Weather: Finally, some heat wave relief. It's a breezy 79 degrees right now, with a chance of thunderstorms predicted for later. Temperatures will climb back up again tomorrow but won't be as brutal as this weekend's.
Story of the Day: Bronx is Booming
The cover story on this week's issue of Crain's New York Business takes a look at the number of positive economic indicators happening in the Bronx right now, and argues the borough is in better shape than it's been in years. Booms in job growth, wage increases, an influx of new immigrants and affordable housing are all marking a shift in the Bronx, Crain's Daniel Massey writes.
“There was a time when people were running away from this borough,” local developer Radame Perez told the paper. “But that's an old story.”
Quick Hits:
Same-sex marriages officially became legal in New York yesterday. We'll have an on-the-scene account of weddings at the Bronx County Courthouse for you shortly.
Charles Himple, a chef who works at Red Lobster's Bronx location in Co-Op City, will star in a commercial as part of the seafood chain's new marketing campaign that features actual employees.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Bronx Weekend News Roundup, July 25
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Bronx News Roundup, Thursday, July 14
Ladies and gentlemen of the Bronx and beyond, welcome to Thursday's edition of the roundup. Enjoy.
Weather: Gorgeous. Cooler. Enjoy.
Story of the Day: Ex-Chilean Guerrilla Turned Bronx Social Activist Fights Deportation
Victor Toro, a South Bronx immigrant rights activist and social worker, continues to fight an uphill battle against deportation back his native Chile, where Toro says he was tortured during the 1970s by the military regime of Augusto Pinochet. He fears prosecution a Chile now run by another ruler with a military background. Toro, who co-founded the leftist guerrilla group MIR in late 1960s, was expelled from Chile after spending a year in concentration camps. A doctor at Montefiore Medical Center testified that Toro still suffers from post-traumatic stress as a result of the torture he experienced during that time. He ended up bouncing between countries for several years before arriving in the Bronx in 1984. Since then, he helped found the La Pena community center and been a staunch and vocal advocate for immigrant rights. Arrested by immigration officials in 2007, Toro's court appeal is close to coming to a conclusion.
Quick Hits:
The naked suicide plunge taken by a Bronx couple off the Tappan Zee Bridge continues to baffle friends. One of the jumpers, Alfa Choice, was a former teacher at Bronx Science.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Bronx News Roundup, Thursday, July 7
Weather: Really hot and humid, again. High in the 90s, with a miniscule chance of rain early this afternoon. Should cool down tomorrow.
Story of the Day:
Darlene Urena, the 5-year-old Soundview-area girl who was shot in the stomach over Memorial Day weekend, is well on her way to recovery. On her way to friend's home to share a bag of Doritos, Urena was caught in a hail of gunfire, which police say was the result of a feud between rival gangs. During three hours of surgery at Jacobi Hospital, doctors stitched up a main artery and removed Darlene's appendix as well as a part of her intestines. While she still takes injections to prevent blood clots and is frightened by the sound of fireworks, Darlene "frolicked" around her apartment the other day and smiled as the Daily News took a photograph of her and her family. "I'm good!" Darlene said.
Quick Hits:
Meet Josue Vargas, a 13-year-old boxing prodigy from Morris Park. He fights tonight at the Loew's Paradise Theater on the Grand Concourse.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Bronx News Weekend Roundup, May 31
Weather: The holiday weekend has ushered in a wave of summer-like weather. Today will remain sunny with a high of 81 degrees. Scattered storms are in the forecast for tomorrow.
Story of the Day: Bronx Woman Murdered While Holding 2-Year-Old Son
A woman was shot and killed Sunday night in East Tremont while walking home with her youngest child, who was found crying next to his mother's body on a Park Avenue sidewalk near 178th Street. Claudia Millan, 29, was shot in the head just a block from her home, where her brother and three other children were waiting for her. Her two-year-old son Jah-mere was found unharmed other than a cut on his calf. Police have no suspects as of yesterday.
The tragic act of violence came at the end of a bloody Memorial Day weekend: eight people were shot to death in seven different shootings across the city, according to the Daily News, including 16-year-old Johnny Moore, who was killed in Mott Haven on Sunday night, supposedly during an argument over a basketball game. On Friday, three other people--including a five-year-old girl--were injured in a shootout in Soundview.
Quick Hits:
A 14-month-old girl is in critical condition at Jacobi Hospital after falling five stories out of her apartment window on Monday morning.
Hip-hop pioneer and spoken word poet Gil Scott-Heron, who grew up in the Bronx for most of his teeange years and attended the Fieldston School in Riverdale, died on Friday at the age of 62.
A Bronx man was arrested Friday for calling in a bomb threat to television station W-PIX11--because he no longer wanted to see reruns of the Charlie Sheen sitcom "Two And A Half Men." Freddy Caldwell threatened to detonate the building if they didn't stop running the show, according to police.
