Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 17

A spirited group of Puerto Rican regulars meets up for fun and friendship at this corner in Melrose (photo above by F.G. Pinto). The Mott Haven Herald has the story.

City Hall has a must-read today, questioning why there are no likely Latino candidates waiting in the wings for the 2013 mayoral race, just like in 2009, despite there being 860,000 registered Latinos in the city. “There is a crisis of leadership in the Latino community,” Jaime Estades, the president of the Latino Leadership Academy, told the paper. “The Latino politicians, they just go through the motions.” Some observers like Estades said too many young pols wait in vain for signals from Democratic Party bosses. Fernando Ferrer, the last Democratic candidate for mayor, disagrees and points to several up-and-comers like Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and State Senator Jose M. Serrano. 

A stalled bridge project that is key to connecting parts of the Bronx River Greenway, may finally make some headway now that the federal Interior Department has stepped in to try to broker a deal between the state Department of Transportation and Amtrak.

30 Rock star Tina Fey took a stroll in the New York Botanical Garden on Monday with her newborn and 6-year-old. 

Here's a video report from NY1 on that tense meeting PS 51 parents had with Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott last week.

A veteran Department of Education red-tape cutter, who spends his day visiting principals all over the Bronx, proves that "bureaucrat" is not a dirty word.

Bronx Ink has an audio slideshow reporting on the reopening of Poe Cottage on Oct. 15 after a renovation.

Jasmeet Sidhu of Bronx Ink, which is an on-line paper published by Columbia journalism students, records a lively debate between two Norwood storeowners -- Allan Freilich of Freilich Jewelers and Eamonn McDwyer of McDwyer's Pub -- over who has the oldest store.

A Bronx stop on the farm-to-table food chain gets some coverage in the Capital.

Bronx BP Asks Feds to Intervene in Muller Center Dispute; Yonkers Mayor Asks Bloomberg to Reconsider Shelter Plan

In a letter to federal authorities, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. said the mayor's office blatantly skirted the formal process meant to determine a new use for the vacant Muller Army Reserve Center in Wakefield in order to push its own agenda -- the creation of a 200-bed men's homeless shelter at the center.

Because of this, and what Diaz characterized as a complete disregard of public sentiment, Diaz asked the two agencies responsible for approving a plan for the Muller Center -- the United State Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Office of Economic Adjustment (OEM)-- to reject the shelter plan submitted by the mayor's office. He also asked them to "convene a meeting amongst the parties to determine how, if possible, a conforming submission could still be provided."

If this doesn't happen, Diaz says, "I will have no choice but to pursue legal action."

Meanwhile, Yonkers Mayor Philip Amicone sent a letter to Bloomberg urging his administration to reconsider its "seriously flawed" shelter plan because of the negative impact it would have on Yonkers, which shares a border-line with Wakefield that lies just 250 feet from the Muller Center.

Bronx Health: Senator Looks to Shed Pounds, Promote Healthy Living

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Story and Photos by Fausto Giovanny Pinto

Dressed in Rocky-esque training attire — hooded sweatshirt, jogging pants and sneakers — State Senator Gustavo Rivera walked into the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center and challenged himself to a weigh-in.

Rivera was joined by Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. (sans workout attire) and numerous organizations, to launch the Bronx CAN Health Initiative.

CAN, which stands for Change Attitudes Now, looks to promote a healthier lifestyle among Bronxites, who often rank last on health polls. To help promote the initiative, which will encourage Bronxites to set healthy goals, Rivera said his goal was to lose 20 pounds by the end of the summer without using any gimmicky diet or workout program.

Bronx News Roundup, June 22

Weather: In the high 70s today, and thunderstorms likely this evening.

Story of the Day: Future of the Muller Center To Be Debated Tonight
A hearing is scheduled tonight to get public input on the fate of the Muller Army Reserve Center, a 55,000-square-foot former military base in Wakefield that the Bloomberg administration wants to turn into a homeless shelter.

