In Fund-Raising Efforts, Espada Out in Front

Last week, state legislators running for reelection, and those challenging them, filed financial disclosure reports with the state's Board of Elections.  Those reports are now listed on the Board's website.  To see how much money a candidate has raised, click here and enter their name.

In the 33rd District senate race, the picture looks like this:

• Pedro Espada Jr. (incumbent) has raised $81,775 since March, and a total of  $386,225 since the beginning of last year. 
• Gustavo Rivera has raised $65,535. 
• Daniel Padernacht, $19,405.   
• Fernado Tirado, $2,335.

To see how much candidates have spent, click here and search by name.  (For Padernacht, search "Citizens for a Brighter New York.")

A few initial observations:

• Espada, the chair of the senate's Housing Committee, received a glut of money from the real estate industry, which is only likely to fuel critics' arguments that he sides with landlords over tenants. He also received big bucks from several beverage companies, as have many state legislators who opposed Gov. David Paterson's "sugar tax."
• Rivera received $6,000 from the union 1199 SEIU, whom he once worked for but has not yet officially been endorsed by. 
• Tirado has spent all the money he's so far raised. 
• Staples has been doing some good business these past few months. 

In the coming days, we'll try and delve a bit deeper - who gave what to whom, what this means, etc.  In the meantime, feel free to chime in with your own thoughts (no personal attacks please) in the comments section.

By the way, unlike in city races, candidates in state races don't receive matching funds, so what they raise is what they get.  Earlier this year, Paterson proposed overhauling this system in an effort to fight corruption.

Bronx News Roundup, July 19

We'll start the week off with the tragic story of the two Bronx teenagers -- Crystal Reyes, 15, of University Heights, and David Lee Luccioni III, 17, who was about to start his senior year at Grace Dodge High School -- who drowned yesterday in the Bronx River. (More from the Daily News, NY Post, NY1.)

According to city officials and news reports, Reyes was struggling after jumping into a fenced-off part of the river near the dam around 180th Street. Luccioni jumped in to save her. They both became entangled in tree branches below the surface. Both were taken to near-by St. Barnabas and pronounced dead on arrival at about 4 p.m. Despite the "No Swimming" signs, the spot is popular with young people looking to cool off. There were about 20 kids swimming in the area when Reyes began flailing and yelling for help and Luccioni went after her.

The Times has a more lighthearted summer river story about the local kids who jump off the cliffs in Spuyten Duyvil, much to the chagrin of the local MTA cops.

Speaking of the MTA, the budget-crunching agency is about to introduce a series of new cost-cutting measures, including jacking up prices on unlimited Metrocards and the creation of a "limited unlimited card" that would charge more for heavier users.

Two Riverdale synagogues that became targets in a failed bombing plot last year will receive federal grants to beef up their security.

Hundreds of city buildings, including 1694 Davidson Ave. in Morris Heights, are again deteriorating after being rescued decades ago. (The Davidson building is owned by Bronx Heights Neighborhood Community Corporation, a non-profit.  Back in 2008, tenants and board members began complaining about the way the organization was run and the affect this was having on the buildings.  Here's the story that appeared in the Mount Hope Monitor.)

A Bronx-born filmmaker is working on a documentary about New York accents.

More Endorsements for Espada Opponent Gustavo Rivera

UPDATE BELOW

The influential and powerful Working Families Party is supporting Gustavo Rivera (pictured) in his effort to unseat State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr.

In a statement, Dan Cantor, the party's executive director, said:

Pedro Espada favors landlord interests over tenants every time. He cast our government into chaos for his own political gain. No Albany politician makes a better case for early retirement.

Gustavo Rivera is a reformer with the smarts, the leadership, and the heart to clean up Albany and stand up for the tens of thousands of tenants in the Bronx. Pedro Espada has bundles of landlord cash, but Gustavo will have a grassroots army and the support of a community that is sick and tired of the status quo.

We have helped progressive challengers before, but never has there been as much at stake for the people of New York.

The Times broke the story of the party's endorsement on Friday.

In more good news for Rivera's campaign, a "key Bronx elected official" has decided to support him, according to a press release from Rivera's campaign.  Rivera will announce who it is at a press conference outside Vladeck Hall, at the Amalgamated Houses, at 2 p.m. this afternoon.  The building's located at 74 Van Cortlandt Park South.

Rivera also has the backing of the New Roosevelt Initiative, and Council members Annabel Palma and Melissa Mark-Viverito, among others.

UPDATE 11 a.m.:  So we heard from Rivera's campaign.  The "key Bronx elected official" is Councilman Oliver Koppell.

The Yankees Unobstructed — July 19

The Yankees are in first place with just over 71 games to play, 17 of which are set to be played against the second place Tampa Bay Rays and third place Boston Red Sox (who trail New York by three and 6 1/2 games, respectively).

