Fans of BronxTalk take note

Fans of BronxTalk should know that there was a flood at Bronxnet today and so we couldn't do a live edition of the show. We'll be running reruns all week and will have a live show next Monday. 


I watched one tonight and it was actually pretty interesting, even to me. So pop in on the show this week, maybe you'll see something important that u missed.


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Questions Raised Again About Bronx Councilman Cabrera's Residency

Cabrera at his Kingsbridge Heights apartment in 2009. (File photo)

An article in today's Daily News, one in a series the paper is running that chronicles the misdeeds of City Council members, reports that Bronx City Councilman Fernando Cabrera claimed a home he owns in Westchester County as his "primary residence" on tax forms.

The move scored Cabrera a $1,513 tax break via a property tax credit known as School Tax Relief, according to the article, which names three other council members from other boroughs as having done the same.

Although Cabrera himself would not comment about the finding, his office confirmed its accuracy. Cabrera's camp told us the listing of the Westchester property as his primary residence was an "honest oversight" and that Cabrera did not know the tax relief credit would be automatically renewed each year. They said the councilman is in the process of paying the money back and that he does, indeed, live in his Bronx district, as required by law. They couldn't say who lived in the Westchester home. 

Legitimate residency was a hot-button issue in 2009 when Cabrera was running for City Council against then-incumbent Maria Baez. His opponents sought to portray him as a Bronx outsider and "Pelham Republican," chastising him for having been formerly registered with the Republican Party.

Though he had lived in Pelham, Cabrera maintained Bronx connections: he founded New Life International Church on Morris Avenue two decades ago, and served for a few years as a member of Community Board 7. He officially moved into his Bronx home, on Sedgwick Avenue near 197th Street, back in July 2008, a few months before he announced his intentions to run for Baez' seat.

During his campaign, Cabrera gave one of our reporters a tour of his home, which appeared legitimately lived-in. At the time, he said that he still owned his home in Westchester and that his daughter and her family lived there.

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:

Publish Post

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.

Bronx Events: Positive Bronx Stories Tonight at Bronx Museum

As we mentioned in yesterday's news roundup, the Bronx Museum of the Arts is holding a really cool free storytelling event tonight, "Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories," starting at 6 p.m. Here's the write-up in the Daily News about it. Find more Bronx events going on tonight and this weekend below and every day by clicking on our "Bronx Events" calendar, which is updated constantly. Enjoy the weather and the Bronx.

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

Embattled Commander of Bronx's 52nd Precinct Replaced

D'Adamo at his desk at the 52nd Precinct in early 2010.

New York City precinct commanders, by rule, don't stay in their jobs long -- two, maybe three years, tops. Then, they move on. It's an unofficial policy the NYPD employs to avoid stagnation or possible corruption.

On Monday, however, the commanding officer of the 52n Precinct, Deputy Inspector John D'Adamo was replaced less than 17 months after taking over the job and less than a month after his wife was caught lying to Clarkstown police about being attacked, a story that made headlines in the city and upstate.

The 40-year-old D'Adamo -- a rising star in the NYPD who took on his first commanding role as head of the 50th Precinct in 2008 at the age of 37 -- will be replaced by Deputy Inspector Joseph Dowling, formerly the commanding officer of Manhattan's 33rd Precinct, which covers Washington Heights. On Tuesday night, Dowling introduced himself at Community Board 7's general board meeting at Scott Towers in Bedford Park. Dowling said he spent more than five years at his last post.

It happened so quickly, the NYPD has yet to change the information on its website. That isn't surprising, but D'Adamo's tenure in the Five-Two does appear to have come to an abrupt end. 

A series of unfortunate events led up to D'Adamo's departure.

Bronx News Roundup, March 18

Hopefully you are reading this on a laptop or iPad/Phone in Van Cortlandt or Crotona or Soundview or Pelham Bay or Roberto Clemente or Williamsbridge Oval or any one of the Bronx's many parks. And if you're not, hopefully you'll get to one later today as temperatures will soar into the 70s! Less warm over the weekend, but it will still remain jarringly comfortable.  

To the news!

Story of the Day: Spotlight on Ex-Cop Husband of Dead Bronx Mom
Yesterday morning, Eddy Coello, a former NYPD housing cop, walked unprompted into the 45th Precinct with his lawyer to talk with police one day after the dead body of his wife, Tina Adovasio, was discovered in a wooded area in Westchester County. Medical examiners said Adovasio died from asphyxiation. Coello, who has a history of domestic violence, refused to give police a DNA sample and walked out of the precinct 24 minutes later. At this point, police are saying he is the only "person of interest" in this case. A former girlfriend told the Daily News Coello was volatile and prone to violent outbursts. As police continued to gather evidence from Coello's car and the Throgs Neck home he shared with Adovasio and her four children, Adovasio's lawyer told the Post the case was "plodding toward an inevitable conclusion."

Quick Hits:
Here's our story on the decision to close the Oak Point post office. 

