News Round-up December 11

The New York Times has more details about the fatal police shooting of Alex Figueroa in North Fordham Tuesday night. According to the Times, the officer has been identified as Michael Falcione of the 52nd Precinct. The Times reports that police are saying that Figueroa refused orders to drop a baseball bat. But some witnesses, including Figueroa's wife, told the Times police fired very quickly after ordering Figueroa to freeze. Meanwhile, police are saying that the resident who initially called 911 during a dispute in Figueroa's building lied and said somebody had a gun in an effort to get police to respond more quickly, the Daily News reports.

More than 17,000 Bronx students are suffering from a lack of school library access, today's Daily News reports.

What does the Yankees' new stadium have to do with the team's ability to sign highly-coveted free agents like pitcher C.C. Sabathia? The New York Times sheds some light on that here.

Debate continues about whether Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión did -- or did not - - tell a Yale University crowd he had accepted a position in the Obama administration. And speculation continues about whether he will -- or will not -- be offered a position. Meanwhile, Carrión told the New York Observer last night that he is still a candidate for city comptroller in 2009.

Art Classes at the Bronx River Arts Center

Registration for art classes at the Bronx River Art Center, located near West Farms Square off of East Tremont Avenue at 2000 Bronx Street) will be open from December 13 to 20 for free youth art classes and fee-based art classes for adults. Classes for youth (ages 9 to 21) include ceramics, drawing, photography, advanced painting, mural painting, computer graphics and printmaking, comic book illustration, and digital media. Classes take place on weekday evenings at varied times depending on the class. Additionally, young adults can register for Saturday museum field trips to cultural institutions across New York City.

Adults can register for a Winter Blues Buster class that will run for 6 weeks from Mid January through March, with a minimum of 8 students. The adult class will cost $75. For additional information, contact Education Coordinator Kimberly Beazer at (718) 589-5819 x15 or email kbeazer@bronxriverart.org.

News Roundup December 10

The New York Times' Web site currently features a video of interviews with South Bronx residents regarding the recent $700 billion bail-out passed by Congress.

The Daily News reports that Newark Mayor Cory Booker is hoping to convince vendors of the Hunts Point Market to move the market across the Hudson.

The News also reports that the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition is planning to turn out at tonight's District 10 Community Education Council hearing to demand more seats be included in the 2010-2014 DOE capital plan. That meeting takes place tomorrow night, Dec. 11, at 6:15pm , at Middle School 118, which is at 577 E. 179th St., near Third Ave. [Corrected from earlier post that said the meeting/rally was tonight. This Daily News story, which was posted to the Web Tuesday night, wrongly says the rally is "tomorrow."]

NY1 reports on the city's "Cribs for Kids" program, which provides free cribs to families in the South Bronx (along with Harlem and Brooklyn). As the article notes, the importance of babies having a crib to sleep in relates not just to comfort but to safety: if a baby has to sleep in the same bed as other children or adults, there is the risk of the baby accidentally being rolled over.
The city is asking for donations for its "Cribs for Kids"program.

Police gun down man in N. Fordham

The NYPD has once again killed a man that even police are not claiming possessed a gun.

NY 1 reports that an officer fatally shot 40-year-old Alex Figueroa around 11:45 pm Tuesday night at 196th Street and Bainbridge Avenue. The NYPD is claiming that Figueroa was wielding a baseball bat and refused to drop it.

Figueroa's wife denies this claim. "No baseball bat," Sandra Rodriguez told NY1. "That's a lie."

The New York Times and Daily News have also reported on this story. The News has some particularly powerful quotes from Rodriguez. Two that stand out:

*"I was standing right next to him when they shot him dead. He had his arms at his side. He was doing nothing."

AND

"My husband was a church-going man. We moved to this country two years ago to pursue the American dream and look what happened to us - look what we get."

Here's my question: For the sake of argument, let's even say that Figueroa did have a baseball bat. How does that justify killing him?

Clearly there are conflicting accounts and details are still emerging, but I think Figueroa's neighbor raises important points when he tells NY 1, "No matter what they could have used bodily force to get him, to grab the bat, grab at him... I think that more men to physically hold instead of having to use their gun so quickly, I think that would have been more appropriate."