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native, has received a whopping $1.2 million to pen a memoir for Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
A section of a South Bronx street, on Cortlandt Avenue and 156th Street, was renamed this weekend to honor Sgt. Jose Velez, who was killed in Iraq five years ago at the age of 35.
City beaches--including the Bronx's own Orchard Beach--officially opened to visitors this weekend.
An intersection at the corner of Olinville and Waring Avenues will finally be getting a traffic light installed, to the relief of parents and administrators at nearby PS 96 who say several accidents have taken place there.
This fall, a group of entrepreneurs are set to unveil the first beer named after the borough this fall--the Bronx Pale Ale.
Ricard Azzopardi, who works as a spokesman and aide to Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein, chased off a would-be rapist who was attacking a woman on the street outside of his home in Albany.
Editor's Note: BxNN will keep posting this clock in our daily news roundups -- tallying the days until the NYPD releases neighborhood sector crime stats, which we requested from them via a Freedom of Information Law request last year. For some background, see our Norwood News' editorial here.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Bronx Riviera Opens This Weekend; Plus Other Things To Do in the Boogie Down
Here's some other Bronx events going on this weekend:
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Bronx News Roundup, Feb. 23
Frigid air in the Bronx this morning eventually gives way to slightly less frigid air this afternoon, but the sun will shine!
A couple of programming notes: The Norwood News, which covers Board 7, hits streets today. We'll trickle out some of the published stories (and some that didn't make the cut) here on BxNN and have them all up on the News' site by the end of the week. Also, we will be Tweeting live (@norwoodnews, and I'll see if we can get it up on this site as well) from the Bronx Borough President's "State of the Borough" speech at DeWitt Clinton high school tomorrow, starting at 11:30 a.m. And look for Bronx Foodie and The Bronx Sports Column, making their triumphant returns on Friday.
To the news!
Story of the Day:
Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. gave a little highlight reel preview of his State of the Bronx speech to NY1's Dean "The Dream." Here's my condensed Sportscenter-like montage of what to expect: "The state of the borough is strong . . . lots of new housing! look at all of our green roofs! loans are flowing to Bronx businesses! . . . don't worry about the Kingsbridge Armory, trust us, we know taking on the mayor was risky, but we got this under control . . . Listen up, American Idols and Glenn Becks of the world, you're wrong about us, the Bronx is no longer burning, stop the stereotypes or risk a rumble!"
Quick Hits:
Following an infusion of 268,000 cubic yards of sand, Orchard Beach, a.k.a the Bronx Riviera, has its beach body back in shape for summer.
A pair of Bronx cops will not be charged with excessive force, despite video evidence that allegedly shows them roughing up a 19-year-old for riding his bike, says NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Salsa legends Ruben Blades and Gilberto Santa Rosa play Lehman Center on Saturday.
Ida Keeling, a 95-year-old Bronx girl, cruised to victory in the 60-meter sprint competition at a northern Manhattan track meet last week. After taking up running at the age of 67, Keeling's been crushing age-related sprint records ever since.
Speaking of running, congratulations to the Bronx Science boys and DeWitt Clinton girls for their victories in the Bronx indoor high school track and field championships.
Today, angry parents, teachers and elected officials are planning to take their fight to clean up PCB contamination at PS 68 to City Hall.
Gov. Cuomo's budget plan axes state funding to schools for the deaf, blind and severely disabled, including three in the Bronx.
The Post reports that there is new evidence suggesting charter-school students are doing better than public-school students in social studies and science.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Orchard Beach To Expand; Help for the South Groin
Between October and next summer, 250,000 cubic yards of sand -- about 15,000 dump truck loads worth -- will be added to Orchard Beach to expand its total area and help protect the beach's eroding "south groin," according to a press release sent out today by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The Army Corps say they are partnering with the city's Parks Department, 50-50, on a $10.6 million contract they recently awarded to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Oak Brook, Illinois.
"The work will help combat erosion at Orchard Beach by replacing lost sand and repairing the south groin to inhibit future erosion," the release says. "It will also make the beach safer by relieving overcrowding and eliminating dangerous drop-off zones."
More than 1.4 million people visited the man-made Orchard Beach, a.ka. the "Riviera of the Bronx," this past summer, the release says.
Although we've never heard of a non-human element at a beach referred to as a "groin," this appears to be great news for the Bronx and badly needed for Orchard Beach.
Parks Commish Adrian Benepe: "This WPA-era, man-made beach was last nourished with sand in 1964. Over time, the beach has lost sand naturally due to tides, winds, waves and storms. We hope to add as 250,000 cubic yards of sand -- or the equivalent of 15,00 dump truck loads that will be barged to the site -- to restore this popular crescent shaped beach for millions of visitors to enjoy beginning next season."
