Bronx News Roundup June 1

The two Bronx synagogues targeted in the recent bombing plot revealed on May 20th will each receive $25,000 in federal money from the Department of Homeland Security. This money will be used to provide alarms and surveillance equipment to protect the synagogues. Senator Kristen E. Gillibrand has also requested an additional $25 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative that will finance further security initiatives at organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.

A recent audit confirmed a Daily News report from last July that Bronx Court officials broke the law by illegally investing estates of the deceased in uncertain securities.

The fifth New York City swine flu related death to be reported is that of a Bronx infant. City officials have yet to confirm if the death is a result of the virus.

Critics of the recently nominated Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor are openly labeling the Bronx native as harsh, difficult to work with, unintelligent and racist against Caucasians. Judge Sotomayor's critics mainly consist of conservative groups and Republicans. In fact, Judge Sotomayor graduated from Princeton and Yale Law School and has a track record of rejecting more discrimination claims than accepting them. None of these critical claims have been found to have substantial proof.

Sonia Sotomayor's classmates recall the Supreme Court nominee as distinguished even in high school.

Joel R. Rivera announced his candidacy for the Bronx 77th Assembly District.

Bronx Democratic Senator Jeffrey Klein announced that he plans on introducing a school governance bill that will allow the mayor to retain control of the Panel on Education Policy. However, Klein also want to increase parental involvement in the local community boards by incorporating the boards with local Community Educational Councils. Klein believes that local boards will give parents a stronger voice to improve the conditions and test scores at local schools.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Fire Department conducted a full-scale emergency response drill at Bronx Reservoir on Sunday.

Special election to be held tomorrow

A special election is scheduled for tomorrow to determine who will become the new assembly member in the 77th District. The seat used to belong to Aurelia Greene, but she stepped down last month to take a job as deputy Bronx borough president.

On the Mount Hope Monitor's Web site, we have profiles of the two candidates: Vanessa Gibson, a former staffer of Greene's and the Bronx Democratic Party's pick (and hence the favorite); and Joel R. Rivera, a community activist who despite his underdog status - he's been forced to run as a Conservative - has been putting up a spirited fight.

The district covers Morris Heights, Highbridge, and Morrisania.

New Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr's old assembly seat (85th District) is also up for grabs.

Typcially, very few people actually vote in special elections. More here on the process and why many think it's flawed. Still, if you want to vote, you can - providing you're registered. Call (866) VOTE-NYC for polling locations.

UPDATE: I left a couple messages with the Bronx Republican Party asking who the Republican candidate was in the race for the 77th Assembly seat, but no one got back to me. The Bronx County Young Republican Club seems to be much more responsive, however. I just heard from Chance Haywood, their president. He said there is indeed a Republican candidate, and that her name's Barbara Bowland. There's little on the Web about Bowland, except that she's raised zero funds for her campaign.

Aurelia Greene's replacement?

Here's a shot of Vanessa Gibson, who's running for Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene's soon-to-be-vacant assembly seat in the 77th District.

Gibson, 30, was at last night Community Board 5 meeting where she spoke about her experience and qualifications - she's worked for Greene for eight years, first as intern in Albany and more recently as her chief-of-staff here in the Bronx, and she's finishing up a Masters in Public Administration at Baruch College.

Gibson said she has Greene's support and hopes to get the party's backing, too. "[If elected] I will not be the type of person who just comes out when I need your vote," she told the audience.

A special election is scheduled for June. Joel R. Rivera, a community activist, is also running. Here's his Web site; Gibson doesn't have one yet. Other candidates could well jump in as the election approaches.

A representative of State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. was also at last night's board meeting. The rep, whose name I didn't catch, announced that her boss's district office will finally open on May 1. It'll be located in the old Sears building at 400 E. Fordham Rd, on the seventh floor. Presumably there's an elevator.

(Photo by J. Fergusson)

Bronx News Roundup April 21

In case you haven't heard, a special election is being held in the Bronx today to determine who will be the next borough president.

Assuming Ruben Diaz Jr. emerges victorious, and assuming he picks Aurelia Greene to be his deputy, two assembly seats will open up. Greene wants her current chief-of-staff, Vanessa Gibson to succeed her in the 77th Assembly District (Highbridge, Morrisania, parts of Morris Heights). Community activist Joel R. Rivera is also running. Until a few days ago, Rivera (no relation to Assemblyman Jose Rivera and his kids) was one of several candidates running for Helen Foster's City Council seat. But in a recent press release, he said the campaign "has decided to switch gears and run for [Greene's] open seat in the upcoming special election in early June." Here's Rivera's campaign Web site. (Gibson doesn't appear to have one.) According to Bob Kappstatter, Diaz (District 85) has tapped his executive assistant, Marcus Crespo, to take his seat.

State Senator Pedro Espada's residency is again being questioned. Check out the video at the end of the post. It's well worth a watch. Espada himself, an unidentified baby, and the BoogieDowner's Erin all make an appearance.

Still on politics, Congressmen Eliot Engel and Joseph Crowley have been using campaign contributions to spend big on food. According to the Daily News, Engel has a particular liking for Hunan Balcony, a Chinese restaurant in Riverdale.

Charter schools in the Bronx and beyond are becoming increasingly popular with parents.

Cops shot and injured an armed man in Mott Haven yesterday.

A pubic hearing will be held at the Bronx Library Center next Tuesday on the proposed water bill hike. Homeowners are expected to be hit with a 14 percent increase come July 1. More here.

Here's the Associated Press' take on the Grand Concourse's centennial year.

The Yankees may be forced to slash their sky-high ticket prices.