The head of Skanska USA, the multi-national general contractor overseeing the troubled filtration plant project in Van Cortlandt Park took some questions from The New York Times and acknowledged there was a federal investigation into the use of disadvantaged business enterprises as subcontractors in public works projects and vowed it wouldn't happen again. He said: "It had to do with the use of disadvantaged business enterprises as subcontractors. We wound up settling with the Department of Justice for around $19 million. Believe me, we’ll never have that issue ever again!"
Two Bronxites have launched an effort to make the Cross Bronx Expressway less crowded, polluted and dangerous. (We'll put up the video of last night's BronxTalk, where the initiative was announced, as soon as it's available).
Savor the Bronx, the borough's Restaurant Week, which actually goes through Nov. 13, starts today. Check out some of the participating restaurants.
A construction worker in Soundview was killed when the building he was working in collapsed.
NAACP chief Ben Jealous announces his support for living wage legislation in the City Council that resulted from the defeat of the city's mall plan for the Kingsbridge Armory. He will attend a rally for the bill, which the mayor opposed and Council Speaker Christine Quinn is undecided on, at Riverside Church on Nov. 21.
High school students in the Bronx Youth Journalism Initiative interviewed Norwood merchants and residents about what they'd like to see take root in the large Bainbridge Avenue lot leveled by fire two years ago. (Includes video.)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 1
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 20
Story of the Day:
It's been an unachieved goal of many Bronx borough presidents, but maybe the failure of an over-priced Bronx parking garage near Yankee Stadium will finally lead to an elusive, quality Bronx hotel that's not of the pay-by-the-hour variety.
The leaseholder of city-owned property that is currently home to Yankee Stadium's biggest privately-run parking garage is sinking fast as fans have chosen not to spring for the over-priced spots, leaving about 40 percent of them empty on the average game day.
Bronx Parking owes the city $17 million in rent and taxes and is therefore supporting the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation's (BOEDC) solicitation of proposals for building a hotel at the site, which is on East 153rd Street and River Avenue. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. wants the project to include a conference center, a penthouse restaurant and a Latino Baseball Hall of Fame at the hotel as well.
Proposals are due Nov. 15 and would need to be approved by the city and Bronx Parking's bondholders, according to the Daily News.
Quick Hits:
Two robbers at a Bronx River Avenue facility were shot by federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as they sped away from the scene. The investigation is ongoing. (For those of you who are curious, like we were, about the addition of "Explosives" in the agency's name, it was added in 2003 when ATF, as it is known, was transferred to the Justice Department from the Treasury Department.)
Something else we didn't know until today -- there's an L.A. punk band called The Bronx that is currently pursuing a mariachi-style side project, called Mariachi El Bronx.
Prosecutors in the Bronx DA's office will be asking a grand jury to indict 17 officers allegedly involved in the ticket-fixing scandal, according to the Daily News.
A Bronx teen with a very cool name -- Basilous Falconer -- will be honored by the nonprofit Just Food for creating a farm next to his high school in Soundview.
Yesterday we linked to the Times story on the exodus of a number of Social Studies at Bronx Science, the latest sign of disgruntlement at the famous Bedford Park institution, which has produced a number of Nobel laureates. Today we highlight this Gotham Gazette article that traces the discontent back to the days of Harold Levy, another chancellor who needed a waiver from the state Department of Education.
Check out Dan Beekman's nice profile of Louise "Big Momma" Mitchell, who lives in Mount Hope and may be the oldest Bronx resident.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Bronx Weekend News Roundup, Monday, March 21
Weather: straight ugly. Sn-rain is thankfully supposed to stop by the afternoon.
To the news!
Story of the Day: Bronxite The Real Baby Biggie
The afro-puffed baby posing in his diaper on the cover of slain rapper Notorious B.I.G.'s seminal "Ready to Die" album is a Bronxite. Keithroy Yearwood, 18, now a high school senior, says he was chosen for the shoot after a casting call by a modeling agency hired by Sean "P-Diddy or Puff Daddy or just plain Diddy" Combs' recording label, Bad Boy Records. Combs' office couldn't confirm this, but Yearwood's baby pictures appear to cement his claim. The album has sold more than 3.3 million copies, but Yearwood says he only received about $150 for two hours of modeling work. Sadly, he's since trimmed the 'fro. Here's video from the Daily News:
Quick Hits:
Lots of blood in the hits this morning. Just a warning.
The decomposing body of 400-pound man was found stuffed into a duffel bag by police in the man's apartment at the Justic Sonia Sotomayor Houses in Soundview. The unidentified man was found in a kitchen closet in his blood-stained, ransacked kitchen.
In Morris Park last night, police shot and killed a man who was apparently wielding a knife while fighting with a roommate.
