Bronx News Roundup, Feb. 11

Happy Friday, brothers and sisters of the Bronx. Praise Zeus! Or Puxatauny Phil!  Looks like today will be our last defined by frigid temperatures, for about a week or so, at least. Today will be sunny with a high just under freezing. There might be flurries tomorrow afternoon, but with a high of 39 and temperatures possibly reaching the mid-50s by Thursday, let's get out the champagne or sparkling apple juice!

Story of the Day:
While conditions continue to deteriorate at the 10 buildings abandoned by Los Angeles speculator Milbank Real Estate, a Scarsdale -based landlord, Steve Finkelstein, is closing in on a deal to acquire the properties. Finkelstein says he will put up $10 million for repairs -- up from his original offer of about $6 million -- but a report commissioned by the City Council says the full cost of repairs would be more than twice that. Finkelstein, who owns some 30 apartment buildings in the borough, told the Daily News, "There's a lot of work to be done. But I know what I have to do. These are good buildings - they just need someone to take care of them."

Meanwhile, the DN's Dan Beekman reports, tenants at one Milbank building say they were without heat last week and that vacant apartments are being used by drug dealers and abusers.

Story of the Day Too:
Former State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. held a "unity press conference" yesterday that featured appearances by "amigo" State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. and some song and dance numbers. Espada tried to project an air of normalcy, reports NY1's Josh Robin, while trying to bring attention to the fact that the state department is denying his Soundview health care center a $3 million grant to build a new facility across the street. Espada's health care clinics can receive medicaid, but the funds can not pay for his or his son's salary. Both have been indicted for defrauding the nonprofit clinics and using its funds for their own personal use.

Quick Hits:
Melissa Petro, the former prostitute turned Bronx art teacher PS 70, announced her resignation and spoke publicly about it yesterday, saying she could have fought her DOE-imposed suspension and thought she would have won, but felt she wouldn't have been welcomed back if she did. The Post says, "This is one whore with chutzpah."

A 76-year-old man was killed by a city bus driver yesterday in Parkchester.

The Bronx Zoo has two new bald eagles that were injured in Wyoming.

A Bronx man won free cab rides for a year.

Imprisoned "A Bronx Tale" actor Lillo Brancato beat up a fellow inmate at the upstate prison where he's serving time.

And finally, in response to inquiries by the Riverdale Press, a bunch of legislators who represent their coverage area, including Councilman Oliver Koppell, Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz and state senators Adriano Espaillat and Gustavo Rivera, all agreed to divulge their outside income. State Senator Jeff Klein didn't go into detail, but a spokesman said he made between $100,000 and $220,000. Dinowitz said part of his income was a few hundred dollars in residual checks for his acting role -- playing a congressman -- in the 2002 J.Lo movie, "Maid in Manhattan."

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Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 23

A tree that was salvaged from the rubble of the World Trade Center after 9/11, and nursed back to health in Van Cortlandt Park, was once again planted back at Ground Zero. The tree's homecoming coincides with yesterday's passage of a bill that will give health benefits to 9/11 responders. 

The NYPD will start using hidden cameras in the interrogation rooms of two police stations, including the 48th Precinct in Tremont.

A group of Franciscan monks from the Bronx are looking to revitalize a rundown neighborhood in Ireland.

Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., says things are looking up for Bronx businesses, thanks in part to the work of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp.

A man is being charged with attempted murder after leaving threats on his ex-girlfriend's facebook page and attempting to kidnap her one-year-old daughter near Claremont Park.

The Bronx Zoo will be collecting food and toy donations for underprivileged New Yorkers until the end of the month; those who donate will get one free general admission ticket to the zoo. 

A group of Riverdale residents continue their campaign to boycott weekly community newspaper the Riverdale Review.

Nathaniel Linden, the man accused of robbing a handful of Bronx churches since November, told the Daily News he needed the money to feed himself and his pets.

Melissa Petro, the Bronx public school teacher who was removed from her classroom after she posted stories about her sex-worker past on the internet, is profiled in this month's issue of the magazine Marie Claire.

A profile of Dr. Richard Izquierdos, a longtime pediatrician in Hunts Point who opened his own charter school this year.

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 2

Happy Hanukkah, everyone! The festival of lights started last night at sundown. Here's a yummy potato latke recipe from the Riverdale Press to get you in the spirit of things.

Two of the men originally named as attackers in October's antigay beatings in Morris Heights are now being identified as victims of the assault, according to WNYC.  Bryan Almonte and Brian Cepeda were originally charged by police as perpetrators in the attacks, but were later released. Five other men were arraigned yesterday on hate crime charges in the State Supreme Court.