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Bronx News Roundup, August 6
Two men were murdered yesterday: a 65-year-old was shot dead on Hughes Avenue in Belmont, and a 63-year-old was stabbed to death inside his Marion Avenue apartment.
The Orchard Beach lifeguard station looks like "a house on fraternity row," according to the Post, with cases of beer stacked up outside, and staff drinking at their desks. The Parks Department says no laws were broken because the men were off-duty, and swimming was over for the day.
A housing project in Castle Hill has received a $25 million "green" makeover, with the aim of reducing energy costs and carbon emissions.
Congressman Joseph Crowley (D - Bronx/Queens) wants his constitunents to speak up about health care reform.
More on Kubwa and Kidogo, the two hyenas that flew in from Denver recently and now reside at the Bronx Zoo.
The Campaign Finance Board should seize Pedro Espada's assets, the Daily News argues in a strongly worded editorial. The majarity leader (aka the "Senator of the Year") continues to make a complete mockery of the rules governing political money, the paper says, and should be stripped of his Senate salary.
With the US Senate likely to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination later today, Puerto Ricans living in New York are bursting with pride.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Fireworks at Orchard Beach
July 1 2009 evening: These fireworks were a part of "The Bronx Celebrates American" event at orchard beach, the city's first fireworks show of the holiday season. I made these photographs standing at a window, corner of Tryon ave and Reservoir oval west.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Bronx News Roundup, June 16
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has his "priorities out of whack" according to Daily News columnist Patrice O'Shaughnessy. One example: the fact that kids living in the Yankee Stadium(s) area are still waiting for new parks.
Community board funding must be maintained, writes Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. in an op-ed in the Daily News. More here on the proposed cuts.
Bronx day care centers are also facing funding cuts.
Having fought long and hard to bring a middle school to the neighborhood, Highbridge parents and community leaders want to ensure the building, when built, meets certain "green" specifications.
Bob Kappstatter wraps up the (terrible) week that was in Bronx politics.
Clyde Haberman wonders what America's D-Day heros, who died in the name of democracy, would make of the political shenanigans going on Albany this week and last, and the two men - Espada and Monserrate - at the front and center of it all.
A movable swimming pool is coming back to Hunts Point this summer.
Bronx pols Eliot Engel, Oliver Koppell, and Jeffrey Dinowitz spoke about their hopes for health care reform at an event on June 13.
A new Bronx-based program will educate 11 to 14-year-olds about violent relationships and how to avoid them.
Parents and teachers at PS 160 in Co-op City are protesting plans to put a charter school inside their school.
City Island's firehouse won't close after all.
BronxNet has launched a new channel targeted at youth.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Bomb Plot and other Bronx news, May 21
As you've likely read or heard, the big news coming out of the Bronx this morning is that four men have been arrested for allegedly plotting to blow up two synagogues in Riverdale as well as shooting down military planes. Police say the men were small-time crooks rather than hardened terrorists, but the intent was there.
Here's the Riverdale Press' story. And here's a statement from Congressman Jose Serrano:
The actions of these bomb plot suspects is outrageous and I condemn their motives and actions. New York is a place of tolerance and mutual respect—terror and hatred have no place in our City. I stand united with other City leaders in applauding the fine work of the NYPD, FBI and other law enforcement agencies in apprehending the plotters before they committed a heinous crime.
The city's beaches, including Orchard Beach (the"Bronx Riviera"), will officially open for the summer season this Saturday. Record numbers of visitors are expected as cash-strapped New Yorkers avoid expensive vacations.
Long delays in the building of new schools could lead to more overcrowding in the Bronx and elsewhere. Here's a recent Norwood News story that looked at whether a new school on Webster Avenue, currently in the proposal phase, would alleviate the problem in the local area.
The Bruckner Bar & Grill has been showing artwork inspired by President Obama.
A corrections officer has been sentenced to three years in prison for smuggling drugs into Rikers Island.
Monday, July 30, 2007
News Roundup for July 30
The New York Times ran a story yesterday on the controversy over the fence around the Jerome Park Reservoir, where neighbors are upset that they will not have access to the water or even a running path along the reservoir. The Norwood News did an in-depth story on this topic earlier this year, and an April editorial provides historical context.
There's more information in Gothamist on the car crash that killed five Norwood siblings last week.
Today's NY Sun looks at Adolfo Carrion's mayoral prospects, focusing on the Bronx's development boom.
In response, the Neighborhood Retail Alliance's blog criticizes Carrion's role in the displacement of the Bronx Terminal Market.
And Errol Louis at the deplorable conditions in the city's public housing complexes in his Daily News column yesterday.
And News 12 reports that elected officials protested an Army-sponsored concert at Orchard Beach Sunday, arguing that it's an inappropriate recruitment tactic.
