After you’re done, head on over to Hunting For The Very Best and read food lover and writer turned lawyerDina Di Maio’s entry on Arthur Avenue which she says,
“…the Little Italy of the Bronx, is the only real Italian neighborhood left in NYC. If you’re looking for an authentic Italian American experience, this is the place to be.”
After I finished reading and watching the video, all I was craving was some good old Italian food.
For a guided tour of Little Italy make sure you get in touch with MCNY Tours which offers the following:
MCNY Tours also offers several other tours so make sure you visit their website and check them out. Tell them Welcome2TheBronx sent ya!
Finally, no visit is complete without sitting down and relaxing while having a few beers at the Bronx Beer Hall! If you haven’t eaten you can also chow down there too!
Photo by: Adi TalwarMychal Johnson, an outspoken critic of the FreshDirect plan to build a warehouse and parking lot in Port Morris, was not reappointed to community board 1.
Check out this excellent piece from the Bronx Bureau by Naomi Cohen on how politicians have been and continue to shape and bend Community Boards to their interests.
Oh and a big thanks for linking my post in their article!
The sway that the borough president and councilmembers have over the boards isn’t new. But the past year has seen several high-profile instances of officials using that power.
Mychal Johnson, an outspoken critic of the FreshDirect plan to build a warehouse and parking lot in Port Morris, was not reappointed to community board 1.
The sway that the borough president and councilmembers have over the boards isn’t new. But the past year has seen several high-profile instances of officials using that power.
By:
At Community Board meetings, dissent is common. But it might be getting less so. When it comes to appointing board members and influencing the election of board officers in the Bronx, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Councilmen Oliver Koppell and Jimmy Vacca recently have drawn fire for trying to elevate like-minded members.
In the past year, five Community Boards have seen appointments and board elections swayed by elected officials’ loyalties or differences in agenda.
“He saw it as a challenge to his authority and his position, and he didn’t like that challenge,” Johnson says of his FreshDirect activism, which started after his last term renewal. While a few other CB1 members oppose the project, Johnson led the fight, having helped found the resistance group South Bronx Unite. Last Wednesday, Community Board 1 voted 25-4 to endorse the FreshDirect plan.
Though the project is “as-of-right,” meaning it didn’t need CB1 approval, Johnson’s presence on the Community Board did give a higher profile to opponents of the deal, which would use millions in public subsidies to move jobs from Queens to the Bronx and, opponents say, bring more truck traffic to an already diesel-saturated neighborhood.
Serving at the pleasure of the BP
The City Charter dictates that Community Boards serve more of an advisory than a decision-making role in the city’s land-use and budget process. Members are appointed by the borough president; half of them come from nominations by local councilmembers. Board members can only be removed for cause—such as poor attendance—but can be replaced by the borough president for any reason once their term is up.
Last August, Diaz replaced six members of CB9, which oversees Soundview, Castle Hill, Union Port and Parkchester, to be able to secure enough votes to oust District Manager Francisco Gonzalez, with whom the Bronx Times reports he had had a rough relationship.
In 2006, then-BP Adolfo Carrion ousted four members of CB4—which oversees Highbridge, Concourse and Mount Eden—after they obstructed his push to permit a new Yankee Stadium to be built on public parkland.
Diaz’s communications director, John DeSio, has said in a statement, “We make the selections based on how we believe people will represent both our office and their respective communities.” Diaz was unavailable for comment.
The case for cohesion
Koppell defended the role of the beep in community board composition.
“If they appoint well, they’ll have a group of people that are representative of the community and work harmoniously with elected officials,” he says.
In June, Koppell encouraged Diaz to remove Bob Abbott from CB8 (which oversees Fieldston, Kingsbridge, Kingsbridge Heights, Marble Hill, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil and Van Cortlandt Village), because in the race for board vice chair, Koppell wanted votes to help Steve Froot over Maria Khury, a supporter of his 2009 election opponent Tony Cassino. The councilman acknowledges the power play but claims it’s justified. “If you’re criticizing me for appointing my friend, who do you want me to appoint? My enemies?” he asks. “That’s just crazy. It’s going to be people I’m comfortable with.”
Diaz listened to Koppell and denied Abbott reappointment. But when it comes to community boards electing officers, elected officials don’t always win. Khury ended up securing the most votes in CB8. And Tony Vitaliano of CB11 (which oversees Allerton, Morris Park, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway and Van Nest) edged out Joe McManus—whom Diaz and Vacca supported—for chairman in December. Vacca was unavailable for comment.
Because the appointment process is ongoing, it’s not yet clear how many members of the Bronx’s 12 community boards were reappointed and how many were denied another term. But some appointments that have been publicized—like that in CB4 of Desiree Joy Frias, daughter of FreshDirect supporter and Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation head Marlene Cintron—may invite suspicion. While DeSio couldn’t confirm how many vacant seats exist, a third of the community boards have 31 or fewer members—19 short of the standard 50.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer saw flaws in the community board membership process when he came to office in 2006 and began reforms. An independent screening panel of community-based professionals, chosen by Stringer, now reviews the candidates before passing them on to Stringer for approval. Though the final step is the same—i.e, Stringer gets to pick the members—the panel favors merit and disfavors conflicts of interest.