The state revoked the license of Ophadell Williams, the driver of the Chinatown tour bus that crashed on I-95 in the Bronx, killing 15 passengers and leaving six others in critical condition. Transportation officials and state police are also clamping down on other tour bus drivers.

On "Match Day," some 200 medical students at the Bronx's Albert Einstein College of Medicine found out where they will be going to be resident physicians. Many are surprisingly choosing the lower-paying family medicine route. Students will disperse throughout the country, but one, who will stay in the Bronx at Montefiore Medical Center and pursue family medicine, said, “This country needs more primary care doctors. It’s the best way to deliver care, in terms of prevention, in terms of long-term follow-up, patient satisfaction, and reducing cost."

A new exhibition at the Lehman College art gallery is highlighting the resurgence of so-called "fiber arts" -- knitting, weaving, embroidery, that type of thing. 

Woodlawn Cemetery and the union representing its workers have reached a tentative agreement that would increase wages and lead to the cemetery cutting only 12 staffers, down from the original 23.

Bronx/Harlem State Senator Jose M. Serrano says he's much more excited about the new Puerto Rican and Latino caucus than he was last year, when it included Pedro Espada Jr. (ousted by voters, facing criminal charges) and Hiram Monserrate (ousted by the senate after being convicted of beating his girlfriend). The new caucus includes Bronx reps Serrano, Ruben Diaz Sr., Gustavo Rivera, Adriano Espaillat as well as Martin Milave Dilan (Brooklyn) and Jose Peralta (Queens).

Many Bronx tenants continue to benefit from oil donations given out by Citgo, the oil company controlled by Hugo Chavez and the Venezuelan government.

Check out all the planned work-related service changes on Bronx subway lines this weekend. Every line in the borough will be affected.

The Riverdale Press unmasks the "phantom painters" behind the giant shamrock painted every St. Patrick's Day on W. 238th Street and Review Place.

Yet Another Bronx Post Office to Close: Oak Point Station

Another Bronx post office -- the Oak Point Station, located at 839 East 149th St. -- is going to close. 

According to a press release from the United States Postal Service, the Oak Point post office will close its doors on April 22.  “Given the extraordinary decline in mail volume — a decline of nearly 26 billion pieces last year alone — we must take action to reduce the size of our retail and delivery network,” said William Schnaars, the New York district manager

Two weeks ago, the USPS announced the Crotona Park Post Office will also be closing on April 22.

Spokesperson Darleen Reid said that since December 2009, the Crotona Park, Oak Point, and Van Nest offices have been on the consolidation list. The Van Nest Post Office, located at 715 Morris Park Ave., could be the next branch to close. She said that the decision should be made in the coming weeks.

The USPS assured us that postal employees who work at Crotona Park and Oak Point will be reassigned, not laid off.

Reid also said the USPS is considering moving the mail processing unit of the Bronx General Post Office to Morgan Distribution Center in Manhattan. The retail unit there would remain open in the Bronx. Reid said the USPS is still in the study phase and it will probably take another six months before making a decision.

For now, Reid said, customers wishing to conduct postal business at a local retail office can continue to do so at the following alternative sites:
--Hub Station, 633 Saint Ann’s Ave, Bronx NY 10455
--Mott Haven Station, 517 East 139th St, Bronx NY 10454
--Hunts Point Station, 800 Manida St, Bronx NY 10474
--Melcourt Station, 754 Melrose Ave, Bronx NY 10451
--Bronx General Post Office, 558 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY10451

In a press release, Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano said he sent a letter yesterday to the Postmaster General, saying "the plan to consolidate and close postal facilities in the Bronx was an unwise idea that unfairly impacts the Bronx community." A full text of the letter is below and after the jump:

A Year After Tragedy, Megan Charlop's Work Endures

It's been exactly one year since our good friend and colleague Megan Charlop (she was a good friend and colleague of many, many people) died in a tragic accident while biking to PS 55 to plan a summer camp fair. From what I can recall it was a gorgeous pre-spring day much like today. She is still deeply missed but we are glad to bring you this report from the Norwood News about her incredible work in public and community health and those that seek to continue it.

Bronx Sports Column: A Borough-Centric Tournament Breakdown

Bronx boy Kemba Walker has UConn dancing.

Today marks the beginning of the best four-day stretch in all of sports: the opening two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Nothing compares to the drama of the Big Dance. Every game -- there are 16 today, 16 more tomorrow and another 16 over the weekend -- is a dogfight. Every game contains potential for heroism and heartbreak. It's 18- to 22-year-old kids playing the biggest games of their lives. The quality isn't as high as you'll see in the NBA, but the desire and hustle and passion is immeasurably greater.

Let the Madness begin!

(For the record, I'll be rooting hard for my hometown Washington Huskies, a 7th seed, who face Georgia Friday night with a matchup against 2-seed North Carolina looming. I've also become an increasingly fanatic St. John's supporter. The Johnnies, led by Bronx-bred point guard Dwight Hardy, play a tough Gonzaga team in Denver tonight without senior DJ Kennedy, who blew out his knee during last week's Big East tournament. Final Four Picks: Ohio St., Pittsburgh, Purdue, Duke. Champion: Ohio St.)

