Famed Bronx Bakery Shut Down. 13-year-old Brings Gun to Tremont School.

A couple of troubling west Bronx news stories happened yesterday.

State labor officials are trying to shut down Arthur Avenue Bakery, a famed establishment in the Bronx's Little Italy, for grossly unfair labor practices.

Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith said she couldn't remember ever having to shut down a place for labor: “The employer was so abusive that we actually made the determination that it would be better for workers to lose their jobs than to continue working there.”

Smith said many of the bakery's 15 employees worked 12-hour shifts for $50, or about $4.15 an hour. Some employees were forced to work their first week without pay and some went 5-10 weeks without receiving a check, Smith said.

Smith thought the bakery had been closed, but on Tuesday a manager there said they were still operating.

Police arrested a 13-year-old student at IS 318 in the Tremont/Mt. Hope area yesterday after it was discovered that he was carrying around an unloaded semi-automatic pistol.

Heading Off the Next Round of Double-Digit Water Rate Increases

Summit in the Bronx brings together nonprofit, public and private sectors to discuss overhauling the way the City pays for water

In anticipation of the next double-digit water rate hike expected to be announced Friday morning, advocates, researches and City watchdog agencies will come together this Thursday to discuss ways to overhaul the way we pay for water in New York City. Currently, water rates cover much more than the cost of water in and sewage out of their homes—they also cover all of the ballooning capital costs at the filtration plant being built in the Bronx and the UV treatment facility upstate, not to mention a hefty rental payment that will subsidize City coffers by more than $8 billion between now and 2036, according to an estimate by the NYC Comptroller’s Office last fall.

Despite improved collections and enforcement practices taken on by DEP in the past year, including lien sales and shut-offs, double-digit rate increases are expected each year for the foreseeable future. The problem is much bigger than the so-called deadbeats who aren’t paying their bills. DEP’s capital construction plan is the second largest in the City after the Department of Education. But unlike DOE, there is no outside funding to subsidize the cost of the water projects – most federal support has dried up, even as mandates have increased.

These huge increases in the cost of water disproportionately affect lower-income neighborhoods, and our City’s affordable housing stock, much of which was renovated with City funds starting during the Koch administration. Ironically, Mayor Koch’s enormous (and successful) 10 year housing plan announced in 1986 was in large part possible because it coincided with shifting the capital costs of the water system onto rate payers, freeing up money to rebuild the City’s devastated neighborhoods. Nearly 25 years later, rising water and sewer costs threaten the same housing preserved by Koch’s plan.

On hand to discuss the impacts of the water system on affordable housing and conservation efforts at the Water Rate Reform Summit at Fordham University on April 10 will be Marcia Van Wagner, Deputy Comptroller for the NYC Comptroller’s Office, Preston Niblack, Deputy Director of the City’s Independent Budget Office, Harold Schulz, Senior Fellow at the Citizens Housing and Planning Council, Dart Westphal, Executive Director of the Mosholu Preservation Corporation, and John McCarthy, Executive V.P. and Chief Operating Officer of the Community Preservation Corporation. Bronx nonprofit University Neighborhood Housing Program will convene the summit as part of their work on the impact of water rates on affordable housing over the past twenty years.

The report, entitled "Water and Sewer Rate Reform Summit: Can NYC achieve affordable water rates, promote conservation, and control capital costs?" is posted on UNHP's website.

Contact Information: Jim Buckley jim@unhp.org or Gregory Lobo Jost gjost@unhp.org, 718-933-3101

Gonzalez Trial Date Set for Oct. 6

One more quick update. We learned earlier today that State Senator Efrain Gonzalez's trial date for fraud and corruption charges is being pushed back to October 6. That's more than two years after he was first indicted and will also take place after the Democratic primary. More on this later, but it should be an interesting summer of seeing who might take a chance (Pedro Espada?) and challenge the embattled senator.