“The Bronx, from my experience, always takes a little bit more time to catch up,” says Michael Brady, who was appointed to replace Johnson on Bronx Board 1. “It seems like it was a neglected borough for a very long time, and there are many systems put in place because it was a neglected borough. In order to continue to grow, we have to change.”
Who controls the boards?
With all community board members unsalaried, Brady says he believes they should be beholden to none except the community. The BP’s power of discretion, he says, can undermine this.
“If my opinions or my comments don’t necessarily agree with those that appointed me,” he says, “I should hope that’s why they appointed me. The whole concept of civil discourse is to have civil discourse.”
Admittedly, Johnson didn’t go out of his way to find common ground with Diaz: When the BP offered him a private meeting to discuss FreshDirect, Johnson refused unless the sit-down was open to the public.
Still, Johnson says, a mix of voices—not a monotone—is what a community needs. And the potential for being booted from the board hushes some of those voices. “It’s like this unspoken knowledge or fact that if you don’t agree with or oppose a project of someone who appointed you, there’s this fear that you may be removed,” he said. “This seems to be a totally undemocratic process.”
Vitaliano confirms that there’s “a fear of retribution.” But he also agrees with Koppell on the importance of cohesiveness.”If somebody has a problem, that problem is everybody’s problem,” Vitaliano says. “We’ve got to speak as one; we’ve got to stick together.”
He says that this philosophy has so far worked well and that he, Diaz and Vacca are back to being friends. “I don’t think they’ll be making phone calls this time,” Vitaliano says, referring to his pending re-election.
Clamdigger Noun
1. A resident of City Island who was born on the island.
Musselsucker Noun
1. A resident of City Island not born on the island.
City Island, New York City’s slice of a New England fishing village in the Bronx just received news that the city will fund the $100 million+ bridge it desperately needs to replace the over 100 year old one currently serving the needs of its about 5,000 residents and its thousands of yearly visitors to its many restaurants and cultural locations.
While most would rejoice in getting a much needed bridge, local residents (known as Clamdiggers and Musselsuckers) are not too happy and the reason is the design.
Proposed new City Island bridge.
Although aesthetically pleasing to the eye, particularly its sleek futuristic design, it is not what you would think appropriate for an old, 327 year old fishing village filled with Victorian homes, cape cods and bungalows on the Long Island Sound and Eastchester Bay.
Why is the city insistent on not listening to the community? The community has largely voiced their displeasure along with the City Island Chamber Civic Association yet the city wants to proceed with it.
Come on clamdiggers and musselsuckers! We wanna know how you feel!
Oh and remember to read the article from the Daily News:
Unless you’re a hermit and live in the middle of the jungle or a desert for that matter, you were undoubtedly bombarded with the media’s frenzy heralding not only the birth of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge’s first child, but also when she went into labor and now, their first appearance with the yet to be named newborn baby boy.
But that’s the only connection you’ll see between the royal family and Bronxites.
This child will never have to worry about a home, nor if he will go to bed hungry – again. He will most assuredly attend the top schools while Bronx kids navigate our broken education system.
He will play in hundreds of acres of land owned by the royal family while Bronx babies can only look forward to playing on polluted streets with trucks invading their neighborhoods causing more traffic, spewing toxins to be released into the air as FredhDirect will do if they get their way.
Kudos to Denis Hamill of the New York Daily News for writing an excellent piece spotlighting the trials and tribulations families face in trying to have a roof over their heads in the Bronx. The stories of a broken system that does not work is enough to make your stomach turn.
Photo by: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
Harry, Kate and William (l.-r.) and the newborn Prince of Cambridge live in a different world to struggling Bronx families.
There was no royal baby watch going on outside 151 E. 151st St.in the Bronx on Monday.
As Prince William and wife Kate awaited the birth of their royal rugrat, the truly struggling families of New York trekked to the city’s Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing center on this grim corner of the hot sticky city, hoping to secure a roof over the uncrowned heads of their kids.
“Wish my baby was born into all that money,” says Kenneth Chestnut, 22, standing with Charlotte Burkett, 20, and their sons Kenny Jr., 5, and, dozing in a stroller, Kennourious, 10 months. “Solid gold pacifiers.”
“Silver spoon in their mouth,” says Burkett.
“Palaces to live in,” says Chestnut.
Kenneth Chesnut, 22, and Charlott Burkett, 20, with kids Kenny, 5, and Kennourious, 10 mos, have been together 6 years, four in shelter system because they cannot prove they once had addresses.
Photo by: Denis Hamill
“Don’t have to work like me,” says Burkett. “Because they’re royal family. Meanwhile, we getting royally screwed.”
They laughed to keep from crying.