Police are still on the hunt for the man responsible for a string of muggings in Co-op City, and one incident in Manhattan. The assailant arms himself with an ice pick, and has robbed four women in the elevators of their apartment buildings. He was caught on tape by a surveillance camera; video at the link.

Melissa Petro, the former teacher at PS 70 who was removed from her classroom after she wrote about her experiences as a sex-worker, was officially charged yesterday with conduct "unbecoming of a teacher," by the DOE.

Parishioners at St. Augustine's Church in Morrisania are worried that the closure of their parochial school could be detrimental to the parish itself, as it relies heavily on revenue from the school to operate. Six catholic schools in the Bronx face closure after funding cuts were announced a few weeks ago.

Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez says she's still a Boogie Downer at heart, according to Us Weekly. "I never miss the Bronx because it's always with me," Lopez told the celebrity magazine.

Former Borough President Adolfo Carrion, who left the Bronx for a short stint in the White House, is giving a speech today at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

Bronx Councilman G. Oliver Koppell introduced a bill in City Council to make all yellow taxicabs wheelchair accessible. Only 231 of over 13,000 city cabs can currently accommodate riders in wheelchairs.

Another Bronx pol, Councilman James Vacca, is behind a bill that will require the Department of Transportation to set guidelines for the approval and installation of bikes lanes, speed bumps and other "traffic calming devices."

A 26-year-old man was struck by a car and killed while crossing Riverdale Avenue on Monday night.

A new program introduced at Hostos and Bronx Community College is helping cash-strapped students stay in school by qualifying them for financial assistance, child care, health insurance and other benefits.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 8

Happy Friday everyone! Looks like it's going to be a lovely weekend in the Bronx. Enjoy.

We'll start with what's becoming a big citywide story that has serious implications for the Bronx: Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to ban sugar-sweetened drinks (like soda and other sugar-heavy beverages) from being purchased using food stamps. Bloomberg faces several legal hurdles and what will sure to be a strong push-back from soda companies and their lobbyists. Earlier this year, the so-called "soda tax" Bloomberg, health advocates and nutritionists wanted implemented went absolutely nowhere in Albany. (I'm going to post this up as a topic for debate in our newly created forum later today. Feel free to chime in. UPDATE: just posted this topic on the forum. It only takes a minute to register. I just did it. Totally painless.)

The other citywide story we're keeping tabs on is the push to require businesses to provide paid sick leave for employees. Bloomberg says the legislation would be "disastrous" for small businesses. Most of the Bronx delegation in the City Council and Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. are strong supporters of the bill and yesterday, Council Christine Quinn agreed to negotiate on it.

Could the Bronx become an environmental-tourism destination? The Bronx Tourism Council is offering a Bronx EcoAdventure Tour as one of its five trolley tours. The Eco tour stops at the Botanical Garden, the Zoo and culminates with a canoe ride down the Bronx River, with a lunch stop at Arthur Avenue sandwiched in between. It's $65 for adults, $55 for seniors and children (the website says it's not suitable for kids under 10 and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult).

After a whirlwind journey that took him across the country and to three different junior colleges, Bronx hoopster Anthony Nieves, a standout on the club level who attended John F. Kennedy High School but never qualified academically to varsity play ball, has committed to play basketball next year for Southern Mississippi, a Division I school in Conference USA. Nieves, who is now 21, was nicknamed "Barbosa" for his likeness to Phoenix Suns guard Leandro Barbosa. 

Jury deliberations will continue today in the Bronx bomb plot trial after jurors sent two questions to the judge yesterday.

The Observer fleshes out a NY Post report that sex worker-turned-art teacher Melissa Petro has been offered $60,000 to pose nude in High Society magazine.

And for all you Bronx Bomber fans, here are highlights of last night's 4-2 Yankees victory over the Minnesota Twins, putting them up 2-0 in the best of five divisional series.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 30

Mayor Bloomberg wasted no time in yanking Bronx teacher Melissa Petro from her classroom at PS 70 after he learned of her very public musings about her past as a sex worker.

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, whose district includes PS 70, chimed in about Petro--and her tenure--in a panel discussion on Fox News yesterday. Watch the video here.

A group of Bronx high school students are weighing in on the debate over the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory.

BronxTalk host Gary Axelbank was on the radio program The Perez Notes yesterday to talk about his show and Bronx politics.

A Parkchester man turned himself in to authorities yesterday for allegedly beating a traffic cop who gave him a ticket.

