie Olin of the Olin Partnership, called "Heart of the Garden." Rothstein gushes: "This is a garden designed to display the suitability of plants to place, while demonstrating the inexorable passage of time — and that may be the most natural phenomenon of all."

Quick Hits: 
Also opening tomorrow is the Bronx Heroes Comic Con at the Bronx Museum, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Now, for the un-beautiful. Police charged 17-year-old Martin Quirindongo of Brookly with murdering his 32-year-old girlfriend's nine-month-old baby boy in Marble Hill.

Following the deadly casino tour bus crash in the Bronx almost two months ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced new safety regulations for bus drivers and new bus companies.

In City Hall's weekly "Winners and Losers" feature, former Bronx state senator and current State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman gets a victor label for his focus on prosecuting mortgage fraud, which is bringing in big bucks for the state. In the Losers column was Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein's independent caucus for focusing on necktie germs, rather than more important Albany business like negotiations over ethics reform, rent regulation and tax caps.

A violent mugger is preying on the elderly women in the Bronx, the last attack happened near Fordham Road. Really? And we thought the church robberies were heartless acts. See video below:
 

A wild scene played out in a Bronx courtroom yesterday when former Co-op City janitor Paulino Venesuela was sentenced to 90 years in prison for murdering his boss and wounding two colleagues in 2007.

Who says the Bronx doesn't have proper lodging options for visitors? Ok, lots of people. But The Guardian says The Bronx Guesthouse, on E. 233rd Street, is one of the 10 best places to stay in New York City outside of Manhattan.

In case you missed it, here's Bronx Foodie's awesomely simple guacamole recipe.

And we'll end with this heart-warmer in honor of Mother's Day. Last mom's day, Cynthia Cruz took her 3-year-old daughter Mia to The Children's Hospital at Montefiore after she fell down. Doctors there discovered a seven-centimeter cancerous tumor, which they removed. Because Mia was so young, they decided against the usual treatment of radiation and instead used a combination of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. It worked! Two weeks ago, a scan showed zero signs of a recurring tumor.

Editor's note: A special shout out to all mothers in the Bronx and beyond, especially my own beautiful and extraordinary mom, Lyn Kratz, who I hope will read this and know her oldest son is mostly staying out of trouble, washing behind his ears and using proper grammar. Love you, ma.

Bronx News Roundup, March 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Bronx. Enjoy the beautiful sunny, 60s-ish day. Everyone deserves it after enduring that slog of a winter. (If you're of age and find yourself getting thirsty later, see our post on the borough's best Irish bars. Also, please weigh in on our ongoing debate: Is it St. Patty's or St. Paddy's? Here's one answer.)

Story of the Day: Museum Highlights Bronx Positives
I positively had to make this wonderfully-headlined story in the Daily News -- "Stick it, Glenn Beck! The Bronx Museum of Arts touts borough's positive stories" -- the roundup's story of the day. Tomorrow night, starting at 6 p.m., the Bronx Museum is holding a free event called "Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories,"  featuring the showing of a documentary, "Richie Perez Watches 'Fort Apache: The Bronx,'" followed by four storytellers spinning yarns about their Bronx experiences. The audience is invited to share their experiences as well. "The goal is to challenge the stereotypes of the Bronx," one of the event's creators, Bridget Bartolini, told the Daily News. This, of course, falls right in line with our borough president's new combative approach to defying old, out-dated depictions of the Bronx. Stick it, Glenn Beck, indeed. The Museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse.

Quick Hits:
The body of missing 40-year-old Throggs Neck mother Tina Adovasio was discovered in Westchester County yesterday by some kids riding ATVs. Adovasio's husband, Tony Coello, who police say has a history of domestic violence, is being called a "person of interest" in the case. Video from the Post.

The DN's Bronx columnist Patrice O'Shaugnessy says the Adovasio case and other recent domestic clashes -- including a Kingsbridge murder-suicide poisoning -- show how quickly domestic violence can spiral out of control.