Here are some things to watch out for as baseball heads into its home stretch:

Nick Swisher: Since Swisher was announced as a candidate for the final spot on the American League All-Star team on July 4, he's hit .381 with a .435 OBP, 3 home runs, 8 runs scored and a walk-off game-winning hit. Swish showed us last year that when he gets hot he can carry an offense....unfortunately, we also learned last year that he can also go dead cold at the plate for long stretches of time.

As the #2 hitter, when Swisher's hitting well and getting on base, it creates opportunities for the Yankees' power front to see hittable pitches. If Swisher can carry his career-year through the second half, we could see the Yankees offense become even more potent. But, if his bat goes dead, it'll put extra pressure on Mark Teixeira and Álex Rodriguez, who have already had struggles this year.

Speaking of Mark Teixeira: It's no coincidence that he's suddenly become the Tex the Yankees paid for. Since July 4, the first baseman has been on a rampage. He's hit five home runs for 11 RBI (in 10 games!), while improving his average from .243 to .253, and his OBP from .352 to .363 (neither is by any means good, but improvement should be noted).

Derek Jeter: On June 1, the Captain's batting average was .307....it now stands at a very un-Jeter .271. During that period, he's hit .228 and at one point he went 19 games without an RBI. In the past, when Jeter has had slumps like this he's recovered in grand fashion, which is why he's never finished a season with an average below .291.

Those Starting Pitchers: Each month this season, one of the Yankee starters has gone through a terrible slump. But when four pitchers are rocking it, it doesn't matter much how the fifth guy is faring. However, things could start getting rocky soon. A.J. Burnett still can't quite figure out how to avoid devastating innings, and Andy Pettitte will be out for the next month or so with a strained groin. The pressure's going to be on C.C. Sabathia, Phil Hughes and Javier Vazquez to produce quality starts, so the bullpen doesn't get too strained.

Oh Yeah, the Bullpen: It's gonna be a fight (in a good way)! Joba Chamberlain's been inconsistent, while David Robertson's in recovery mode and Jonathan Albaladejo's been lighting up triple-A opponents of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, and manager Joe Girardi has taken notice. He might just be trying to add extra motivation for Chamberlain to turn things around, but Girardi hinted this weekend that his role as primary setup man might be in jeopardy. Girardi told the Daily News:

"I'm not saying on a daily basis I am going to change our eighth-inning guy, but you have to earn your roles here," Girardi said. "And we evaluate on a daily basis."

Note: Make sure to check back every week for The Yankees, Unobstructed BxNN's Yankees opinion column.

Dinowitz on BronxTalk

This Monday night on BronxTalk, the borough's flagship talk show, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz will answer questions from host Gary Axelbank about the attempt by the State democrats to oust Pedro Espada, Jr., community board appointments, the state budget, politics, and other topical issues.  Viewers can call  into the show at 718-960-7241.


This past week BronxTalk featured Bronx roads and bridges, the plan to create pedestrian plazas in Times Square and Herald Square, the affect of the Gulf oil spill on cars and travel, and other transportation issues. BronxTalk july 12, 2010 - Bronx Roads and Travel

For more than fifteen years,  BronxTalk has been seen live each Monday night at 9:00pm on Bronxnet's Cablevision channel 67. It's also on Verizon Fios channel 33 and streamed live at bronxnet.org. Produced by Jane Folloro, BronxTalk is repeated each day at 9:30am, 3:30pm, and 9:00pm. Archives are available at blip.tv; search for "BronxTalk."

Upcoming Bronx Events

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Bronx News Roundup, July 16

Gregory Tsougranis, Bronx associate broker with Century 21 Metro Star believes the Bronx real estate market picking up (see second item in the "Closer" column. During his recent Bronx Trolley apartment hunt tour, he said he attracted more than 40 prospective buyers. Specifically, he said they were looking for one and two bedroom apartments starting at $145,000. The next tour is expected to be held on August 28.

Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez writes about how the Bronx's Columbus High School faced the possibility of being closed down after Schools Chancellor Joel Klein labeled it as "failing." It's now staying after lawsuits were filed against the city. Columbus Special Education teacher Gail Drillings says, "I'm thrilled that our school is saved. And we're finally getting the extra resources we've needed."

Plus, if you haven't already, check out our two earlier stories on the body found at Harris Field and the murder of a man in Williamsbridge Oval Park.

Ed. note: An item in this post was removed due to an error. The item, regarding the Wildlife Conservation Society, was not Bronx-related. 

Murder in Oval Park

A local man was shot dead on Thursday evening inside of Williamsbridge Oval Park, apparently after a dispute involving an iPhone.

Police identified the victim as Diego Sinchi, a 28-year-old, Hispanic male, of 345 East 209th Street, which is just two blocks from the park. At about 10:30 p.m. last night, Sinchi was found shot multiple times in the torso. He was later pronounced dead on arrival at Montefiore Medical Center.

Blood from the shooting was still visible on Friday morning as family members lit candles at a makeshift vigil just inside the north entrance to the park, where the murder occurred.