Bronx News Roundup, June 21

Happy summer solstice! The season will kick off with some rain showers later this afternoon, and temperatures around 80 degrees. Scattered thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow.

Story of the Day: Armory Report Released
The Kingsbridge Armory Task force released a 267-page report today detailing plans for how the long-vacant building should be filled (ideas: a hockey arena, a culinary center and a mega-church). For more on the report, see our previous post here. Feel free to go there and share your thoughts/suggestions in the comments section. For example: what do you think of TV evangelist Creflo Dollar's proposal to take over the building?

More Details on Bronx BP's "Five Borough Taxi Plan" Recommendations

As a supplement to what we reported earlier, below is the letter Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. sent to the powers that be in the city and state talking about how he would create a "framework" to ratify the mayor's so-called "Five Borough Taxi Plan."

Five Borough Taxi Plan Letter by Bp Diaz

Bronx BP Diaz Offers Up Alternative to 'Unacceptable' Taxi Hailing Situation

Acting as a mediator between the city and an irate livery cab industry, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. attempted today to provide some middle ground for negotiations on a plan to bring legal street hails to New York City's outer boroughs. 

In a conference call with reporters, Diaz said the current extremes in the debate -- between the "status quo," which makes it illegal for livery cabs to pick up streets hails (only licensed "yellow" taxis are allowed to pick-up random people on streets throughout the five boroughs, but they operate almost exclusively in Manhattan), and the city's new plan to create a new fleet of street hail-able taxis that could operate in outer boroughs (as well as Manhattan) -- were both "unacceptable."

[In the morning, before Diaz spoke with reporters, livery operators and elected officials rallied on City Hall to protest the current plan, which would add 6,000 new taxis and allow many of them to pick up passengers in all five boroughs.]

Instead, Diaz offered an alternative "framework" for a new plan that might not please everyone, he said, but might lead to a compromise that would please enough people to get passed and have an impact on the industry and customers.

Muller Center Public Hearing Set for June 22 as Bronx BP Looks Again to Stop Homeless Shelter

A public hearing to discuss the redevelopment of the Bronx's Sergeant Joseph A. Muller Army Reserve Center will be held next month as the fate of the vacant Wakefield-area building once again hangs in the balance.   

It's been a while since we've talked about the Muller Center, so here's a quick refresher (for more background, click here, here and here.):

Last year, the local redevelopment authority (LRA) created to find a new use for the Muller Center fractured. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., one of three voting members of the authority (along with Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and the Tokumbo Shobowale, chief of staff for the deputy mayor for economic development) adamantly opposed a plan put forth by his two co-members to turn the building into an enormous homeless shelter. He declined to attend the late-year meetings of the LRA to prevent them from voting on the homeless shelter plan.

Joining Diaz, other Bronx elected officials, activist groups and local community boards also opposed the homeless shelter plan. Instead of a homeless shelter (the area already has it's share, opponents say), Diaz proposed transferring the national guard units currently housed in the annex buildings at the Kingsbridge Armory to the Muller Center, which would free the annex building up to become badly needed schools. The National Guard has said it would be willing to move the Armory-based units to the Muller Center, but with financial help from the city.

The deadline for agreeing on a plan was extended from the end of last year to the end of this June.

Diaz spokesman John DeSio said the borough president's hope is that the LRA adopts some of the suggestions and ideas raised at the public hearing -- scheduled for June 22, at PS 21, 715 E. 225th St. from 6 to 8 p.m. DeSio wouldn't comment on whether Diaz would again refuse to attend a vote if the other LRA members (read: the mayor's office) wouldn't budget on their desire to use the Muller Center as a homeless shelter. If the the LRA doesn't vote, the Muller Center's fate would be decided by the Department of the Defense, which could be swayed by influential members of Congress. DeSio said they might have better luck dealing with the DoD, then with the mayor's office.