Dinowitz Praises Death of Congestion Pricing

Well, it appears the mayor's Congestion Pricing plan ran into a brick wall known as the New York State Assembly, despite all the love from Bronx council members. Here's more on Assembly Majority Leader Sheldon Silver's announcement that “The congestion pricing bill did not have anywhere near a majority of the Democratic conference, and will not be on the floor of the Assembly.”

Democratic Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who represents the northwest Bronx, was quick to issue a release praising the Assembly's rejection of the plan as a “huge victory for the people of the Bronx and all of New York.”

Dinowitz listed an army of reasons why he didn't support the project, saying, “Aside from disagreeing with the basic concept of congestion pricing, there were many specific aspects of the plan that were unacceptable. It was unfair and outrageous to charge people from the city the $8 but let residents of New Jersey off the hook."

Update on Yesterday's Fire in Highbridge

Twenty-three residents and five firefighters were injured Wednesday morning in a fire at 1030 Woodycrest Ave in Highbridge. The builiding is next door to the house where 10 Malian immigrants lost their lives to a fire in March of 2007.

There were no fatalities in Wednesday's blaze. The one-alarm fire burned for 52 minutes and destroyed the first-floor apartment of Celestino Narvaez, and also spread to higher floors. Most or all of the glass was knocked out of hallway windows on all six floors of the building; the windows remained in this condition as of Thursday afternoon.

The home of third-floor resident Esther Gonzalez-Alers--who is asthmatic and suffers from a heart condition--still smelled of smoke. Gonzalez-Alers, 57, shivered as she spoke to this reporter, because the glass of her apartment had not yet been replaced.

Narvaez, who lost all his possessions, said the electricity in his apartment was out when he woke up at 5am Wednesday to take a shower, forcing him to light a small candle. At some point, Narvaez fell asleep, and the sound of his dog barking frantically jolted him awake and alerted him to the fire. Narvaez said he was unsure how the flame from the candle had spread . "Who knows?" Narvaez said. "It could have been the wind. It could have been something [else]. I don't know, because I did not see it."

Chris Villaroel, a spokesperson for the city fire department, said Wednesday that 2 of the injured civilians were being treated for serious injuries; the rest of the victims sustained minor injuries. The five injured firefighters were treated for minor injuries at Jacobi hospital. Villaroel said that the 23 civilians were treated at various area hospitals; because of the high number of hospitalizations, he was not sure which facility each resident was being treated at.

Cecilia Webley, a spokesperson for Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, said that her facility had treated and released three children and two adults, none of whom had been in serious condition.

As of late Thursday afternoon, the West Bronx Blog was unable to verify--through in-person conversations with residents of 1030 Woodycrest and calls to several local hospitals--if anyone remained hospitalized from the fire.

For third-floor resident Carmen Saez, yesterday morning's events brought back horrible memories of the infamous fire that claimed the lives of nine children and one adult from the Soumare and Magassa families a little more than one year ago."All I knew was they was screaming, 'Smoke!'" Saez said. "Flashbacks started coming back." Saez said that she attempted to escape through her front door, but was greeted with black smoke so thick she was unable to see. She then locked herself in her bedroom before firefighters broke down her door.

The West Bronx Blog will continue to provide updates on this story as we get more information.

Baez and Bronx not showing up for work

Real quickly, here's some disconcerting numbers put together by the NY Times about council members' attendance records following Helen Foster's conspicuous absence during the congestion pricing vote. Here's a quick breakdown. (Numbers are from 2004 on)

-The northwest Bronx's own Maria Baez has the worst attendance record of any city council member. She missed exactly one-third of her meetings, for a 66.6% attendance record.

-Four of the bottom six attendance records come from the Bronx: Baez, Larry Seabrook (67.86), Foster (71.14%), Anabel Palma (72.47%).

-Carmen del Arroyo had the best record (93.9%) of any Bronx CM, Jimmy Vacca came in a close second with 91.94%.

-Borough President hopeful and Democratic Majority Leader Joel Rivera showed up 77.21% of the time, while Oliver Koppell clocked in about 84% of the time.

Please discuss.