Sinchi was allegedly involved in a dispute over an iPhone with an unidentified male just after dark last night. The apparent dispute, which became physical, ended in gunfire, according to Resso Santiago, a local resident who spoke to NYPD detectives that were investigating the murder earlier Friday morning.

"My son has an iPhone," said Santiago. "I don't want him to get killed over his phone. I can not feel safe with my family around here any longer."

As park crews began covering the bloody cobblestones with mulch in Oval Park Friday morning, family members had already began gathering around a vigil of candles and prayer cards.

As of Friday morning there have been no arrests made and a police investigation is ongoing.

[Update: According to Norwood News archives, Thursday night's murder was the first in Williamsbridge Oval Park since 2002, when a NYC bus driver was bludgeoned to death with a tree branch.]

Dead Body Found in Harris Field

First, it was an excess amount of lead in the soil. Now, it's dead bodies. (OK, technically, one body.)

Yesterday, workers at Harris Field in Bedford Park discovered a man's decomposing body. Parks Department officials, members of the NYPD's mobile crime scene unit and officials from the Office of the City's Medical Examiner were in the park, at Bedford Park Boulevard and Paul Avenue for most of the day on Thursday trying to figure out what happened.

The park, located between Lehman College and the Bronx High School of Science, has been undergoing a rehabilitation project for at least the last year and-a-half, but the project stalled last fall after contaminants were found in the dirt. The park has been closed off to the public because of the contamination and recently the Parks Department closed the park's inner gates because people were easily bypassing the weak chain-link fence surrounding the fields and continuing to use the park.

Investigators at this time believe the man was homeless and are investigating his identity and the cause of his death.

--Photo and Reporting by David Greene

Morris Heights Resident Looks to Challenge Sen. Serrano

Mark Escoffery-Bey owns and runs a copy store in Morrisania. "It's like Kinkos, but it’s not Kinkos," he says.

The native of Jamaica is also a film-maker and a karaoke host at Bronx bars and restaurants, although both have taken back seat in recent weeks because he's running against, or trying to run against, State Senator Jose M. Serrano.

The 46-year-old Morris Heights resident is, by his own admittance, a long-shot candidate. He has no endorsements and little money, but he feels he's collected enough petition signatures to at least get on the ballot, even if his signatures are challenged. (The deadline for filing is today.) That would be an improvement on the last time he ran for office in 2008, against Councilwoman Helen Foster.

"I made the ballot but then it was challenged and I was taken off," said Mark Escoffery-Bey (pictured above). “I take responsibily for that. I was new to the process and I didn’t know all the little nuances, so my signatures lacked integrity."

This time Escoffery-Bey, a married father of two, believes he has a chance of being elected. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," he said during a telephone interview last week.

He added: “I am so against someone running without challengers... because it's an easy walk in and then they don’t feel like they need to do as much as they should, because it appears to be some kind of gift or right or something they are entitled to. It does not foster a healthy democratic process.”

Primary Petitions Due Today

Candidates vying for a spot on the primary ballot this fall have a deadline to meet today. Petitions, or voter signatures of support, have to be filed with the Board of Elections office by the end of the day.

Legislators and legislative hopefuls had the last five weeks to collect signatures--a daunting task, considering the signatures must be from voters registered with the candidate's respective party and who live in their district. Congressional candidates need 1,250 valid signatures, state Senate candidates need 1,000, and 500 are required for the state Assembly.

Here's a little update on how the candidates in the 33rd Senate race fared:

We already know that incumbent Pedro Espada's filed his petitions--he did it very publicly at a press conference at the Bronx Board of Elections office on Monday. He said he had 10,000 collected.

Fernando Tirado told us this morning that he's already filed over 1,000 signatures. He declined to give a specific count, but said he had enough to "cushion" the potential signatures that could get thrown out by the BOE.

Kingsbridge attorney Daniel Padernacht said he filed his on Monday and had more than 4,500 signatures.

Gustavo Rivera's count was 6,250, according to campaign advisor Elizabeth Lorris Ritter.

Speaking of Rivera: City Hall News reported this morning that Gustavo took a spill while exiting a bus on the Grand Concourse. Ritter confirmed as much, saying Rivera lost his footing last Wednesday, tripping down the bus stairs and landing face first on the sidewalk. He went to the emergency room at Montefiore to get patched up, she said, and is fine, with the exception of some bruises and "quite a shiner."

Mess of the Moment Update: Con Ed Cleans Up

We'll call it the "power of the Mess." In response to our "Mess of the Moment" blog post two weeks ago, Councilman Fernando Cabrera's office called Con Edison to ask the energy provider to take care of the eyesore, which is in his 14th Council District. On July 6, a week after the post appeared here on the blog, Con Edison responded by sending a crew to clean up the pile of barricades and cement blocks, which blocked parking spots in front of an apartment building and neighboring houses.

Before (above); After (below)

Editor's Note: The "Mess of the Moment" is a periodic feature on the blog. If there is a mess that you want highlighted or paid attention to, send photos of a location (or at least a locationa and description) to bronxnewsnetwork@gmail.com or just tell us about it in the comments section of this post.