Rally Calls for End to Vacancy Decontrol

More than 500 NYC residents gathered together on Tuesday, December 9th at the New York Society for Ethical Culture to demand an end to vacancy decontrol, a practice by which landlords can take a vacant apartment out of rent regulation when the rent reaches $2,000. This rent control deregulation offers landlords incentives to raise rents to reach this threshold by whatever means necessary, including unsubstantiated improvements to common areas (major capital improvements), apartment renovations, and tenant harassment. Coalition members believe that they can get this law passed in Albany with a democratic-controlled state Senate, although that reality has been thrown into doubt by the unravelling of Malcolm Smith's deal with the Three Amigos.

A high school band kept energy levels high with pep songs at the start of the rally, and tenants led the room in chants like “La renta sube, sube/el pueblo sufre sufre” (The rent gets higher, higher/the people suffer suffer). Organized by Housing Here and Now, a coalition of non profit affordable housing providers, tenant groups, and community organizers, the rally called for the New York State Assembly and Senate to pass legislation to end this loophole.

The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) was one of eight organizations that planned the spirited gathering, along with ACORN, Community Voices Heard, Make the Road NY, NYS Tenants & Neighbors Coalition, New York Immigration Coalition, NYC AIDS Housing Network, and the Working Families Party. Tenants involved with each of these organizations shared personal stories and reflections on the impact of vacancy decontrol on their struggle to maintain apartments in neighborhoods throughout New York City.

New York State Senators and Assembly members (or their representatives) in attendance signed a statement pledging to address repeal of vacancy decontrol with their chamber’s Speaker, Housing Chair, and the Governor by January 10, 2009. State senators in attendance were José M. Serrano, who represents parts of the South Bronx and East Harlem, Tom Duane, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and representatives from Senators Liz Krueger, Diane Savino, Joseph Addabbo, and Daniel Squadron. There were also representatives from Assembly members Karim Camara, Hakeem Jeffires, Linda Rosenthal, and Deborah Glick.

Sitting in one of several NWBCCC sections underneath the balcony, it was difficult to assess the full size of the audience in the 812 seat venue but the main level was filled to capacity. We received a visit from Senator Jose Serrano who came to see his “Bronx people,” thanking us for coming and encouraging the work of New Settlement Apartment’s CASA Housing Organizing Initiative. Folks can get involved in future efforts to end vacancy decontrol by visiting the Housing Here and Now website or their blog.

Deal Off

This statement just came in from Senator Malcolm Smith, whose path to the leadership of the state Senate now looks elusive at best. The senators he's referring to are, of course, Pedro Espada, Ruben Diaz, and Carl Kruger. The civil rights he is referring to are gay rights and specifically gay marriage, something vigorously opposed by Diaz.

"Today I am announcing that the Democratic Members of the Senate have elected to cease negotiations on reorganization matters with all three Senators as discussed both in private and in the press. We are suspending negotiations, effective immediately, because to do so otherwise would reduce our moral standing and the long-term Senate Democratic commitment to reform and to change. We believe that ultimately, we must do what is right for the people of the State of New York. Furthermore, real reform cannot and should not ever include limiting the civil rights of any New Yorkers. Those issues must be part of the legislative process.

The members of this Conference have come a long way to consider the demands placed on the table. But frankly, we would rather wait two more years to take charge of the Senate than to simply serve the interests of the few. New York State cannot afford the type of self-serving politics being proposed and I will not be the leader to sacrifice what is right for New York for a quick political solution."

Adolfo Watch (cont'd): The Revenge of Community Board 4

Former Community Board 4 member Lukas Herbert and other Bronxites are waging a letter-writing campaign to the Obama transition team and Gov. Paterson opposing the possible appointment of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion to be HUD secretary or U.S. senator.

Herbert and the other members of Board 4, who bucked Carrion and voted against the city's and Yankees' plan for a new stadium, were dismissed by the B.P.

Patrick Arden from Metro NY has the story here.

We're trying to get a comment on all this from Carrion's office but nothing yet.

Espada Deal Unraveling

The New York Observer's political blog has this rundown of how the hyper-fragile political deal that would've sent newly elected state Senator Pedro Espada hurtling to the top of the Senate's leadership ranks is coming undone.

Daily News has more here and here.

Adolfo Watch

An update to yesterday's news roundup: Washington Post columnist Al Kamen chimed in today on reports that Bronx BP Adolfo Carrion, speaking off the record (or so he thought), told a group of Yale students that the Obama Administration had offered him a cabinet position.