“Instead, we’ve been coming here for like three years trying to get an apartment,” says Chestnut. “We don’t want no handout. We want a home. ”
Here are a couple of kids raising a couple of kids in the vortex of the shelter system. Instead of Kenneth Chestnut taking a hike like his father did on his mother, who is also in the shelter system, he’s been with his girlfriend since he got her pregnant when he was 16 and she was 14.
Brandy Palmer, Rafael Cox and their kids in their Bronx apartment.
Photo by: Andrew Savulich/New York Daily News
PATH requires proof of a previous mailing address and rental history, but both had lived with their parents, who ended up being evicted.
“I dropped out of high school to help raise my son,” says Chestnut. “Took a job in the Linden Movie Theater” in Brooklyn.
“I work three days a week at Baja Fresh, a Mexican restaurant in Manhattan, $7.50 an hour,” says Burkett. “Cashier. Making tacos. Cleaning up. I take home a meal for my kids. But when I see people spending lots of money, I just feel bad. Sad, bad. I’m not jealous of their money. Just that they have a place to live, a home.”
This is but one invisible noble family of the city’s struggling poor as the world media fawn over the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who live on public assistance in public housing in Great Britain, where they welcomed another royal layabout son.
“We can never get the month’s rent, security, agent fee saved to get an apartment,” says Chestnut. “If we did get a $700-a-month apartment in the Bronx, we could both work and make the rent.
Palmer, Cox and their kids at the Bronx PATH homeless shelter.
Photo by: Denis Hamill
“Instead, the city makes us come here three times a month and apply for temporary housing,” says Burkett. “They send us to a new place for 10 days. Then you gotta come back. Each time I miss a day’s work.
“In the last shelter, they stole all our clothes,” says Chestnut. “Baby stuff, too. It’s just so hard to keep a family together. If they gave us an apartment, I would turn it into our own royal palace. ”
“That’s all I’m jealous of,” says Burkett. “Not their money, their jewels, crowns, castles. Keep all that. Just want a place to call home.”
Anther couple and their five kids exit PATH, all their belongings packed into a shopping cart and suitcases.
They had a three-bedroom unit for $1,600 a month, but fell behind on the rent, says Brandy Palmer, 30, standing with Rafael Cox, 42, and their children, ages 4 to 12.
Asked what she thought of the royal baby, Palmer smiled.
“I hope it’s healthy,” she says. “But there are babies born every day, each one just as precious. My five are my royal family. But I never saw this happening to them — homeless.”
“I’m a construction worker, but work is so hard to find,” says Rafael. “ We juggled bills. We fell behind. The city promised to help pay the back-rent so we could start over.”
“At the last minute, the city just changed its mind,” says Palmer. “We needed that one helping hand. We want to work. I have an AA in accounting. Rafael works hard when he finds work.”
Now they were a dispossessed family as the world celebrated the royal family’s newest heir.
“We got evicted,” Cox says. “We came here. But PATH insists we have till Wednesday to vacate the apartment. They won’t house us. Told us to call the sheriff to retrieve the apartment keys. If we don’t get the keys back, we’ll be on the street.”
As the world waited with bated breath for a baby to be born to a palace.
Photo credit: A mural near the intersection of E 198th Street at Bainbridge Ave.
Photo by: Anthony Lanzilote
Bedford Park up North is one of the many wonderful communities that make up our rich borough. What do you like about the neighborhood?! What do you dislike?!
If you’re in the market for a 24-hour, bustling neighborhood with restaurants that line streets, sibilant sounds of outdoor diners and a hotbed of nightlife activity, Bedford Park won’t do.
But for those seeking a relatively quiet neighborhood known for its schools, greenery and history, it is perfect.
The enclave, nestled among the Kingsbridge, Fordham and Norwood neighborhoods, is home to some of the Bronx’s oldest buildings.
The Bedford Park Congregational Church, the oldest church in the neighborhood, dating back to 1882, sits at the corner of Bainbridge Avenue and East 201st Street. It was given landmark status by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2000.
The neighborhood is also highly regarded for its educational institutions — including Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York on Goulden Avenue and Academy of Mount St. Ursula High School, an all-girls prep school that is the oldest Catholic high school for girls in New York State.
Bedford Park also is home to two specialized high schools: the Bronx High School of Science and the High School of American Studies at Lehman College.
According to Bronx Community Board 7, Winston Churchill’s grandfather Leonard Jerome owned much of Bedford Park in the mid-19th century.
Jerome built a racecourse there in 1866 that was later converted into the Jerome Park Reservoir.
Once heavily populated by Irish and Jewish residents who worked on the construction of the reservoir, Bedford Park’s demographics have changed radically in recent years. Now, blacks and Hispanics, including Mexicans and Dominicans, live alongside Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese and a Caribbean community.
“The neighborhood is always changing,” said Michael Prendergast Jr., the owner of the Jolly Tinker bar. “But that’s the interesting part of the pulse of the Bronx: The vibe is always changing.”