LRAs for every former military building that is being closed as part of DoD's BRAC program are instructed to look at the needs of the local homeless population. But LRAs are not limited to transferring the property to homeless service providers.

Representatives of the city's Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which is managing the LRA process for the mayor's office, have said there's a glaring need for shelters in New York City and that's why they haven't budged on their desire to use the Muller Center to house the homeless.

Update: To see the draft plan for the Muller Center, click here.  

In Living Wage Battle, Vacca Remains Unconvinced

Editor's note: A version of this article first appeared in this week's Norwood News, out today.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. at a rally last week in support of the living wage bill. (Courtesy Borough President's Office)

The City Council held a long-awaited hearing on a controversial living wage bill last Thursday, with both sides of the debate testifying about the potential effects of the legislation in a session that lasted over two hours.

The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, sponsored by Bronx Council Members Oliver Koppell and Annabel Palma, would require developers of projects receiving taxpayer subsidies of more than $100,000 to pay workers $10 an hour with benefits, or $11.50 without.

The bill, which sprang from the living wage fight that derailed a plan to develop the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall, has the support of every Bronx Council member, with the exception of James Vacca, who had said he was waiting for a hearing on the issue before taking a side.

“He’s wary of any legislation that might prevent jobs, and I’m not sure he’s convinced,” said Vacca spokesman Bret Nolan Collazzi, in a phone interview after the hearing.

“We’re not planning on signing on at this time,” he said.

The legislation currently has the support of 30 Council Members; 34 are needed to override a mayoral veto.

The assertion that a living wage mandate would kill jobs was put forth in a report released by the city’s Economic Development Corporation last week. The 44-page study concluded that requiring employers to pay a higher wage would ultimately stifle commercial development and job growth.

Bronx News Roundup, Friday, April 22

Happy Earth Day! Go out and do something good for Mother Nature today. Send her a card made out of recycled paper or hug a tree or clean up your dog's poop or here's a bunch of other suggestions.

Weekend Weather: Very cool, in the 50s, on this Earth Day. The nearly-certain arrival of rain is supposed to hold off until the middle of the night and then continue through Saturday. Temperatures will rise into the 60s tomorrow and could hit a cloudy 70 on Sunday.

Story of the Day: The Best Roasted Pork in the Boogie Down
Roasted pork as the Story of the Day? You betcha, as my dad loves to say. We'll get to some gloom and doom in the Hits, but not here. Here we're talking about pork. Luscious, mouth-watering Puerto Rican-style roasted pork at El Nuevo Bohío. BxNN friend David Gonzalez's descriptions in this NY Times "Neighborhood Joint" feature are downright poetic. A snippet: "Veiled by vapor rising from the steam tables, platters emerge like apparitions, handed over to waitresses who balance them on forearms that would frighten a championship arm wrestler." Wow. Gonzalez is on top of his game. After reading this piece, I almost stopped this roundup and immediately headed over to the corner of East Tremont and Mapes avenues. Maybe I'll walk there later in honor of Earth Day. Plus, there's a slide show.

Quick Hits: 
Echoes of Sean Bell in Highbridge early this morning as police opened fire a 20-year-old man, who reportedly would not drop the pellet gun he was holding, striking him 10 times. Amazingly, Mamadou Valve, he's still alive as of this posting.

More on the fatal car crash on Fordham Road, which we reported on yesterday afternoon. The woman who died has been identified as 61-year-old Carmen Ahmed, who was shopping when the livery cab crashed into Cee & Cee Department store.

The NYPD ticket-fixing investigation centered around Bronx police officers received a big boost from two "hapless" rookie cops.(The Post has been all over this story.)

City Hall calls Bronx DA Robert Johnson a "winner" this week for his role in ticket-fixing investigation and endorsement from the Bronx Democrats.

Police are looking for a man who was caught on tape snatching the purse of a 78-year-old woman.