Further, Kamen notes that yesterday's discovery of the website AdolfoCarrion.com by some blogs only contributed to the recent problems for the BP. The site, which includes a Carrion Political Cartoon Archive and attacks his economic and housing development record, is owned by Andy Wolf, publisher of the Bronx Press Review and Riverdale Review, according to the New York Observer. The site credits the mayor's office for all of the urban development projects undertaken in the Bronx since Carrion became BP in 2001. [Incidentally, we plugged in all the other borough presidents' names -- martymarkowitz.com, scottstringer.com, etc. -- and those URLs all seem to still be up for grabs. Maybe Carrion's Web problem will prod the others to plunk down the lousy 50 bucks and save themselves a whole lot of tsuris (Yiddish for trouble)].

Equally displeased at the idea of Carrion in a position of power within the Obama Administration, Tom Robbins posted his Five Reasons Why Bronx Beep Adolfo Carrion Will Be a Great HUD Secretary yesterday to the Village Voice's blog Runnin' Scared.

--Peter Mullin and Jordan Moss contributed to this post.

Bronx Roundup for Dec. 9

Offering some perspective from Albany, an editorial entitled The Espada Problem, published today in the Times Union, previews what the NY State Senate might look like with Pedro Espada Jr. in charge. First on the list? Don't expect any progress on campaign finance reform from the Senate's #2 Democrat, the article editorializes.

Bill Hammond of the Daily News offers President pro tempore-elect (are we really going to call him President Pro-Tem) of the state Senate Malcolm Smith some "constructive criticism" for dealing with the so-called "three amigos."

The AP is reporting that the Yankees will ask the city for $259 million more in tax-exempt bonds and another $111 million in taxable bonds to help cover the ever-increasing cost of their new $1.3 billion stadium. In addition, the projected costs of Macombs Dam Park and the ball fields now covered by the new Yankee Stadium on 161st Street have swelled 50 percent from the 2006 estimate, the Times reports.

The number of Sidekick thefts in The Bronx is on the rise. Since March undercover officers have battled theft of the text-friendly mobile phone, reports the Columbia Journalist.

A Bronx man faces cocaine charges in Yorktown.

Williamsbridge Oval Track & Field Open for Business

After a lengthy renovation, the Williamsbridge Oval Track and Field is now open. Brothers Leo and Eric Lima, Norwood residents who play for their All Hallows High School soccer team wasted no time trying out the new field (above). The newness of the colors (green, red and yellow) cut a striking image against the surrounding landscape of nature and shadows.

(Photos by Jordan Moss)

Malcolm's Maneuvers

State Senator Jeff Klein will retain his position near the top of the l
eadership pecking order, even if Pedro Espada becomes majority leader.

Liz Benjamin over at the Daily News politics blog has the latest (here and here) on the state Senate leadership transition/crisis/controversy/debacle (hard to pick just one word).

We reported here last week that, following a breathtaking game of political chicken, our very own State Senator-elect Pedro Espada emerged victorious and leapfrogged to the top tier of party leadership.

Over the weekend, though, tempers reportedly flared at a meeting of senators with their expecedt new leader, Malcolm Smith. They didn't like how things went down and there was talk that the fragile deal holding together the Democrats' new Senate majority would not hold.
Here's how the Times put it ...

... many [Senate Democrats] appear uncomfortable giving away so much power. According to several of those present, Mr. Smith insisted, as he had publicly, that the only firm element of the deal with the dissidents was to back him as Senate president.

But Mr. Espada, Mr. Kruger and the third member of their bloc, Senator Rubén Díaz Sr. of the Bronx, have said publicly that Mr. Smith has already agreed, among other concessions, to make Mr. Espada the majority leader and Mr. Kruger the Senate finance chairman.

Smith held two press conferences today in Albany -- he apparently walked out of the first one without answering questions about the leadership struggle and then returned but still didn't answer any questions about the controversy.

But one piece of real news to come out of the second session with reporters is that State Senator Jeffrey Klein, who was second-in-command to Smith while he was minority leader will not be demoted with Espada's tenative elevation to majority leader (a title that the leader of the body traditionally holds. Now the leader will be president pro tempore). Under the plan, Klein will still be Smith's deputy and take on the title of vice president pro tempore (Smith is president pro tempore).

So Espada will have a powerful title -- majority leader -- but it is still rather unclear what exactly his responsibilities will be.