Bronx borough historian Lloyd Ultan says Bedford Park has an unusual combination of advantages, ranging from accessibility to cultural institutions and history.
“You have the D train, The New York Botanical Garden and Lehman College’s Center for Performing Arts as well as their art gallery,” he said, while also noting the area’s historical houses of worship and well-known schools.
“It’s relatively quiet. You don’t have the raucous sounds of midtown, but you do have all the advantages of midtown, and you can get there if you wanted to in 15 minutes,” he said.
Bedford Park boasts a mix of architecture, most of it harking back to the old days. Five- and six-story Art Deco-style buildings line two of its main corridors, the Grand Concourse and Mosholu Parkway.
And though mostly full of low- and mid-rise buildings, it’s also home to a prominent development: the 41-story Tracey Towers on Mosholu Parkway, which looms high, dwarfing surrounding buildings.
Nestled on side streets, many Victorian homes stand out, some of them painted in bright colors. On corridors such as Bedford Park Boulevard and 198th Street, the old-style houses are juxtaposed with walk-ups and modern architectural styles.
This part of the Bronx also boasts some greenery, as it is bordered on the east by The New York Botanical Garden. The Mosholu Parkway Greenway, a green space that divides Mosholu Parkway South and Mosholu Parkway North, is a recreational area for families to gather and enjoy an afternoon. Local playgrounds are also available for kids.
Outside of its boundaries, the Bronx Zoo is just minutes away, as is the Mosholu Golf Course and massive Van Cortland Park.
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FIND IT
Bedford Park is bounded on the west by Goulden Avenue/ Lehman College and on the east by Webster Avenue/New York Botanical Garden. It runs north to south from Mosholu Parkway to 194th Street/West Kingsbridge Road.
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THE BASICS
TRANSPORTATION
The area is relatively accessible, with bus and train service shuttling passengers to other parts of the Bronx and Manhattan in less than an hour.
Trains
4 train to Bedford Park Boulevard station, Mosholu Parkway station and Kingsbridge Road. Metro-North trains at the Botanical Garden station.
D train to Bedford Park Boulevard and Kingsbridge Road stations; B during designated hours.
LIBRARY
The New York Public Library’s Bronx Library Center is a little past Bedford Park’s southern boundary at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. 718-579-4244.
POST OFFICE
USPS, 2549 Jerome Ave. 718-364-8432.
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CRIME
The 52nd Precinct, whose station is at 3016 Webster Ave., covers Bedford Park. Though relatively safe on the whole, the area experienced some violence recently. A 20-year-old man was shot at the corner of Bedford Park Boulevard and Webster Avenue on June 2, according to the local Norwood News newspaper. He is expected to live. So far, for 2013, the precinct has had four murders, according to its NYPD CompStat report. Historically, murders decreased here from 43 in 1993 to six in 2012. There were 545 robberies, 413 burglaries and 630 grand larcenies in 2012.
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TO EAT Bedford Café Restaurant, 1 E. Bedford Park Blvd. At this well-known Bedford Park spot, breakfast is served all day, along with gourmet sandwiches and wraps as well as steak and seafood entrees. It is open 24 hours a day. 718-365-3446.
Com Tam Ninh Kieu, 2641 Jerome Ave. This spot serves up traditional Vietnamese dishes such as bun rieu, a soup loaded with chunks of fish and vermicelli noodles, and pho, the popular Vietnamese street food. 718-365-2680.
Webster Café, 2873 Webster Ave. Located right on the outskirts of The New York Botanical Garden, Webster Café offers convenience for visitors and locals, not to mention inexpensive dining. The unbeatable jumbo burgers are a hit, as well as their anytime omelet choices. 718-733-9634.
TO PARTY
Bedford Park isn’t the most popping nighttime spot, but the area has its share of bars and a few restaurants which stay open into the later hours:
Jolly Tinker, 2875 Webster Ave. A favorite haunt for many local college students, it’s known for affordable drink specials (Tinker Tuesdays), karaoke Fridays and pool in the back room. But it’s still worth a visit for postcollegiate would-be patrons, since it is one of the oldest bars in the Bronx. 718-364-8789.
Madden’s Bedford Pub, 27 Bedford Park Blvd. This small watering hole is another late-night spot that offers a friendly community atmosphere. 718-364-9877.
Karina Restaurant and Bar, 2776 Webster Ave. Conveniently located next to The New York Botanical Garden, residents can grab a bite to eat here and drink into the morning on weekends. 718-562-3030.
TO SHOP
Bedford Park only offers a handful of stores where residents can shop. However, a short walk just outside its boundaries to the Fordham Shopping Center outdoor mall on Fordham Road, the businesses along Kingsbridge Road or to Jerome Avenue just beyond Moshulu Parkway make up for any lack of retail.
Porta Bella, 3449 Jerome Ave. Steps away from the Mosholu Parkway boundary, this discount store specializes in menswear and offers everything from formal to casual clothing. 718-231-4736.
