Energy-saving Tips for Heat Wave Survival

With highs in the 90s for the rest of the week, Con Edison is providing tips to conserve energy.

• Run energy-draining appliances like washing machines, ovens, dishwashers, or dryers in the morning or at night, when it's cooler.

• Get $30 back in rebates from Con Edison when you buy an Energy-Star room air conditioner.

• Con Ed offers a free programmable thermostat to anyone with central air conditioning. Head to their website to find out how to get one.
  

• Turn off your lights and other appliances when not in use.

The company says it will have extra personnel to address additional problems incurred by the heat wave. Anyone experiencing problems with their power service can call 1-800-752-6699.

Bronx News Roundup, July 28

The Daily News reports this morning that Bronx Democratic Committee chairman Jeff Dinowitz won't move to oust Pedro Espada, Jr. from the Democratic party before this fall's primary (state Democrats sent a letter to Dinowitz earlier this month, asking him to boot Espada). Dinowitz told the paper he might revisit the issue later (he told us in a previous interview that even if he went ahead with the motion, Espada could file an appeal, a process that would likely last much longer than the Sept 14 primary).

If you can stand the heat, the Bronx Zoo is offering discounts on certain tickets to online buyers. Zoo officials say this month's sweltering temperatures have led to a drop in attendance.

Authorities seized more than $1.5 million in cash yesterday in a huge heroin bust around the Fordham neighborhood. 

The Bronx is getting the least out of a city-wide program that places water fountains in public places, en effort to encourage residents to drink more H20 instead of sugary drinks. There's one set up every Tuesday outside Bronx Borough Hall, though other boroughs have gotten more fountains placed.

An Irish man visiting Katonah Avenue from his home in upstate New York is in a coma after he was assaulted outside of a bar. 

Two separate murders around the same intersection, within three days of one another, have one Morrisania neighborhood on edge. Troynisha Harris, an 18-year-old high school student, was stabbed to death early Saturday, and 22-year-old Fred White was found shot to death on Tuesday.

Con Edison has agreed to pay $700,000 to compensate for a 2009 explosion in Yonkers that leaked oil into the Bronx River.

Two comedians with roots in the Bronx are still in the running on NBC's reality show "Last Comic Standing."

Bronx News Roundup, July 9

The MTA is using the model of  the Fordham Road Select Bus Service to reform bus service along First and Second avenues in Manhattan, and similarly trafficked routes in Brooklyn and Staten Island. According to the MTA, the service along Fordham Road in 2008 Buses have made the 5.5 mile trip across the Bronx 20% faster. [You may need a subscription to access this story on the Wall Street Journal.] For more on the Fordham Rd Select Bus Service, check out these articles: Select Bus Raises Ire, Fare Evasion a Select Bus Problem, Fare Beaters Get Free Pass, Bx12 Fare Beaters Rip Off MTA

The NYPD shooting range in the Bronx welcomed 15 legislators yesterday who learned about the experiences of police officers and the split-second decision making they employ. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly invited the legislators after a bill requiring cops to shoot to wound, not kill, was introduced in Albany in light of Sean Bell's death.

After a Bronx man left a dog in a 140-degree car on Monday, officials have advised pet-owners to ensure plentiful water and proper shelter for their pets. Animal advocates also announced that pets should never be left in cars, even with open windows.

The Times reports that nine stores in Manhattan and the Bronx have received $200 finds after leaving their doors open while air-conditioning blasted. Read the full story here.

Con Ed is responding to approx. 500 outages that were reported this morning in Morris Park.

Speaking of power outages, Mott Haven families were forced to evacuate last night after a fire scorched a building's electrical system under a ground-level apartment. Twelve buildings are currently without power.

The Roundball Classic Live game, which features high school basketball All Stars, hit the Bronx on Thursday at the Gauchos Gym.

ConEd Reacts Quickly to Bronx River Oil Spill, But Concerns Linger

In the days before Thanksgiving, dozens of workers in hard hats and orange and yellow vests trudged along the banks of the Bronx River sopping and scooping up the last remnants of a Nov. 4 oil spill from a Consolidated Edison substation in Yonkers.

Conservation experts heralded Con Edison's quick and diligent response but wouldn’t go so far as to give the river’s ecosystem a clean bill of health.

“We're watching very closely for harm to wildlife,” said Linda Cox, who heads the Bronx River Alliance, a non-profit that works to restore and protect the river. “Our concern is more about whether there would be more subtle, longer-term effects.”

More here in the Tremont Tribune.

Reporting, writing, and photo by Patrick Egan.