Three special needs schools in the Bronx -- St. Joseph's School for the Deaf, the Lavelle School for the Blind and New York Institute for Special Education -- could be crippled by Gov. Cuomo's plans to slash their state funding.

More on the casino bus crash: details on the driver Ophadell (formerly Eric) Williams' 1990 conviction for manslaughter; fatigue always a factor for low-cost tour-bus drivers; Police finally identified a 76-year-old survivor who remains in critical condition as Kin Chai Mock; A family friend says Williams is struggling with all the media scrutiny. 

A bodega in Mt. Hope was robbed on Wednesday morning. Police say the two suspects could be the same duo that has hit seven other Bronx bodegas since January. 

Two Haitian youngsters will receive critical heart surgery at Montefiore Medical Center this week.

Kappy's back this week with thoughts on Ruben "The Rev" Diaz Sr. being the last-amigo standing following the indictment of fellow State Senator Carl Kruger and the ousting of Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate. Says Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera's confirmed and denied rumors he's leaving office after his term is up next year. Quote: "Wonderful turnout, wonderful weather and just enough sprinkled boos at Mayor Bloomberg to make last Sunday's Bronx St. Patrick's Day in Throgs Neck great."

Bronx News Roundup, March 16

Rain today in the Bronx will supposedly give way to sunshine tomorrow.

To the news!

Story of the Day: Bronx Bus Crash Story Continues
Federal investigators met yesterday with Ophadell Williams, the driver of a tour bus that crashed on I-95 in the Bronx on Saturday morning, killing 15 passengers and severely injuring six others. Legal experts say Williams, an ex-con who served time for manslaughter, is unlikely to be charged with a crime unless he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or if he demonstrated a pattern of reckless driving before the crash. The NY Times staked out the crash site, near the on-ramp to the Hutchinson River Parkway, to find tour buses passing by ever so cautiously. On Monday night, another Chinatown tour bus bound for Philadelphia crashed on the Jersey Turnpike, killing two. Here's some video on the Bronx crash from USA Today:



Quick Hits:
As they search for a missing Bronx mother of four, Tina Adovasio, police are focusing their attention on the woman's husband, Edwin Coello, a former NYPD cop who has a history of domestic violence. A month ago, the woman filed for divorce. Video from NY1.

Continuing in this vein of alleged fatal domestic violence, the comatose Bronx woman who police say was injected with cyanide by her husband (who later killed himself by injecting the same poison) died yesterday.

Crain's on the averted Bronx building workers strike.

The bandits targeting Bronx postal workers are taking the mail carriers' keys.

And finally, SOME GOOD NEWS: The cheerleading squad at MS 127 in Castle Hill earned a trip to the national championships in South Carolina, but it needs some extra funding for its trip. Send donations to: MS 127 Cheerleaders, 1560 Purdy Street, Bronx, NY 10462

Bronx News Roundup, March 15

Looks like mostly sun in the Bronx today with temperatures creeping toward 50. High chance of rain tonight and tomorrow before a blast of warm air hits on Thursday and Friday.

To the news!

Story of the Day: Bus Driver's Shady Past Went Unchecked
More disturbing details are emerging about the checkered, trouble-filled past of Ophadell Williams, the driver of the tour bus that crashed into a sign pole on I-95 here in the Bronx, leading to questions (from victims and even the governor) about how he got the driving gig in the first place. Williams served two years on a manslaughter charge in the early 1990s and landed back in prison in 1998, serving four years for forgery. His driving privileges were suspended in 1995 after he ignored tickets for speeding and driving without a license. Williams will meet with investigators today.

The NY Times delves into the largely unregulated business of low-cost tour bus travel. 

Meanwhile, the death toll of the crash reached 15 when a 70-year-old man succumbed to injuries last night at Jacobi. Another six victims remain in critical condition, with four of those using respirators to breath.