More on congestion pricing. Serrano blasts Yankee Stadium parking "loophole" as counter productive

Now, onto some updates. In our congestion pricing story, we noted that Helen Foster was the only Bronx council member not to vote for the plan because she was absent. Well, it turns out she was in Vegas attending a mysterious "family" event. She meant to get back, she said, but her plane was delayed. It also turns out that she was vehemently against congestion pricing and would have been the only Bronx CM to vote against the plan.

Here's a few snippets from Foster's press release: "It is clear that asthma, traffic pollution, congestion, and transportation infrastructure are problems that need to be addressed...While congestion pricing may help with downtown Manhattan congestion, it may well transfer congestion and higher asthma rates to the South Bronx...I am disappointed that the Council passed congestion pricing, but I am still hoping that the Legislature and the Governor will reject the measure."

Furthermore, Foster says: "Experience shows that asthma and truck traffic did not seem to concern the Mayor and other elected officials when they approved the construction of the new Yankee Stadium."

Speaking of Yankee Stadium, State Senator Jose M. Serrano, who shares constituents with Foster, sent out a letter last night to the Mayor and media saying he supported congestion pricing, but worried that a loophole concerning the new Yankee Stadium parking garages might defeat the whole purpose of congestion pricing -- reducing congestion and pollution from cars commuting into the city.

For now, the stadium's parking garages are only open on game days, 81 days a year. But apparently the Yankees may be able to open up the garages year round, possibly turning it into what Serrano called a "park and ride" for commuters and a parking destination for people working in the South Bronx who normally use mass transit.

"Expanding commuter parking defeats the purpose and spirit of congestion pricing, the whole point of which is to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home and to enhance mass transit. "

Serrano said a decision on the new parking lots will be made by the city in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the state legislature is wrangling with the congestion pricing beast as we speak. It will be interesting to see if Serrano makes a stand against congestion pricing if the Yankee Stadium loophole remains open.

New in the Norwood News

Ladies and gentleman, the latest issue of the Norwood News is out on Bronx streets and online now. Here's a quick preview, with links to our stories:

Two murders rocked the 52nd Precinct two weekends ago, tripling the total homicides for the year.

Fordham Road's express bus service gets an upgrade.

Anna Rogovin, the 91-year-old Norwood resident hit by a semi a couple of weeks ago, is alert, talkative and upbeat despite having both of her legs severed in the accident. Don't miss this heart-warming personal essay.

Advocates of Williamsbridge Oval Park came out in force last week, demanding safety improvements at the local hub from city agencies.

The Bronx council delegation (almost) unanimously supports the mayor's Congestion Pricing initiative.

Plus, an op-ed about immigration reform...volunteers clean the blighted Aqueduct Walk...an extended online version of Neighborhood Notes...and our local entertainment guide.

Enjoy and give us your feedback! Join the conversation!

28 People Injured in Highbridge Fire

Twenty-three residents and five firefighters were injured Wednesday morning in a fire at 1030 Woodycrest Ave in Highbridge. The builiding is next door to the house where 10 Malian immigrants lost their lives to a fire in March of 2007.

There were no fatalities in Wednesday's blaze. The one-alarm fire burned for 52 minutes and destroyed the first-floor apartment of Celestino Narvaez, and also spread to higher floorsl; most or all of the glass was knocked out of hallway windows on all six floors of the building; the windows remained in this condition as of Thursday afternoon.

On Thursday afternoon, the home of third-floor resident Esther Gonzalez-Alers--who is asthmatic and suffers from a heart condition--still smelled of smoke. Gonzalez-Alers, 57, shivered as she spoke to this reporter, because the glass of her apartment had not yet been replaced.

Narvaez, who lost all his possessions, said the electricity in his apartment was out when he woke up at 5am Wednesday to take a shower, forcing him to light a small candle. At some point, Narvaez fell asleep, and the sound of his dog barking frantically jolted him awake and alerted him to the fire. Narvaez said he was unsure how the flame from the candle had spread . "Who knows?" Narvaez said. "It could have been the wind. It could have been something [else]. I don't know, because I did not see it."