Because this is a borough-centric blog, I'm going to highlight all the Bronxites playing in the tournament and break down their teams' prospects for advancement.

Bronx News Roundup, March 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Bronx. Enjoy the beautiful sunny, 60s-ish day. Everyone deserves it after enduring that slog of a winter. (If you're of age and find yourself getting thirsty later, see our post on the borough's best Irish bars. Also, please weigh in on our ongoing debate: Is it St. Patty's or St. Paddy's? Here's one answer.)

Story of the Day: Museum Highlights Bronx Positives
I positively had to make this wonderfully-headlined story in the Daily News -- "Stick it, Glenn Beck! The Bronx Museum of Arts touts borough's positive stories" -- the roundup's story of the day. Tomorrow night, starting at 6 p.m., the Bronx Museum is holding a free event called "Bronx Talks: Bronx Stories,"  featuring the showing of a documentary, "Richie Perez Watches 'Fort Apache: The Bronx,'" followed by four storytellers spinning yarns about their Bronx experiences. The audience is invited to share their experiences as well. "The goal is to challenge the stereotypes of the Bronx," one of the event's creators, Bridget Bartolini, told the Daily News. This, of course, falls right in line with our borough president's new combative approach to defying old, out-dated depictions of the Bronx. Stick it, Glenn Beck, indeed. The Museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse.

Quick Hits:
The body of missing 40-year-old Throggs Neck mother Tina Adovasio was discovered in Westchester County yesterday by some kids riding ATVs. Adovasio's husband, Tony Coello, who police say has a history of domestic violence, is being called a "person of interest" in the case. Video from the Post.

The DN's Bronx columnist Patrice O'Shaugnessy says the Adovasio case and other recent domestic clashes -- including a Kingsbridge murder-suicide poisoning -- show how quickly domestic violence can spiral out of control.

Three special needs schools in the Bronx -- St. Joseph's School for the Deaf, the Lavelle School for the Blind and New York Institute for Special Education -- could be crippled by Gov. Cuomo's plans to slash their state funding.

More on the casino bus crash: details on the driver Ophadell (formerly Eric) Williams' 1990 conviction for manslaughter; fatigue always a factor for low-cost tour-bus drivers; Police finally identified a 76-year-old survivor who remains in critical condition as Kin Chai Mock; A family friend says Williams is struggling with all the media scrutiny. 

A bodega in Mt. Hope was robbed on Wednesday morning. Police say the two suspects could be the same duo that has hit seven other Bronx bodegas since January. 

Two Haitian youngsters will receive critical heart surgery at Montefiore Medical Center this week.

Kappy's back this week with thoughts on Ruben "The Rev" Diaz Sr. being the last-amigo standing following the indictment of fellow State Senator Carl Kruger and the ousting of Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate. Says Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera's confirmed and denied rumors he's leaving office after his term is up next year. Quote: "Wonderful turnout, wonderful weather and just enough sprinkled boos at Mayor Bloomberg to make last Sunday's Bronx St. Patrick's Day in Throgs Neck great."

Bronx Foodie: The Best Bars to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

If you want to celebrate St. Paddy's Day, but don't want to have to go all the way downtown for the Saint Patty's Pub Crawl, here are a few Boogie Down Irish bars to check out. The BxNN staff are partial to Bronx Ale House, because it's close to our office and has a great selection of craft beer (plus Guinness). Last year they had live musicians playing the bag pipes. The Piper's Kilt, on W. 231st Street, is another, more traditional, favorite. Riverdale Pressers swear by An Beal Bocht.

The Woodlawn community has some great Irish pubs. Check out Katonah and McLean avenues.

The Norwood community used to be home to so many Irish pubs -- 18 at one point -- back in the 1980s and early 1990s that they called the area "Little Belfast." Now, only two remain: McDwyer's and MacMahon's on E. 204th Street.

In Bedford Park, many current and former Irish Bronxites head to Shea's Emerald Bar on Jerome Avenue, where they usually offer some complimentary traditional Irish fare. Madden's near the D train station also usually serves up some Shepherd's Pie and corned beef.

And we haven't even mentioned the east Bronx, which is home to classic joints like the Throgg's Neck Clipper.

Below is a list of some terrific Irish bars in the Bronx:

Bronx Pol Joel Rivera Rallies to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts

Photo courtesy of the official website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Bronx Councilman Joel Rivera is ready to rumble over the fate of mixed martial arts.

Rivera, the Council's majority leader, attended a rally today at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan to legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York, one of eight states where the sport is illegal.

Rivera and fellow Councilman Jumaane Williams sponsored a resolution that supports Assembly and Senate bills which would allow MMA competitions and exhibitions throughout the state.

“Mixed Martial Arts has been a success in numerous markets across the United States and the World,” Rivera said in a press release. But it's not all about the money, Rivera said, “as a sport it has proven to be as safe as or safer than boxing and other contact sports."