Quick Hits:
Following a series of fights and marital unrest, police say a Bronx man injected his wife and then himself with poison at their apartment on West 195th Street. The wife remains in a coma and is not expected to survived, while the husband was pronounced dead on arrival. 

As we reported earlier, Bronx building workers reached a new contract deal, avoiding a strike that they say would have affected 250,000 borough residents.

Police say they are looking for a group of teens who are robbing Bronx postal workers. 

The DN reports that more than 3,500 people attended the Throgs Neck St. Patrick's Day parade. Cut pictures included.

More on Bronx track superstar Ida Keeling, the fastest 95-year-old woman in the world.

The Globe and Mail is holding a live discussion with South Bronx "green" icon Majora Carter today at noon.

Author James Frey, blasted by Oprah and others for fabricating chunks of a popular memoir he wrote several years ago, has a new book out centered around a Bronx housing project. In it, the supposed Messiah smokes pot and patronizes hookers.

Bronx Weekend News Roundup, March 14

Cool and partly sunny on this Monday in the Bronx, with a hint of wind just to make you realize it's still not spring yet. Looking ahead, we will probably see rain mid-week and then a dramatic temperature spike on Friday -- the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. And with that, to the news!

Story of the Day: Casino Bus Crash
A tour bus heading back to Chinatown from a casino in Connecticut crashed Saturday morning just as it entered into Bronx territory, killing 14 and injuring another 19. Riders say the bus swerved several times, probably still in Westchester County, before hitting a guardrail, tipping over and skidding into a sign pole that marked an on-ramp to Hutchinson River Parkway. According to the NY Times: "The pole burst through the front window and sheared the bus in half laterally, from front to back, along the passenger window line, the police said."

The bus driver, Orphadell Williams, told investigators he was clipped by a passing tractor-trailer, causing the crash. But the NY Post reports that the truck driver who was interviewed about his involvement said he didn't touch the tour bus and other passengers said Williams was driving erratically. The tour company, World Wide Travel, has been cited five times over the past two years for "fatigued driving" and investigated for two crashes over the past two years. Six critically injured survivors are on life support at the Bronx's Jacobi Medical Center. One of those critical victims has yet to be identified.

Quick Hits: 
The 13th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade was celebrated in Throgs Neck yesterday. 

Erica Diaz, the lesbian granddaughter of staunch gay-marriage opponent State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., is looking to re-enlist in the military after being ousted for outing herself to superiors three years ago. Erica says she gets along with Diaz Sr. despite their difference of opinion on gay issues. 

Speaking of Diaz Sr., the pol says he'll happily take all the contributions indicted amigo, Carl Kruger, spread around to fellow Democrats. Many are saying they will give Kruger's money to charity.

Most former workers at Stella D'oro, the cookie factory that left its Kingsbridge home in 2009 rather than deal with its striking workforce, still don't have a job. Meanwhile, HBO is working on a documentary about the lengthy 2009 strike.

More on the life of Bronx comedian Mike DeStefano who died recently of a heart attack. A quote from his 1999 book, "Bada Bing, Bada Buddha": "I am from the Bronx. I am Italian. I am sensitive. If you hurt my feelings I will kill you."

A group of Bronx tenants at eight deteriorating buildings are suing the bank that holds their mortgage for repair work. They are following a successful model established by the Milbank tenants who sued for repairs last year.

The owners of the parking garages at Yankee Stadium are expected to default on a $237-million tax-exempt loan issued by the city's Industrial Development Agency. In his state of the borough speech two weeks ago, Boro Prez Ruben Diaz Jr. suggested one of the garages could be re-invented as the borough's only high-class hotel.

The Bronx Zoo is raising a rare salamander species to help save it from extinction.

Co-op City's "janitor from hell" goes on trial for murder this week.

And finally, set aside a nice chunk of time to read BxNN-hero Tom Robbins' comprehensive piece on Pedro Espada's political and legal troubles and how they are indicative of the ongoing problems in the state legislature.