Chris Villaroel, a spokesperson for the city fire department, said Wednesday that 2 of the injured civilians were being treated for serious injuries; the rest of the victims sustained minor injuries. The five injured firefighters were treated for minor injuries at Jacobi hospital. Villaroel said that the 23 civilians were treated at various area hospitals; because of the high number of hospitalizations, he was not sure which facility each resident was being treated at.

Cecilia Webley, a spokesperson for Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, said that her facility had treated three children and two adults, none of whom had been in serious condition.

As of late Thursday afternoon, the West Bronx Blog was unable to verify--through in-person conversations with residents of 1030 Woodycrest and calls to several local hospitals--if anyone remained hospitalized from the fire.

For third-floor resident Carmen Saez, yesterday morning's events brought back horrible memories of the infamous fire that claimed the lives of nine children and one adult from the Soumare and Magassa families a little more than one year ago.

"All I knew was they was screaming, 'Smoke!'" Saez said. "Flashbacks started coming back."

Saez said that she attempted to escape through her front door, but was greeted with black smoke so thick she was unable to see. She then locked herself in her bedroom before firefighters broke down her door.

The West Bronx Blog will continue to provide updates on this story as we get more information.

Yankee Opening Day Marred By Tragedy

The NYPD says a 45-year-old man shot himself near W. 161st Street and the Major Deegan Expressway Tuesday night.

Police say the suicide occurred after officers surrounded the Con Edison truck the man had stolen and began to move in on the carjacker. The incident occurred in the immediate vicinity of Yankee Stadium shortly after the Yankees completed their first game of the season.

Police say that earlier Tuesday night, the man--whose name police have not yet released-- had shot his girlfriend near E. 150th Street and Courtland Avenue, and then stole the Con Ed truck in order to flee the scene of the crime. But he encountered heavy traffic from fans leaving the Yankee game and was unable to get away.

At this point, there is some uncertainty about whether police fired any shots at the alleged carjacker. Note this WCBS report that says "Contrary to published reports, the NYPD said its officers did not fire a single shot in the incident." It is not clear which published reports WCBS is referring to.

Also, as of earlier Wednesday morning, the text on NY1's Web site mentioned a witness who alleged that police had shot the carjacker. However, this article--the most current on NY1's Web site as of 11:00 am Wednesday, makes no mention of this witness.

We will keep you posted on new developments in this tragedy. The girlfriend of the deceased has non-life-threatening injuries.

Foster Savaged in The Times for "Conspicuous Absence"

In Wednesday's Times, Bronx pol Helen Foster is heavily criticized for failing to attend "perhaps the most important vote of the year for the City Council" - Monday's congestion pricing vote. The other 50 council members showed up.

Foster, who's considering running for borough president, claims she was unable to attend because her flight back from Las Vegas was delayed. Still, it doesn't look good. As reporter Ray Rivera points out, she has one of the worst attendance records in the Council.

Foster tells The Times that, if there, she would have voted against the plan. Her Bronx counterparts, on the other hand, voted unanimously to adopt it, despite the opposition of most Bronx residents. The final vote was 30-20 in favor. See here for a list of who was for and who was against.

Park Alienators Unite!

So, Bronxites aren't the only ones perturbed by the government's taking of public parkland for non-park purposes (see Croton filtration plant and Yankee Stadium).

Me and my family are in Budapest, Hungary for a couple of months and around the block from our flat is a lovely park with a big, beautiful playground that we frequent often with our daughter, Devin. But a chunk of the park is blocked off to construction, home only now to giant cranes.

I'm told this graffiti (see above) on the walls basically means, "You're Making a Desert of Our Park!"

The construction is for a new subway line and, we're told by some locals, that parkland will be restored once the station is built. Sound familiar?

And, the cranes don't seem to be too busy these days, so we wonder how long the locals will be without use of the full park.

Of course the situation is probably quite different to those in the Bronx. After all, you can't build a subway station in an unpopulated area, as NYC could have and should have with the filtration plant.

Still, the parallel's were too rich to pass up.