Diaz Sr. Wins Primary, But Loses an "Amigo"

In last night's primary election, Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz, Sr. defeated his challenger, community organizer Charlie Ramos, to move on to the general election in the Senate's 32nd District, where he's been in office since 2003.

But it wasn't all smiles for Diaz. While he was victorious, his Senate buddy, Pedro Espada, Jr., lost his seat to challenger Gustavo Rivera. Diaz has been a staunch defender of Espada throughout this election season, endorsing and even campaigning for him.

"I'm going to lose an amigo," Diaz told reporters as poll numbers started coming in during his election party last night--a classy buffet dinner and open bar celebration at Morris Park restaurant Maestro's.

This afternoon, Diaz sent out a press release saying that with Espada's looming departure, he "refuses for hispanics to forgo leadership" in the State Senate, and expects his colleagues to fill Espada's vacant spots with other Hispanic legislators (Espada is the Majority Leader, and also heads the Senate's Housing Committee).

Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 9

On Friday night and early Saturday morning, there were nine separate shooting incidents in the Bronx.  Two teenagers were killed and 12 other people were injured. In a statement released Saturday, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. said:

Last night’s wave of violence is extremely alarming, not only to myself  but to the overwhelming majority of my constituents: 1.4 million Bronx  residents who want to do nothing more than work, raise their families  and live their lives in peace without having to worry that they or their  children will be cut down by a thug’s bullet. The summer is supposed to  be a time to relax with family and friends without fear of losing one’s  life.  Those responsible for these shootings must be prosecuted to the  fullest extent of the law. Those who would turn to a gun as the answer  to their problems have no place in decent society. This has to stop.

An off-duty Bronx police officer was arrested on Friday night for driving drunk, police say.  Juan Burgos is a seven-year veteran assigned to the 43rd Precinct.

Bronx resident Gladys Carrión, the commissioner of the city's Office of Children and Family Services, has won friends - and plenty of enemies - for attempting to close several poorly run juvenile centers in upstate New York.

BoogieDowner has posted the names of 39 people on State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr's payroll, along with their wages. One name in particular - Haile Rivera - is raising eyebrows.  Rivera, a University Heights resident and former Obama campaigner, previously mulled a run against Espada. Now he's working for him, and sounding like him, too.  On Facebook last month, Rivera wrote: "Why is it that when the powers-that-be see a Latino/a rising, they do whatever it takes to bring him/her down?"

The Gotham Gazette takes an in-depth look at the race between State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. and Charlie Ramos.

Last night, a fire gutted a row of stores in Williamsbridge.  Investigators are calling the blaze suspicious.

A construction crew began installing the new Willis Avenue Bridge this morning. The bridge, which connects the South Bronx with Harlem, is replacing the bridge of the same name. It'll reopen in the fall.

Ten wind turbines located on the roof of a Melrose Apartment building generate enough electricity to serve the building's common-area needs. The building, which boasts numerous other "green" initiatives, opened last October.

Bronx News Roundup, April 29

Yesterday, the attorney general's office filed another civil suit against embattled State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr.  Espada and one of his sons set up a sham training program in order to pay janitors as little as $1.70 an hour, the office alleges.  Espada claims (as he did last week) that Andrew Cuomo is bullying him. More here.

Despite claiming to be a strong advocate for tenants' rights, Espada has deep ties to the the real estate industry, which - through campaign contributions - has helped shape his agenda as chair of the Senate's housing committee, argues the Village Voice's Tom Robbins.

An assistant principal at Bronx Science habitually harassed teachers under her, often reducing them to tears, an independent report has found. But Rosemary Jahoda will likely keep her job after the Department of Education dismissed most of the reports findings.

The first ever Bronx Food Summit is being held next Monday at Hostos Community College.

A new City Council bill could force the NYPD to publish traffic accidents and summonses statistics online. 

A 20-year-old Bronx man has been charged with attempted murder following a night of violence in Midtown in Easter Day. Police say Rayvon Guice fired his gun into a group of people, injuring two men. 

In a lawsuit, a former waitress at the Lobster Box in City Island says was sexually harassed by her supervisor, and fired when she complained.

A new playground has opened in Parkchester.

Students and teachers at Herbert Lehman High School, a 4,500-student school in the east Bronx, have been told that permanent metal detectors are to be installed, following several recent fights and an uptick in gang activity.

Yesterday, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.'s Kingbridge Armory task force toured the mammoth building.

Charlie Ramos of the group "Bronx for Change" is after State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.'s seat.  More on Ramos here and here.

City comptroller John Liu has created a task force to examine how developers deliver community benefit agreements.  Among the aims: more transparency.

Fernando Aquino, a political consultant who often works with Bronx politicians and wannabe Bronx politicians, was interviewed recently on the Perez Notes radio show.

A former Bronx police officer talks about his new(ish) career as an arborist at the New York Botanical Garden.

Coqui Mexicano, a restaurant in Melrose, won't close after all.  [via BoogieDowner]