The Children’s Place, 2511 Grand Concourse. Part of the Fordham Shopping Center, the children’s clothing chain is known for its trendy selection of apparel and accessories for newborns and kids. 718-563-5591.
Easy Pickins, 15 East Fordham Rd. Known for affordable women’s fashions, Easy Pickins offers some of the latest styles for affordable prices. The store also sells shoes and accessories. 718-562-2695.
TO DO The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd. Bedford Park is located right beside the 240-acre New York Botanical Garden, which provides a quick, convenient escape for residents of the area. An exhibition on healing plants from around the world is on view until Sept. 18. 718-817-8700.
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Blvd. This local cultural center is a prime spot offering affordable fine art performances, from plays to musical acts. The next season starts Aug. 17 with salsa singer Ismael Miranda. 718-960-8833.
Mosholu Playground and Mosholu Parkway Greenway
On the weekend, residents of Bedford Park and nearby areas gather and relax on the green space that divides Mosholu Parkway South and Mosholu Parkway North. The Mosholu Playground, located on the parkway’s southern road between Briggs and Bainbridge avenues, is also a good place for families with children to enjoy the outdoors.
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THE BUZZ
According to the Department of City Planning, Webster Avenue and parts of Bedford Park were approved in 2011 by the City Planning Commission and the New York City Council for rezoning.
The rezoning aimed to allow mid-density housing, promote retail and residential projects on Webster Avenue and preserve the low-density character of the adjacent residential areas in Bedford Park and neighboring Norwood.
The city aims to make Webster Avenue more inviting and walkable with the new residential and commercial developments.
In most of the new residential buildings, commercial development is required for the ground floor.
On a concerning note, PS 51 The Bronx New School in Bedford Park was shuttered in 2011 due to contamination by the toxic chemical trichloroethylene, or TCE.
According to a report issued in July by the state Department of Health, an investigation in 2011 found that TCE levels were 10 times the state’s legal limit.
The report also stated that students and teachers in the building at 3220 Jerome Ave. were placed at an increased but “low” risk of developing cancer and other ailments.
Students and teachers were relocated to another building, but according to the local Norwood News newspaper, parents are still concerned about the long-term effects of the chemical on their children’s health.
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Q & A with Michael Prendergast, owner of The Jolly Tinker
Michael Prendergast Jr. owns the Jolly Tinker, a well-known Bedford Park bar that his father, Michael Prendergast Sr., first opened in 1968.
Michael Jr. worked at the bar during his college years and was always primed to take over. The bar’s building had been a speakeasy before Prendergast Sr. opened the Jolly Tinker.
Describe Bedford Park. What have you witnessed in the time you’ve been here?
The vibe is always changing. In the ’70s and ’80s, it was very Irish, and now it’s changed dramatically. It’s a mixed melting pot, and you see it in the bar. We’ve been right here on this strip for 45 years and seen businesses come and go. It’s interesting to live through and see the change of the neighborhood.
What kinds of new developments and changes do you see now around the neighborhood?
There are new apartment buildings being built on Webster Avenue. Recently, a big parking structure was built for the Botanical Gardens across the street from us, so that eases the parking burden of people coming in. Some of the roads have also been repaved and sectioned off for bus lanes, and I see they’re planting trees on the sidewalks. It keeps changing, and I’m not exactly sure where it’ll be in the next few years, but we’ll still be here to talk about it.
Are there any drawbacks to living here?
We are a bit underserved. The post office here closes too early. There’s no place to get fresh vegetables and food, and there’s no banks within walking distance. I would like to see a bookstore and less fast food places. I think it would attract more people.
During the first half of the year there were 36 murders in the Bronx over 3x LESS than Philadelphia during the same period which has a similar size population.
23 years ago in 1990, the Bronx had approximately 603 murders in the entire year so as you can see, this is great news for the Bronx. This perception that the Bronx is unsafe and a violent place is a relic from the 90s.
Murders and shootings are both down 29% so far this year, Mayor Bloomberg said Sunday.
There were 168 murders through July 14 — down from 235 over the same period last year. And shootings fell from 763 to 545.
“That great news isn’t isolated to a few neighborhoods – every borough has gotten far safer,” said Mayor Bloomberg, who touted the results in his weekly radio address.
Overall crime dropped more modestly, by 2.2%.
Bloomberg said the Bronx, where murders have dropped 36%, is on pace to have fewer than 100 killings this year “for the first time since 1966, when Mickey Mantle was in centerfield at Yankee Stadium.”
He boasted that the Bronx and Brooklyn are now safer than whole cities with similar populations; the Bronx, for example, has about the same number of people as Philadelphia, but had 36 murders in the first half of the year, compared 116 in the City of Brotherly Love.
RELATED: EX-NYC MAYOR DINKINS TOLD: YOU LOST ON MERITS, NOT RACE
And Brooklyn had 71 homicides — fewer than half the 188 total for Chicago, which has roughly the same population, he said.
