Students rallied outside an MTA public hearing to protest the elimination of student MetroCards.
A flood of outraged residents and elected officials lined up to voice their concerns to MTA board members last night at a public hearing at the Paradise Theater on the Grand Concourse. The transit agency has proposed drastic service cuts and fare changes to cover it’s nearly $400 million budget shortfall.
Speakers at the hearing conveyed their anger as well as a sense of déjà vu, having made the same pleas to stop service cuts last year, when the MTA faced a similar deficit.
Some of the most troubling changes stemmed from the proposed elimination of student MetroCards—which provide three free rides on school days—as well as reduced Access-a-Ride service for the disabled and elderly and the discontinuation of the Bx18 bus, which runs between Undercliff Avenue and the Grand Concourse.
Borough President Rueben Diaz, Jr. was the first to take the podium, telling MTA chairman Jay Walder and other board members that they were underestimating the role mass transit plays in the lives of Bronx residents, the majority of whom don’t have access to a car.
“I’m glad you’re here, Mr. Chairman, but maybe one day you and I could take a walk around the Bronx,” Diaz said. “People need these buses.”
His testimony was followed by similar speeches from Council Members James Vacca and Oliver Koppell, Assembly members Jeffrey Dinowitz and Vanesssa Gibson, and representatives from the offices of several other Bronx officials.
“You’re picking on the elderly, the disabled and the students,” said Dinowitz, adding that the MTA should look inward first as it looks to make cuts. “I’m sure you’ve got a lot of people in the MTA who make more than the governor.”
A seemingly endless line of residents approached the microphone with stories of transit woes: the high school student who gets up at 5 a.m. to take two buses to get to school on time; the disabled woman who relies on Access-a-Ride to get to her doctor appointments in Brooklyn.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Bronx MTA Hearing Met with Protests
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Seabrook Replaced as Committee Chair
Liz Benjamin reports that Councilwoman Debi Rose of Staten Island has taken over the chairmanship of the Civil Rights Committee from Bronx Councilman Larry Seabrook, who was indicted last month. The position comes with a $10,000 stipend known as a lulu. Rose is the first African American elected official from Staten Island.
Two Bronxites Named to City Charter Revision Commission
Mayor Bloomberg appointed two Bronxites to the new 15-member Charter Revision Commission, which will take a look at the entire City Charter and propose any possible changes.
Tony Cassino, the former chairman of Community Board 8 and a former City Council candidate in District 11, and Father Joseph McShane, the president of Fordham University, were both named to the commission, which Bloomberg says will be charged with "reaching out to every community, analyzing every idea on the merits, and proposing changes that will improve the lives of New Yorkers."
In a statement, Bloomberg said the commission would hold hearings in every borough as part of this outreach effort.
Dick Dadey, the executive director of the nonprofit Citizens Union, liked appointment of CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein as chair of the commission, calling it an "inspired choice."
For months, rumors have circulated saying Bloomberg may be looking to change the responsibilities of the local community boards as well as those of the borough presidents.
Immediately after Bloomberg's announcement Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. acknowledged some of those rumors in a statement:
"I am happy that, after weeks of rumors and reports, Mayor Bloomberg has finally announced the appointment of a charter revision commission. I look forward to working with the commission and its members to ensure that the issues of all Bronxites are addressed through this body. To that end, this commission must hold hearings in the Bronx, in fact in all five boroughs, to guarantee that the voices of my constituents are heard."
Bronx News Roundoup, March 3
Here's some news on this nasty, slushy morning in the Bronx.
The Voice's Tom Robbins, one of the best Bronx dirt digging journalists in New York, explores the frustrating ongoing effort to get a permanent ice skating rink placed somewhere in the Bronx. This winter a temporary rink was set up at the Concourse Plaza hotel near Yankee Stadium. Robbins says the rink should be a great venture funded by the Yankee Community Benefits fund, but the fund has been mismanaged and doesn't seem accessible by anyone but political insiders.
The former head of the SBCC Management Corp., Margarita Villegas, a nonprofit that runs low-income apartment buildings in the South Bronx, pleaded guilty to stealing $50,000 from the organization. Prosecutors accused Villegas of using some of the taxpayer funds received by SBCC for the political and decorating purposes of Bronx Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo and her daughter, Bronx Council member Maria Carmen del Arroyo. Villegas' lawyer insists Villegas did not dish any dirt on the Arroyos.
The Times has more on the domestic violence scandal that originated in the Bronx and is threatening to unseat Gov. Paterson. A state worker who is a friend of Paterson says the governor asked her to reach out to a Bronx woman who was accusing one of his top aides of domestic violence and tell her to drop her case. Paterson denies any wrongdoing or attempt to influence the case.
Police are looking for a missing Scarsdale doctor whose car was found in the Bronx, near the NYPD's Rodmans Neck shooting range.
The founder of a health organization in the South Bronx says black history month was underscored by a slew of bad news for minorities.