The Daily News has footage of two sets of baby tiger cubs born at the Bronx Zoo. 

Vandals spray painted and etched swastikas into the green at Van Cortland Golf Course yesterday.

Cesar Mercado, the Nicaraguan diplomat who was found dead in his Mount Hope apartment last week, had ingested a bottle of Drano cleaner before he died, according to police.

A new breakdown of Census figures ranks Jose E. Serrano's South Bronx Congressional District as the poorest in the country, with 38 percent of residents living below the poverty line.

The much talked about change in street signs this week--where the DOT is replacing capital letters with lowercase ones--is part of a federal mandate intended to "improve readability." It'll cost the state a whopping $27 million to make all the required replacements.

The murder rate is up across New York City, with a particularly high rise in the number of killings in the North Bronx--the rate went up 46 percent this year.

Actress Rosie Perez, in a video released by gay rights group Fight Back NY, told Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. that she is "extremely disappointed" in him for his opposing stance on gay marriage. "You are not speaking for the majority of New York Latinos," she said.

Bronx-born actor Tony Curtis died yesterday at the age of 85.

The Department of Homeless Services has shut out hundreds of families from using the agency's "Homebase" program in an attempt to see how effective it is.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 29

Lehman High School teacher James McSherry’s independent film based on his life experiences won him several awards and recognition. The film tells the story of McSherry’s friend who was arrested in Throgs Neck for a drug-related murder during the 1980s.

Prosecutors showed a video of a car being blown up with the same tools that they say were planned to be used in an attack on a synagogue in Riverdale last year. The defendants claim they were entrapped by an FBI informant who provided them with fake weapons.

A motorist in the Bronx viciously attacked a traffic agent yesterday after being issued a ticket. The driver was blocking a lane when Edgar Saeteros issued the summons. Cops are still searching for the attacker.

The MTA is going to eliminate toll booth arms on the Henry Hudson Bridge, which connects the Bronx and Manhattan. The ultimate plan is to eliminate the toll gates and cash lanes entirely to speed things up for drivers while also saving money.

After she blew up the Internet with blogs about her infamous past, sex-worker-turned-teacher Melissa Petro was granted tenure at a Bronx elementary school.

Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein says a new bill he sponsored will protect homeowners from loan scammers. The bill requires consultants -- who often take advantage of distressed homeowners by telling them they will save them from foreclosure -- to put a disclaimer on loan modification ads telling homeowners they can receive similar services for free through the New York State Banking Department.

Bronx (Weekend) News Roundup, Sept. 27

I thought this would be a more appropriate title to our Monday roundups, where we try to corral everything from Friday afternoon to this morning. As always, if we miss something, let us know in the comments section or send us an e-mail at bronxnewsnetwork@gmail.com. Enjoy. 

A gigantic steel piece by renowned sculpture artist Richard Serra sits in a south Bronx crane yard. The piece, which could be worth millions, is essentially just sitting there rusting. Some intrepid art geeks have made trips to see it over the past few years, while Henry Bubbins, a die-hard advocate for waterfront access in the Bronx, wants it to be part of a sculpture garden near where it now sits, in Port Morris.

On Friday afternoon, dozens of students went home late after police locked down a school bus yard to look for a suspect who had allegedly robbed and shot a man in Hunts Point. 

Massive service changes over the weekend, including the shutdown of the 1 Train, led to mass confusion throughout the city.

An assistant teacher at the Bronx's PS 70 has been very candid about her former life as a stripper and prostitute, publishing accounts of her exploits online. The teacher, Melissa Petro, was put on administrative duties pending an investigation by the DOE.

Police are now saying the bloody death of a Nicaraguan diplomat, Cesar Mercado, who was found in his Mt. Hope apartment with bloody stab wounds to his throat and torso, may have been a suicide. Gawker first reported the hints of suicide -- Mercado recently found out he was HIV positive and he had pin-prick-sized (testing type) punctures in his neck -- on Saturday.

Connecticut investor Mario Gabelli donated $25 million to Fordham University. It's the largest gift in the Bronx school's 169-year history and the undergraduate business college will be renamed in his honor.

Newscaster Tom Brokaw says he sees eerie similarities between the crash he was involved in last year and the crash that claimed the life a stranded motorist on Bruckner Expressway  on Friday. In both cases, the crash led to someone being pitched over the edge of the expressway, a drop of some 75 feet.

The Bronx Science boys soccer squad destroyed Lehman H.S. 4-0 and remains undefeated this season. Meanwhile, Bronx Science's equally un-vanquished girls soccer team beat JFK 9-0.