Bloomberg has aggressively defended the NYPD’s use of the controversial stop and frisk tactic as a key to the big drop in violent crime, though opponents disagree. The city had a record low 419 murders in 2012.
“We won’t stop working to keep guns off the streets and out of the hands of criminals,” he said.
But mayoral hopeful John Liu, who wants to end stop-and-frisk, disagreed with the mayor’s methods. “We can keep people in this city safe and keep crime low without having to humiliate hundreds of thousands of people, almost all of whom have done nothing wrong,” Liu said at a mayoral forum Sunday night.
Maria del Carmen Arroyo (right) is greeted by Council Member Diana Reyna.
First of all in the interest of full disclosure, I am a volunteer with the Julio Pabón campaign for City Council District 17 which is currently controlled by Maria del Carmen Arroyo.
Like every single other volunteer on the Pabón campaign we are UNPAID by choice for we believe Julio Pabón will bring the exact leadership our district sorely needs as well as bring back integrity to the Bronx.
I have known Julio for about 5 years or so and have watched how he gives back to the community. He does not only simply becomes a voice for the people and the voiceless but he provides those very folks and organizations with his knowledge and experience and equips them to learn to have their voices heard as well as how to successfully organize.
During those same years, I’ve watched my district stay stagnant in terms of progress for the residents. Unemployment is still at all time highs. Our community lacks basic access to services and educational programs that will help them advance in life instead of remaining stuck in a rut of perpetual public assistance.
Then there is the never ending scandals of corruption tied to her and her mother Carmen Arroyo – a political dynasty that over and over has stuffed the coffers of their own nonprofits so that they can live lavish lives as the community suffers.
Yesterday, Denis Slattery of the New York Daily News released an exclusive which we at the campaign already knew about: Her corruption extended to thousands of fraudulent signatures collected during the petition process of the reelection campaign. Including that of Derek Jeter!
Signatures her campaign paid thousands of dollars to volunteers to collect.
With all the articles in the media I’ve presented to the community on her dirty politics, how can we allow her to continue representing us?
Signatures from Maria del Carmen Arroyo’s petitions include many apparent forgeries, including “Derek Jeter Jr.”
Future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, New York Giant defensive tackle Rocky Bernard and top sportscaster Joe Buck all live at a rundown, six-floor walkup at Lafayette Ave. in the South Bronx.
That is, if you believe petition signatures submitted by ethically challenged City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo.
Arroyo’s team gathered 3,863 signatures — far more than the 450 she needs to make the ballot for her re-election bid — but her challenger is disputing 3,437 of the signatures.
And two pages in particular are Exhibit A and B in the challenge.
One page is filled with signatures that appear to be forgeries, including those of Jeter, Bernard, and Buck — though it is unclear if the Buck signature is meant to be the sportscaster or the fictional character at the center of iconic New York film, “Midnight Cowboy.”
Another page of signatures collected by a different campaign staffer features identical handwriting on every line.
Residents of the Hunts Point think the petitions are blatant forgeries.
“I’ve never seen Jeter here,” said resident Juanita Velasquez. “Only on my wall.”
The 46-year-old independent voter was appalled that Arroyo would allow the apparently bogus names be submitted.
“It’s outrageous,” Velazquez said.
The volunteers that flagged the names work for Julio Pabon, the upstart candidate hoping to unseat Arroyo.
If all the flagged signatures are tossed, Arroyo will fail to make the ballot by about 25 ballots, a nearly unpredecented development since the number of required signatures was decreased in 2010.
Pabone and Arroyo are running to represent the 17th District, covering parts of Hunts Point, Morrisania, and Highbridge. Pabon said the allegedly faulty autographs show a contempt for the system.
“It’s almost like they are playing with a marked deck and that is not fair,” Pabon said. “If she had been doing her job, responding to the needs of the community, there would be no need to have Derek Jeter or Tom Jones on these forms.”
Betty Julien, the paid witness who collected Jeter’s script, says she never met the star, or entered the Lafayette Ave. building. But she defended the signature on the petition.
“We stand on the street and ask people if they can vote,” Julien said of the collection process. “We write down the address of the building they came out of and ask them to sign.”
Julien was paid $640 to collect signatures for Arroyo over four days last month, city records show.
“It must have been people joking around,” she said of the names.Perhaps, but someone apparently added the suffix “Jr.” to the Derek Jeter “signature,” perhaps realizing the star’s name would draw attention. Jeter does not, in fact, have a son.
Arroyo denied blame, saying she never personally checks her petitions, leaving it up to campaign staffers. But even she was surprised that the Yankee captain is on her team.
“Come on, that doesn’t say Derek Jeter. Really? Really?” Arroyo asked when confronted about the names.
The eight-year incumbent is countering the claims by challenging the 2,500 signatures Pabon collected.
“It’s part of the process,” Arroyo said.The Board of Elections will rule on the signatures as soon as next week.