Cops arrested and charged a suspect with murdering a young Bronx mother.

The DOT is attempting to curb speeding on Bruckner Boulevard in Country Club by installing a new "speed board."

Often incendiary Post political columnist Frederic U. Dicker, who grew up in the Bronx, has been "surprisingly gentle" with Gov. Cuomo thus far, the Times report.

And finally, in a wide stretch of an editorial today, the Daily News links the impending loss of the Bazzini nut roasting plant jobs to the political fight to stop the Kingsbridge Armory from turning into a shopping mall and criticizes city politicians -- specifically Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. -- for not being more business-friendly.

Two problems with this editorial. One, the loss of Bronx jobs is never a good thing, but Bazzini CEO Rocco Damato said: "It's nobody's fault." And two, it says the living wage bill supported by 28 Council members is an "insane idea" that has "taxpayers subsidize wages in the private-sector." That's simply not true. The living wage legislation, known as the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, would require developers (not taxpayers) to provide living wage jobs when they receive big subsidies and tax breaks from the city. In that way, taxpayers already subsidize the private sector. But that money goes into the pockets of developers and doesn't translate into better jobs. So, on behalf of Diaz, Jr., I'd like to say, Oh yeah, Daily News, what do you have to say about this:


The Bronx, the Brooooooooooooonx!

Bronx Electeds Demand Equitable Trash Burden

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Council member Annabel Palma, the head of the Bronx Council delegation, joined up with other Council members and environmental justice advocates at City Hall today to rail against Mayor Bloomberg's plan to shelve the building of four new waste transfer stations -- three Manhattan and one Brooklyn.

As it stands now, some 60 percent of the city's waste is taken to transfer stations in Newton Creek (Brooklyn) and Hunts Point in the South Bronx. The new stations would have eased this saturation, which residents say leads to foul odors and heavy truck pollution.

"If approved, this proposal [to not fund the new transfer stations] almost exclusively concentrates the burden of handling NYC’s solid waste in a handful of low-income communities of color in Brooklyn and the Bronx – yet again," it said in a press release sent out by the New York Environmental Justice Alliance.

The release also warned that the city was considering creating "waste to energy" facilities, which would use incinerators and "whose siting may be restricted to environmentally overburdened communities of color" -- like Hunts Point.

Bronx News Roundup, Friday, March 25

Weather: Sunny, but still, sadly, cold. That goes for the whole weekend.

Story of the Day: The Holy Grail -- A High-Class Bronx Hotel
During his February state of the borough speech at Clinton High School, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. dared mention the Holy Grail of Bronx BPs -- the creation of a high-class hotel in our fair borough. Adolfo Carrion and Freddy Ferrer both tried to prioritize a new hotel to no avail. But Diaz believes he's recognized a simple solution this time: use one of the failing new Yankee Stadium parking garages that are "going belly up," Diaz says in an article in the Daily News. Bronx Parking Development, which operates the garages, owes the city $10.6 million in back rent and a $6.9 million bond payment is due April 1. The garages are only being filled to 63 percent capacity on game days -- perhaps it has something to do with the $35 fee -- and their future doesn't appear bright. Bronx Parking negotiated a year reprieve with bondholders to make something happen. Either build on top of one of the garages, Diaz says, or just knock one down entirely and build a hotel in its stead. Some local residents said they'd like to see something for the community replace the garages, but Diaz says building a park won't pay off Bronx Parking's bonds. Plus: it's the Holy Grail!

Quick Hits:
City Limits breaks down the Census data released yesterday. A couple of Bronx tidbits that we didn't mention in yesterday's Census post (which includes an interactive map): Staten Island (+5.6%)) was the only borough that grew more than the Boogie Down ([Corrected] +3.9%, which still makes it the state's second fastest-growing county). However, the Bronx's white population dropped by 22%. Bloomberg says the city was "shortchanged" by some 225,000 people.