This isn't a specifically Bronx story, but the Times has an overview story on the city's economic and job situation and future prospects. Apparently, it's a little more cheery than officials and analysts expected a year ago.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Espada to Paterson: 'Do What Pedro Does'
Great stuff here from our upstate friends at the Albany Times-Union who spoke with a handful of Bronx lawmakers after they had just met with troubled and under-the-microscope Gov. David Paterson. (He's being investigated after it was discovered he contacted the a Bronx woman who had filed domestic violence charges against one of his top aides.)
I'll just lay out a couple of highlights. State Senators Pedro Espada, Jr., Ruben Diaz, Sr., Assemblyman Peter Rivera and Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, who have all been linked to investigations in the past (some are ongoing), all expressed their support for the governor, basically saying he should stay until the budget gets done.
The best quote is from Espada. When asked by reporter Jimmy Vielkind what advice he gave Paterson, Espada said: “Do what Pedro does: report to work, don’t listen to and read everything that’s said about you, stay compartmentalized, stay focused on the job."
Read the whole post here.
New from the Norwood News
Sen. Jeff Klein on Proposed MTA Cuts
This week, the MTA is hosting a series of public hearings on possible service cuts and fare changes to the city's subway and bus lines. In an effort to dent it's nearly $400 million budget shortfall, the agency has proposed cutting student metrocards and making the following changes to Bronx bus lines:
Discontinue Bx14, Bx18, Bx25, X32, BxM4A, BxM7B and the Barretto Park Pool bus service. Discontinue Bx20, Bx33, Bx34, and Bx55 on weekends. Discontinue Bx34 overnight. Reduce operating hours on Bx17, Bx20, Bx32, Bx33 and Bx55. Reroute or discontinue portion of Bx5, Bx8, Bx26, Bx28, Bx30 and Bx41. Extend portion of Bx39.
The Bronx hearing will be held tomorrow night, Wednesday March 3, at the Paradise Theatre at 2043 Grand Concourse at 187th Street at 6 p.m. We'll be covering the meeting, so be sure to check back here for updates.
This morning, State Sen. Jeffrey Klein sent along this letter expressing his concern over the MTA's proposed changes and urging residents to attend tomorrow's meeting:
Dear Editor,
This week, community leaders and residents will attend a very important hearing regarding an ill-advised proposal by the MTA to eliminate the BX14 and BXM7B daily bus services, the BX34 weekend bus service and vital MTA Student Metrocards. I know how vital these services are to thousands of Bronx residents and will do everything I can to prevent these cuts from happening.
High School March Madness: Bronx's Wings Academy Advances to Semi-finals of City Championship
Spoiler alert: with one exception, they all lost.
John F. Kennedy, the northwest Bronx's best prospect and last year's city championship runner-up, was eliminated in a second round game against East New York Transit Tech, who beat the Knights 68-67. J.F.K had a bye the first round. The Post has a rundown of that upset right here.
Evander Childs, The Bronx High School of Science, and Christopher Columbus all met similar fates in their first round match-ups last Tuesday. Evander Childs lost to the #30 seed Prospect Heights, Bronx Science lost against the #32 seed Ft. Hamilton, and Christopher Columbus lost to the #28 seed Far Rockaway.
Dewitt Clinton made it through the first round, beating the 40th seed George Washinton 71-53. The Governors were humbled, however, in their second round match-up against the #8 seed Brooklyn Collegiate, who won 87-46.
The Bronx continues to be represented, however, by the #3 seed Wings Academy.
The Wings, hot off winning the borough championship last month, had a bye the first round and dispatched their first opponent, the #19 seed South Shore, in a second round game 88-75.
On Sunday, the Wings beat Abraham Lincoln High School 78-59. Lincoln has been the reigning city powerhouse; this will be the first time in nine years they do not compete in the finals at Madison Square Garden. The Daily News has more on that game here. Now, the borough champs are to face the #2 seeded Boys and Girls High School in the semifinals tomorrow. If they win that game, the Wings will advance to the finals, playing the winner of a Cardozo (#1)- E. New York Transit (#12) game.
PSAL has the playoff brackets up online, regularly updated. They can be found here.
Bronx News Roundup, March 2
A man has died after falling down an elevator shaft in an apartment building on the Grand Concourse. (UPDATE 12 p.m. - the incident happened at 1749 Grand Concourse, also known at the Lewis Morris. This building, it seems, is rarely out of the news. In 2008, a man was shot dead in the lobby. A year before, one person died and 40 were injured when a fast-moving fire swept along the corridors and up and done the stairs. The building is owned by SG2 Properties, a private equity firm that was taken to court by the Urban Justice Center for failing to make repairs in the apartments. SECOND UPDATE 8 p.m. - SG2 no longer owns the building. Thanks to Marie Toribio, a tenant, for pointing that out. The new landlord is Lemle & Wolff, Inc.)
One of Assemblyman Peter Rivera's aides is calling on Gov. David Paterson to resign. Bronx Democratic Party Chairman Carl Heastie, meanwhile, says the governor should be allowed to serve out his term.