The ballot controversy is just the latest ethical charge against Arroyo. Both she and her mom, Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo have long been accused of nefarious dealings in the past, including funneling money to family-run nonprofits. And Arroyo’s nephew was convicted of embezzling $115,000 from a nonprofit founded by the assemblywoman.
Notification issued 7/19/13 at 2:30 AM. Per MTA, Metro-North Hudson Line Service will remain suspended until further notice due to a freight train derailment in the vicinity of Spuyten Duyvil station.
For the remainder of the evening, bus service will operate between Marble Hill and Ludlow Stations, where customers will be able to connect with shuttle train service.
For Friday morning peak service, customers are urged to make alternate service plans.
Please listen for announcements at your station and continue to check news media and http://new.mta.info/mnr for updates.
The sender provided the following contact information.
Sender’s Name: Notify NYC
Sender’s Email: notifynyc@oem.nyc.gov
Sender’s Contact Phone: 212-639-9675
How do you beat the heat? Cold fresh fruit? Walk around with an umbrella? How about a coquito? Or maybe Mr Softee?
Yes it may be stating the obvious but it is too hot out on these Bronx streets! Sure it’s summer but this heatwave we have going on has been a bit excessive and looking at the forecast there is no end until Sunday with the 90°+ temps!
How do you like to cool off and what ever happened to piraguas?!
Oh and don’t forget to check out this alert from the New York City Office of Emergency Management: Whatever happened to piraguas? Growing up in the South Bronx in the 70s and 80s you couldn't walk a few blocks in the summer without running into the piragua.
Excessive heat and humidity through the end of the week.
Heat Advisory now in effect until midnight EDT tonight.
Excessive Heat Warning in effect from 11 am to 8 pm EDT Friday.
The National Weather Service in New York has issued an Excessive Heat Warning, which is in effect from 11 am to 8 pm EDT Friday.
Locations: the five boroughs of New York City.
Hazards: combination of high levels of heat and humidity.
Heat Index values: up to 102 this evening, and then up to 106 on Friday.
Timing: Highest heat index values will occur during the afternoon and early evening hours.
Impacts: If no protective action is taken, initial impacts include fatigue. Sunstroke, muscle cramps, and/or heat exhaustion are also possible.
Recommended actions
A Heat Advisory is issued for New York City when high humidity is expected to combine with hot temperatures to make it feel like it is at least 95 degrees for two consecutive days or 100 to 104 degrees for any length of time. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an Air-conditioned room, stay out of the Sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
An Excessive Heat Warning is issued when the combination of heat and humidity is expected to make it feel like it is 105 degrees or greater. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule Strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear light weight and loose fitting clothing when possible and drink plenty of water.
New York City residents should call 3-1-1 or visit http://www.nyc.gov/oem to identify cooling center locations and to obtain Beat the Heat Safety Tips.
To Reduce Risk during outdoor work the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded Location. Heat Stroke is an emergency, call 9 1 1.
Heat Index (HI) values forecast to meet or exceed locally defined warning criteria for at least two days (Typical values: 1) Maximum daytime HI>=105°F north to110°F south and 2) Minimum nighttime lows >=75°F). Note: The Excessive Heat Warning/Heat Advisory criteria is highly variable in different parts of the country due to climate variability and the effect of excessive heat on the local population. Source: nws.noaa.gov
Since the founding of our borough, the Bronx has been home to many races and ethnicities from across the globe.
As the centuries progressed and changed, so did the locations across the world that sent their huddled masses to us. We are one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the city and ProjectBronx is here today with a newly released video discussing race and ethnic relations amongst Bronxites.
You’ll hear very interesting insights and responses from our residents and some rather comedic ones as well.
Can you tell where someone’s from? How about identifying an Albanian vs Italian? Jamaican vs Trinidadian? Puerto Rican and Dominican?
See how our own rainbow tapestry of residents answer these questions and more!
Published on Jul 17, 2013
We have many misconceptions about race or ethnicity and often times we are too afraid to even bring it up in public! However, a healthy conversation about race and ethnicity can actually teach us that we are all very similar and share the same dreams, struggles and ambitions!
Now, after the Yankee Stadium parking garage has defaulted on its bond payments this past April, the IRS is taking matters into its own hands by opening up an investigation into the details of the $237.6 million default – one of the largest defaults in New York City history in decades.
With such fiascos led by the NYCIDA (New York City Industrial Development Agency) we must ask ourselves why would our borough’s leadership accept another sweetheart deal, this time FreshDirect, by the IDA that would once again create a mess in the Bronx?
“No one should forget that this boondoggle came about because the Yankees – who have no involvement in the garages – put a gun to the city’s head. They demanded a 9,000-space parking system from the city and the state as part of agreeing to build a new stadium.
Now, those garages have become a financial swamp for taxpayers.
And right next door, Yankee Stadium raked in $396 million in its first year of operation in 2009 – just from the sale of tickets and luxury suites.
That’s more than double the old stadium’s revenues in 2007. And it’s $140 million more than the Yankees projected.