Thomas Riley, a 23-year-old father, was killed in a hit-and-run incident Sunday morning near Fordham University. He was reportedly hit by a drunk driver in a mini-van.
The kids of murdered Bronx mom Tina Adovasio are struggling with her death.
Police say a Bronx man was killed in Mt. Vernon on Saturday morning.
Preliminary hearings began for two police officers facing assault charges for allegedly beating a man on White Plains Road while off duty.
In other, less bloody, news:
The Times' "Habitat" feature takes a look at a Mott Haven Queen Anne-style row house where Carol Zakaluk's family has lived for generations.
One suspect was arrested, but the armed bodega robbery spree in the Bronx continues.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Bronx Snow Photos: The Scene from Soundview
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 16
Patients at Espada's Soundview Health Clinics told the Post that they wouldn't mind seeing the network's CEO behind bars. "He belongs in jail," said 70-year-old Rosalind Rahamon. Espada and his son pleaded not guilty yesterday at a federal court in Brooklyn; we'll have more on that in a bit.
A spokeswoman from the Health Department told WNYC that the agency supports Espada's removal from his CEO position at Soundview.
Outgoing Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who first brought civil charges against Espada this spring, said of the senator's indictment: "I couldn't leave on a better note."
Mets player Carlos Beltran handed out food to Bronx residents with anti-hunger group City Harvest.
The body of a 38-year-old Bronx man was discovered in a wooded area of Clifton, N.J. yesterday.
Bronx resident George Castro, 48, is accused of stealing $5.7 million from Columbia University. He allegedly diverted funds from the prestigious school's accounts after accessing private financial information, and had more than $200,000 in cash on him when he was arrested by police last month.
Loyal customers at a Carvel store in Wakefield won't let this week's freezing temperatures stop them from enjoying an ice cream cone.
The Mayor says legislators taking advantage of a loophole that lets them collect pension checks while still in office are pulling the "ultimate scam." Bronx Assemblyman Jose Rivera is among the accused.
Four Loko, the controversial booze-and-caffeine beverage that's supposedly been banned from stores, is still available for purchase online, according to Sen. Jeff Klein's office.
Incoming Schools Chancellor Cathie Black, responding to critics that she's out of touch with inner-city students: "I've been to the South Bronx, and that's about as realistic as you can get." Witty commentary at the source.
Today's issue of amNY profiles Concourse Village, and the neighborhood art scene there.
A Bronx-based nonprofit health group is looking update the borough's medical care. Bronx Regional Health Information Organization is partnering with the borough's hospitals to create electronic patients' records--a staple of President Obama's reform plan.
Plans to officially form a Business Improvement District for Westchester Square are coming together.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Bronx Weekend News Roundup, Dec. 6
Just saw a snow flurry outside of our window here across from Williamsbridge Oval Park. It appears the Bronx is unlikely to get more than that today.
Tragedy struck this weekend on Saturday afternoon when Londell Byrd, 18, a Mt. St. Michael Academy student who was planning on attending Pace University next year, was shot and killed in Soundview. Police and family say they identified a suspect in the case, 18-year-old Jimmy Delgado, who they say got into a fight with Byrd on Friday. Delgado allegedly came up to Byrd offering peace before opening fire and shooting Byrd in the torso.
In other Bronx-related crime news, police say a man who might be responsible for the so-called "ice-pick muggings" in Co-op City and Manhattan may be in custody in New Jersey.
One of the five suspects charged in the Morris Heights anti-gay hate crime attacks pleaded not guilty on Friday, saying he was home after work when the attacks took place.
Residents were forced to evacuate a Highbridge-area apartment building after the fire department discovered it only had one working exit.
Bronxite Mariangela Patrone, whose family owns a gift shop on Arthur Avenue, won a Rockefeller Center gift-wrapping contest, earning a $10,000 prize. The Daily News has video of Patrone in creative action:
A Bronx teacher searches for a place to buy.
Photos of world-renowned guitarist Jose Feliciano's performance at the Bronx's Lehman Center on Saturday.
Former Fordham University quarterback John Skelton, a rookie with the Arizona Cardinals, threw his first passes in the National Football League yesterday. Skelton, the first Fordham player drafted into the NFL since 1968, looked decent in his debut and may become floundering Cardinals new starter.
In other Bronx-related sports news, Syracuse will play Kansas St. in the inaugural Pinstripes Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 30.
A wake service was held for Juan Marte, 46, who died in a fire that engulfed a Mt. Eden apartment building on Nov. 27.
A Bronx woman was sentenced to three years for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold and other valuables in Virginia.