Lawyers for the four men convicted of planning to bomb two Riverdale synagogues have asked a judge to overturn the convictions.

Today is the 21st anniversary of the Happy Land fire, which killed 87 people in the Bronx, the largest mass killing in the city before 9/11.

The son of Bronx salsa legend Willie Colon was busted on pornography charges, police said.

A dead body was found floating in the Hudson River near Riverdale.

Speaking of Riverdale, the head of Shervier Nursing Care Center stepped down amid a lengthy investigation into the 350-bed institution's finances and other problems.

Bronx Weekend News Roundup, March 14

Cool and partly sunny on this Monday in the Bronx, with a hint of wind just to make you realize it's still not spring yet. Looking ahead, we will probably see rain mid-week and then a dramatic temperature spike on Friday -- the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. And with that, to the news!

Story of the Day: Casino Bus Crash
A tour bus heading back to Chinatown from a casino in Connecticut crashed Saturday morning just as it entered into Bronx territory, killing 14 and injuring another 19. Riders say the bus swerved several times, probably still in Westchester County, before hitting a guardrail, tipping over and skidding into a sign pole that marked an on-ramp to Hutchinson River Parkway. According to the NY Times: "The pole burst through the front window and sheared the bus in half laterally, from front to back, along the passenger window line, the police said."

The bus driver, Orphadell Williams, told investigators he was clipped by a passing tractor-trailer, causing the crash. But the NY Post reports that the truck driver who was interviewed about his involvement said he didn't touch the tour bus and other passengers said Williams was driving erratically. The tour company, World Wide Travel, has been cited five times over the past two years for "fatigued driving" and investigated for two crashes over the past two years. Six critically injured survivors are on life support at the Bronx's Jacobi Medical Center. One of those critical victims has yet to be identified.

Quick Hits: 
The 13th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade was celebrated in Throgs Neck yesterday. 

Erica Diaz, the lesbian granddaughter of staunch gay-marriage opponent State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., is looking to re-enlist in the military after being ousted for outing herself to superiors three years ago. Erica says she gets along with Diaz Sr. despite their difference of opinion on gay issues. 

Speaking of Diaz Sr., the pol says he'll happily take all the contributions indicted amigo, Carl Kruger, spread around to fellow Democrats. Many are saying they will give Kruger's money to charity.

Most former workers at Stella D'oro, the cookie factory that left its Kingsbridge home in 2009 rather than deal with its striking workforce, still don't have a job. Meanwhile, HBO is working on a documentary about the lengthy 2009 strike.

More on the life of Bronx comedian Mike DeStefano who died recently of a heart attack. A quote from his 1999 book, "Bada Bing, Bada Buddha": "I am from the Bronx. I am Italian. I am sensitive. If you hurt my feelings I will kill you."

A group of Bronx tenants at eight deteriorating buildings are suing the bank that holds their mortgage for repair work. They are following a successful model established by the Milbank tenants who sued for repairs last year.

The owners of the parking garages at Yankee Stadium are expected to default on a $237-million tax-exempt loan issued by the city's Industrial Development Agency. In his state of the borough speech two weeks ago, Boro Prez Ruben Diaz Jr. suggested one of the garages could be re-invented as the borough's only high-class hotel.

The Bronx Zoo is raising a rare salamander species to help save it from extinction.

Co-op City's "janitor from hell" goes on trial for murder this week.

And finally, set aside a nice chunk of time to read BxNN-hero Tom Robbins' comprehensive piece on Pedro Espada's political and legal troubles and how they are indicative of the ongoing problems in the state legislature.

Bronx News Roundup, March 3

Speed roundup this morning, as we prepare for production of the Mt. Hope Monitor, our bilingual paper that covers Community Board 5. 

Bronx weather today: Sunny. Cold.