Yankees Win! City Loses! Again.
FreshDirect put the proverbial gun to the city’s head when they claimed they were going to move to New Jersey – a plan that clearly was not going to happen because of simply the added cost of bridge crossings and extra fuel it would take to deliver to their base in New York City, Westchester and Connecticut.
But back to the Yankees.
Instead of the multitude of empty parking spaces, we could have gotten a world class park for that kind of money or anything that would actually benefit the community and not burden it.
Crime having dropped dramatically in the Bronx as well as a reputation that our borough is going through a rebirth has shown that Yankee fans are no longer afraid to walk the streets of the South Bronx and are coming in record numbers via mass transit.
Let’s not forget that as part of the deal, the Yankees got a Metro North station at 153rd St opening up the stadium to thousands of fans by rail. Combined with 3 subway lines and express buses, the need for so many parking lots was irresponsible and disrespectful to the neighborhood that the Yankees share with the community.
NEW YORK, July 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is investigating $237.6 million of tax-exempt bonds that were used by New York’s Yankee Stadium to finance the building of parking garages, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday.
The Bronx Parking Development Company, which runs the car parks, defaulted on a $6.9 million payment on April 1. The last payment to bondholders was made in October 2012.
As fans use public transportation to avoid parking fees ranging from $25 to $48 per game, the use of the 9,300 parking spaces has been well below expectation. Fewer than half of the parking spots were used in April, according to a filing.
New York City’s comptroller blasted the project in an audit last year that found “revenues were based on questionable occupancy rates and inflated attendance figures and did not account for demand fluctuations that would result from price increases and competition.”
The IRS review is “to determine compliance with the Federal tax requirements,” the filing said. The Civic Facility Revenue Bonds were issued by New York’s Industrial Development Agency in 2007 on behalf of the Bronx Parking Development Company.
Bonds maturing in 2037 last traded at 44.19 cents on the dollar on July 2, according to Municipal Market Data, a unit of Thomson Reuters.
The IRS declined to comment. “Federal law prohibits the IRS from discussing specific tax payers or situations,” an IRS spokesman said.
According to both protestors and attendees of the costly fundraiser dinner event for the Bronx Democratic Party at Marina del Rey in Throgs Neck, never had they witnessed such a gathering of frustrated Bronxites at the annual event.
Police officers from the 45th precinct were not prepared for the multitude of people and had to call for more officers as well as barricades to cordon off the rally.
For quite some time now we’ve been letting you know how Bronxites are waking up, fed up with the Bronx political machine. Today was proof of what we’ve been saying all along.
When I arrived with a neighbor to both document and support the protest there were perhaps a dozen folks. Several minutes later someone shouted, “Here comes backup!” and when I turned and looked down East Tremont Avenue I saw dozens of men and women marching in single file towards us chanting loudly.
As I got closer to the marchers, it became apparent that there was well over a hundred, proudly walking with their signs as they chanted, “What do we want? Jobs! When do we want it? NOW!” repeatedly over and over.
Once they got to the end of East Tremont, they gathered at either end of the entrance into Marina del Rey and the chants went on for almost two hours and getting louder as cars ferrying the Democratic elite or attendees walked in.
Local residents of the quiet and close knit community of Throgs Neck began looking from their homes on their balconies or just simply walked over in curiosity. Protestors answered questions, letting them know why we were there.
NYS Senator Serrano asked me as he came in what was the issue and if it was just one issue and I told him it was a multitude of issues. People were tired. He looked onto the crowd and proceeded into the catering hall.
Many of the union workers held signs criticizing Community Benefit Agreements – the nonbinding “promises” developers and corporations give our communities and elected officials in exchange for millions in grants and subsidies. They claim that these agreements result in no jobs for Bronxites such as the new Yankee Stadium deal that resulted in stiffing residents in the promised job creations.
Speaking of sweetheart deals filled with broken promises, the ring leader of the Yankee Stadium deal, former borough president Adolfo Carrion walked in as a candidate for mayor with his press entourage.
Carrion, rather than truly listen to the voices of the people, just pretended to listen to our demands and posed for photo ops which I’m sure will be spun to favor him somehow.
The protests continued with chants against FreshDirect’s sweetheart deal, stop and frisk, budget cuts made to needed programs yet how money always appears for these dirty deals.
When the flow of traffic into Marina del Rey died down and the revelers were inside dining and drinking at the $300 per person event, Ramon Jimenez, attorney and one of the founders of the Freedom Party as well as one of the organizers of today’s protest asked for a moment to speak.
Everyone quieted down and Jimenez thanked all who came out to fight against corruption. He said that today was an historic event for never in the history of the fundraiser has there been so many people uprising against the political machine.
He promised this to be the first of many and that the conversation must continue.
It seems that Bronxites have awoken and politicians should be scared. The undying loyalty that has been given to them is coming to an end and perhaps finally they will learn that they work for us and not the other way around.