Ed. note: Start a discussion about any of these stories, or anything else you want to talk about in our reader's forum. Highlight problems in your neighborhood with our SeeClickFix feature. And find out what's happening in our constantly-updated events calendar.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Bronx Weekend News Roundup, Nov. 29
Police are searching for a small group of teens who were "just screwing around" prior to a massive fire in the Bronx's Mt. Eden neighborhood on Saturday night. The fire, at 131 E. 169th St., killed at least one man and left 31 people homeless. The Red Cross set up a temporary shelter for the displaced residents nearby at PS 64.
A handful of churches and at least one Catholic school in the north Bronx have been burglarized in recent weeks. One Bronxite told NY1: "I know times are hard, but a church? Some things have to be sacred."
On one day in January, a debt-collection company sued 110 people in Bronx County Civil Court for not paying their bills on time. It's part of a nationwide surge in lawsuits filed by debt collectors who are buying up souring loans on the cheap.
A Bronx firefighter was found dead at the Engine 72 firehouse in Throgs Neck.
One student's report card mix-up illustrates a grading system problem at Eximius College Preparatory Academy in Morrisania. The student received a report card from the academy even though he longer attended classes there.
An off-duty cop was charged with drunk driving after police found him parked on a Bronx street, asleep in his car with the keys in the ignition and radio and lights on.
A Bronx woman was charged in a deadly hit-and-run on Friday in Manhattan.
A Crain's NY columnist says the Bronx is losing out on development opportunities because of efforts to impose living wage jobs guarantees.
One Bronx precinct, the 43rd, which includes Parkchester and Soundview, has logged almost half of the city's missing children cases.
A woman was hit by a stray bullet in Soundview on Thanksgiving day.
The governor has called a special session in Albany, but some lawmakers, like lame duck Bronx State Senator Pedro Espada, may not show up for work.
Albania's Independence Day was celebrated yesterday in the Bronx's Belmont section.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, May 28
Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone! Enjoy the extra day off. Here are today's Bronx headlines:
A Jamaican drug lord, Christopher Coke, operated a drug ring out of Eastchester and parts of Queens for years, according to police. Law enforcement officials in Kingston, Jamaica have been pursuing Coke for the past four days, in violent assaults that left 74 people dead so far. Coke has still not been found.
A new book chronicles the pandemic of fires that ravaged the South Bronx during the 1970s.
An effort to keep state parks open this summer could lead to major cuts for institutions like the Bronx Zoo and Botanical Garden. The plan would take money from the state's Environmental Protection Fund, which pays for the zoo and gardens, to cover the cost of keeping the parks open.
Sam Suzuki, the Soundview landlord who was issued an arrest warrant by a housing court judge this month for ignoring court orders to fix his crumbling properties, has turned himself in to authorities.
Neighborhoods in the Bronx and Manhattan have the highest concentration of airborne nickel particles during the winter, according to a new air quality study from the Department of Health. Nickel, usually from oil burners, can irritate the lungs and worsen asthma and emphysema symptoms.
A video of Rocking the Boat founder Adam Green discussing the program, a boat-building project for students in the South Bronx. Here's a video interview with some of the program's participants that we took a few months back.
The city has settled to pay $700,000 to a mentally disturbed Soundview man who was shot by police officers during an altercation in 2005.
A pre-trial hearing is happening today for the two men accused of bomb plots at two Riverdale synagogues.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, April 13
An elderly Bronx male of 801 Co-Op Boulevard is missing. Police are seeking the public's help in finding him.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Bronx News Roundup, March 22
Here's some Bronx news for you on this rainy Monday:
Making history yet again, President Obama's health care reform bill gets passed with a 219-212 vote. Here's the NY Times breakdown of the bill.
Yesterday, a 23 year-old Bronx man was arrested and charged with murdering his girlfriend's 22 month-old daughter in a Soundview apartment. According to a spokeswoman for the city's medical examiner, the baby suffered blunt impact wounds and cuts of the liver and other organs.
A Bronx father of two, Orlando Salgado, was stabbed to death Friday night near E. 197th Street and Webster Avenue after trying to defend a teenager who was involved in a dispute earlier that day. The teenager was able to get away unharmed.
Montefiore Medical Center has opened the only pancreas transplant program in the Bronx and Westchester. It will treat people with severe, end stage diabetes.
Anti-abortion protesters stake out at Mott- Haven abortion clinic in national 40 Days for Life Campaign.
A Malian Cultural Center opens here in the Norwood section of the Bronx. It is the first of its kind in the United States. It is dedicated to the people from West Africa's Republic of Mali.
On Friday night, police shot a 30 year-old man armed with knives, who was threatening to kill somebody inside an apartment in a Mott Haven building. Officers demanded he dropped the weapons, he ignored the demands while approaching the officers. He was shot twice.
A Bronx man was shot to death after asking a neighbor to quiet down so his children could get some sleep, Sunday night. He was shot in the chest by the neighbor, who fled the scene but returned to turn himself in.
The MTA revises its plans to cut transit services.