Story of the Day:
In an update of a tragic story we were following yesterday, police say Vincent Cordero stabbed his wife, Kety Sanchez, three times in the chest before dousing their University Heights apartment with gasoline and setting the room on fire, killing Sanchez and the couple's baby girl in the process. Cordero died last night after being taken to Westchester Medical Center.

Quick Hits:
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced a big heroin bust that disrupted an operation that stretched from "Valentine Avenue in the Bronx to Gill Alley in Buffalo."

David Johnson, the former aide to Governor David Paterson, pleaded guilty to harassing a Bronx woman. Last year, investigators looked into whether Paterson improperly contacted her following the harassment incidents, but the former governor was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Police are looking for two men they say have robbed seven Bronx bodegas over the past two months.

In his now-Thursday Bronx column, Kappy says Boro Prez Ruben Diaz, Jr. will fight the mayor's proposal to cut all of the borough presidents' operations budgets by 24%, which spokesman John DeSio will eliminate the staffers who provide constituent services. DeSio said some 2,000 people came into the office looking for help last year. Kappy also calls out the Bronx's "Snooki" -- Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera -- for not showing up to the BP's state of the boro speech.


Naomi Defensor, who grew up in Hunts Point, will be part of the new cast of MTV's hit reality show, "The Real World," which is set in Las Vegas and debuts next week.

The Rebel Diaz Arts Collective is still going strong after its founding as a hip hop-themed community center two years ago.

Diaz: We Won't Let Jersey Snookie Bronx for Hunts Point Market (Video)

The funniest and most over-written part of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.'s state of the borough speech came at about the halfway point, when Diaz began talking about bringing business into the Bronx and holding on to those businesses that are already here. He mentioned the Hunts Point market, which does $2.3 billion in sales annually and is flirting with other suitors while it angles for a better deal in the Bronx. Recently, Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sent his lieutenant governor to woo the market's leadership.

Diaz has been criticized in the past for being ineffective in his attempts to keep Bronx businesses, including the Stella D'oro cookie factory in Kingsbridge, from jumping ship. Yesterday, Diaz attempted to temper that criticism by talking tough (and verbose) about keeping the Hunts Point Market in the Boogie Down.

"I don't know if you've heard the rumors, but while certain Machiavellian municipalities across the Hudson River . . ." Diaz began saying before the crowd started cracking up, as a huge photo of "Jersey Shore" drama queen Snookie (a.k.a Nicole Polizzi) appeared on the projector screen behind him. Here's video shot by BxNN contributor Rachel Sander yesterday:

Diaz vs. Snookie from Alex Kratz on Vimeo.

B - to the - R - to the - O - N - X!!! News Roundup, Feb. 25

We're skipping the usual intro today and just giving you the "BX Marks the Spot" hip hop video shown yesterday at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.'s state of the borough speech yesterday. Produced by Bronxnet's Derek Woods and featuring Opera Steve, Silkedeezy and Steve Kane, the video was created in response to what Diaz Jr. perceived as negative stereotyping of the borough by "American Idol." Enjoy. The Bronx, The Broooooooooooonx!



Story of the Day:
Diaz Jr. spoke at length yesterday about his support for the Fair Wage for New Yorkers Act, also known as the "living wage" bill, which was born out of the battle over wages during the Kingsbridge Armory mall negotiations in 2009. The legislation, sponsored by Bronx council members Oliver Koppell and Annabel Palma, would tie city subsidies to wage guarantees. In other words, under this law, if a developer receives city subsidies -- tax breaks, no-interest loans, etc. -- then the companies who move into the devleopment will be required to pay employees who work there, $10 an hour, plus benefits, or $11.50 an hour, without benefits.

City Limits writer Neil deMause sifts through the arguments on both sides of the issue in this hearty piece of in-depth journalism.

A couple of follow-up notes on this: 29 Council members support bill, including everyone in the Bronx delegation aside from Jimmy Vacca. They need five more to create a veto-proof super majority. Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera told me yesterday that they will work hard to get Vacca into the fold, but that the east Bronx representative has a "different constituency" than he and the other Bronx delegates and that the living wage issue isn't as important to them, and consequently, Vacca. "All politics is local," Rivera said. Stay tuned.