March 7 is Oscar-night, but Cablevision subscribers in the Bronx may have to watch something else, following a contractual dispute between Cablevision and WABC.
A church is the north Bronx is helping undocumented Haitian immigrants apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) so they can stay here legally, rather than return to their earthquake-ravaged homeland.
For the past two decades, a Bronx man who works for the city's Department of Planning has been helping the Census Bureau track down elusive populations.
Nearly 270,000 Bronxites don't have a bank account. A new program, NYC SafeStart, is hoping to change this.
With service cuts imminent, the MTA is hosting a public hearing at the Loew's Paradise Theater tomorrow night.
A talented boxer from the South Bronx will return to the ring next week, after taking time out to have a baby. Nisa Rodriguez is hoping one day to compete in the Olympics.
The Bronx has a new community newspaper. The Bronx Free Press is an off-shoot of the Manhattan Times, a Washington Heights weekly published by David Keisman, who used to run the Bronx Times, and Luis Miranda, who along with Roberto Ramirez (the one-time Bronx Democratic Party boss) heads up the MirRam Group, a political consulting firm.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Costly Clean-up Stalls Harris Field Project
[Note: This story first appeared in the print edition of the Norwood News, which hit streets last week. In the story, Geoffrey Croft of New York City Park Advocates says the Parks Dept. should have known about this contamination before they even bid out the contract for renovations, or at least a year ago, maybe even earlier. Now, it appears there were multiple reports of hazardous material contamination at Harris Park prior to 2004, according to a supplemental environmental impact statement completed for a DEP construction project at Jerome Park Reservoir. Thanks to Karen Argenti, a longtime Bronx activist and watchdog, for pointing this out.]
By Alex Kratz
Sonia Lappin looks out over Harris Field from her Bedford Park apartment building and sees a glorious past – a community space used by generations of local families for everything from ball games to picnics – and an uncertain future.
Lappin, a long-time local resident and activist who lives in Scott Tower just across the street from Harris, is not alone. She and others wonder how long the next generation will have to wait before the fields will be ready and safe for use after lead soil contamination was discovered at Harris in 2009.
The contamination was unearthed by construction workers doing a massive renovation of the heavily-used park sometime in 2009 and the fix is going to cost an additional $5.2 million of taxpayer funds, bringing the total cost of the project to $13.9 million. The original cost estimate for the renovation, which was being paid for by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and carried out by the Parks Department, was $6.6 million.
Unanswered questions surrounding the contamination and renovation efforts have infuriated local residents like Lappin.
“Everyone is really upset about the stalling and the cover-up,” Lappin said.
Since the Norwood News broke news of the contamination and how it was stalling the project back in October, the Parks Department has been cautiously tight-lipped about Harris Field, which lies between Lehman College and the Bronx High School of Science near the Jerome Park Reservoir.
It remains unclear when the contamination was discovered, what levels of contamination were found and when the fields will finally be ready for use.
[In October, the Norwood News filed a Freedom of Information Law request asking for all of this information. The Parks Department responded, saying they would need 60 business days to compile the information. It has now been more than 90 days and the Parks Department still has not responded.]
Bronx News Roundup, March 1
Time to fill you in on some Bronx news:
More details are emerging about the 911 call made by the former girlfriend (a Bronxite) of David Johnson, the now-suspended aide to Gov. Paterson.
A Bronx mother was killed Saturday night by her friend who was too high on drugs to notice what she was doing. Magdalena Cordero was said to be staying with friend Tamisha Spellman at an apartment on Kingsbridge Terrace for some time, but was previously removed by her family due to Spellman's violent behavior.
On a brighter note, NYC overdose deaths have declined, bringing it to the lowest level seen since 1999. Though marijuana is the most used drug, most overdoses occur from cocaine, heroine and pain killers.
The Kingsbridge Heights "Noodle War."
Former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion will be speaking at the upcoming Congressional Cities Conference.
Citing successes in North Carolina, Hofstra education professor Alan Singer argues that New York City should protect its schools, like University Heights High School, that are housed on and have permanent connections to college campuses. (U-Heights H.S. is being relocated from Bronx Community College.)
Robert Moses' nightmare brain child, The Cross Bronx Expressway, is considered the worst bottleneck in the country.
Back with the Yankees, Nick Johnson is trying to get used to the fact that he won't be behind 1st base anymore but is now the Yankees designated hitter (DH).
State of Borough Address Rescheduled for Friday
The Borough President's Office just released a statement saying Ruben Diaz, Jr.'s first "State of the Borough" speech had been rescheduled for Friday, March 5, at 11:30 a.m. at Evander Childs High School. It was originally scheduled for the same time and place last Friday, but was canceled due to the weather.
The Daily News' Bob Kapstatter gives a little preview of the speech, which focuses heavily on jobs and generating a new plan to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory, which remains vacant after the City Council rejected the mayor's proposal to turn the massive Armory into a giant shopping mall.
Any mention of an alternative plan at the Armory is reportedly falling on deaf ears inside the mayor's office and at the Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