Quick Hits:

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.

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 20

Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the organization that matches adult mentors with children and teens, is looking for volunteers in the Bronx. The group received only 27 Bronx mentors last year.

A Bronx woman has been reunited with her daughter, who was kidnapped over two decades ago.

Councilman Oliver Koppell and Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., continue their fight for passage of a Living Wage bill, which stemmed from last year's battle over plans for the Kingbridge Armory. The two pols attended a rally in Harlem last week in support of the legislation, which Mayor Bloomberg and the business community have opposed. 

A 16-year-old boy from the Bronx wowed judges on American Idol this week. Travis Orlando "took viewers on a tour of his rough Bronx neighborhood near the Grand Concourse thoroughfare," according to MTV.com.

Rayvon Guice, 21, of the Bronx, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for shooting two women in last year's chaotic "wilding" in Times Square on Easter Sunday.

A student from Bronx High School of Science is a semifinalist in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search for his genetic research project.

The family of Betty Williams, the murdered Bronx woman whose body was discovered inside a suitcase on the Upper East Side last month, are trying to reunite with her 3-year-old son. The boy was placed in foster care after his mother struggled with addiction problems.

A couple was killed early yesterday morning in a car accident on the Grand Concourse near East 165th Street.

Pedro Espada's memoir, which never materialized, was meant to be in part a political attack against then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, according to the Post. Investigators have been looking into the proposed autobiography to find out if Espada used money from his Soundview Health Clinics to pay for the ghostwriter he'd hired.

Students at Theatre Arts Production Company High School, on Webster Avenue, say it's easy to get straight A's at the school, which is one of the higher performing in the city. The Department of Education is looking into whether or not grades at the school have been fudged. The Times has more here.

New York Democrats, including Sen. Jeff Klein, are laying off staff this year due to budget constraints. The party had racked up millions in debt during their two years in power.

Bronx Borough President to Appear on NY1 Tonight

Ruben Diaz, Jr., the Bronx borough president, will be appearing on NY1’s “Inside City Hall” this evening.

The show airs at 7 p.m. and again at 10 p.m. Topics for discussion include the Muller Army Reserve Center and the Kingsbridge Armory.

Bronx Borough President Makes 'Biggest Political Players' List

Ruben Diaz, Jr. (File photo by Jordan Moss)

In its Best of 2010 list, the New York Observer names Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. as one of the biggest political players in the state.

The paper says:

Number 10: Ruben Diaz, Jr. The Bronx Borough President seems to have taken over the the spotlight from predecessors Adolfo Carrion, Jr. and Freddy Ferrer as the spokesman for the city's fast-rising Hispanic population. After winning the special election to become Bronx borough president, Diaz made his mark by attempting to have the Board of Education re-constituted and taken out of mayoral control. Last year, he took on the Mayor over the living wage issue at Kingsbridge, and in the election he went after Carl Paladino on Cuomo's behalf. He has emerged as the voice of the left, and while he remains coy about his intentions for higher office, it is clear that Diaz has become a major validator for aspiring pols.

Also on the list: Rudy Giuliani, Christine Quinn, Anthony Weiner, Dan Cantor, Kirsten Gillibrand, Al Sharpton, Chuck Schumer, Michael Bloomberg, and Andrew Cuomo, the governor-elect, who earns the top spot. 

Some may find Diaz's inclusion a curious one.  These days, borough presidents have few official powers. Moreover, Diaz doesn't have the same name recognition as most of the others, at least outside the Bronx.

State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. also gets a mention in one of the Observer's "best of" lists. His defeat in September's primary, and the ousting of his colleague, Hiram Monserrate, means the once-powerful "Four Amigos" are no more. The paper calls their demise one of the biggest political stories of the year.