Tuesday, December 21, 2010

NYBG Parking Garage Construction to Create Parking Nightmare for Botanical Square Residents

Well, the good news is that the construction of the New York Botanical Garden's new garage on Bedford Park Boulevard and Webster Avenue is moving along nicely after a lengthy delay awaiting funding.

The bad news is that, well, parking in the area will be a bitch whilst the new "intermodal transportation facility" is being constructed. Botanical Square residents will be losing 25 spots from January through May, and there will be intermittent street and lane closures as delivery trucks come and go. Come June, Botanical Square resident may just want to take their summer vacations early - Botanical Square South will be closed 24-hours a day to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic for the entirety of the month. Additionally, Botanical Square North will be temporarily converted to a dead end street, with no parking on either side, to accommodate 2-way traffic in order to provide pedestrian and vehicular access to the Botanical Arms building and the Metro North train station for pick-up and drop-off only. At this point of the construction, a total of 35 parking spots will be off limits.

We sure hope that NYBG has some free visit passes or, better yet, a free parking alternative for the residents of Botanical Square...this construction is sure to wreak havoc on their lives for quite some time.

For your convenience, we've converted the contents of the entire update into a PDF which you can read below.
Nybg Parking Update

And here's a survey NYBG would like residents to fill out in order to gauge interest for parking for the community:
New Parking Garage Flyer for Community Residents 122010
~ErLu

Monday, December 20, 2010

Battle of the Boroughs Deadline Dec 31

Here's a reminder for the musicians out there.

Attention Bronx performers: WNYC and WQXR's Battle of the Boroughs is back! Entry details are below:
Got talent?
The Greene Space is looking for the best undiscovered performers – bands and ensembles of all genres, instrumentalists, vocalists, DJs and spoken word artists – to take part in our second annual celebration of New York City’s up-and-comers.

Be heard!
Selected talent will perform in The Greene Space. The winner of the final battle gets a featured concert, plus and opening act slot at SummerStage!

Sign Up!
Rules and more info at thegreenespace.org/battle

ENTER BEFORE DECEMBER 31!
Battle of Boroughs 2010
~ErLu

Bronx Church Bandit Nabbed

The thief was caught trying to break in to St. Philip Neri Church on the Concourse in Bedford Park.

NY1 has some details and a brief video.

The Post also has a short write up.

The accused, 50 year old Nathaniel Linden, is now suspected in a slew of Church robberies in the past months in Bedford Park and Fordham.

~ErLu

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Espada and Son Indicted

Finally scumbag Pedro Espada Jr. and his equally contemptible son Pedro G Espada (the same one who quit a $120K/year fake job his dad extorted from the coup) have been indicted on six counts in federal court. The Daily News and Times Union have details.

Of course, the charges all have to do with Espada using his largely taxpayer funded network of heath care clinics as a personal piggy bank.

Hopefully these criminal charges will stick. (n.b the complaints filed by AG Cuomo back in April were civil rather than criminal). If convicted the poverty pimps could face up to 10 years in the slammer and a $250K fine.

~ErLu

Armory Anniversary

A year ago today the City Council told a $300 million+ investor, "Thanks, but no thanks." This Sunday, the Post ran an interesting op ed piece calling the site "an empty sore instead of jobs."

Any casual reader of the ole BD knows where we stand on this issue, and frankly, we took a lot of flack for not falling in line with the groupthink mentality of the NW Bronx. We'd just like to remind everyone about some facts concerning the Armory debacle.

The Armory still remains vacant and a financial liability rather than an asset for the city and the neighborhood. The communications director for Ruben Diaz, John DeSio, states, "According to the City the Kingsbridge Armory costs $1 million a year to maintain." Clearly, this is not an insignificant amount of money.

There still seems to be no clarity on what will happen to the historic site - or even what specifically Ruben Diaz and the task force would want to go there in an ideal world. The task force reportedly has met six times since its inception, according to Mr. DeSio, and they expect to give a report in the spring. When pressed about the Beep's personal vision for the site, Mr. DeSio related the following:
The borough president and the task force agree that efforts to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory should focus on strategic reuse of the property for a combination of community revitalization, education, and economic development purposes. The borough president would like to see the armory developed into a facility that meets these goals.
I'm not sure I see much specificity in this response. Maybe if we wish really really hard, that unicorn farm with $50K/year jobs with benefits might appear.

One thing that is certain: the 2,200 jobs, even if they were all minimum wage, would have paid Bronxites $33,176,000 (thirty-three million, one hundred and seventy-six thousand dollars!) in just this last year.

It seems this once frequent BD commenter who wrote the following during those heated days last December might want to rethink his statement:
...and since both of you are unabashed whores to related, as if they are the only ones who can save us, you need to know there ARE other plans out there and there ARE other ideas out there. and Guy, i know this is gonna hurt, but you didn't listen the last time, the BP does have a plan B... and even a C and D that you're going to hear about soon.
It seems like the BP didn't have any other plans beyond the shortsighted political expedience of hooting and hollering to promise something he couldn't deliver. The perfect became the enemy of the good and the Armory remains vacant, and no jobs or services have been created from the whole ordeal.

And to those who will decry the fact that Bloomy will be more reluctant to help anything get off the ground at the Armory because of the embarrassing defeat dealt him by Ruben Diaz and the City Council, remember that there are consequences to moral victories, O dear Pyrrhus.

~ErLu

Monday, December 13, 2010

Newspaper of Record Doesn't Know Marble Hill is Part of Manhattan?

A BD Reader sent the following in:
I thought this was funny:


The New York Times says that Brooklyn and Queens are "the only two of New York City’s five boroughs that are connected to each other by land."
Fail!

Manhattan and The Bronx are also connected by land. Marble Hill is connected to The Bronx, and disconnected from the rest of Manhattan, since the Harlem Ship Channel was built, shifting the course of the Harlem River. Of course, this border between Manhattan and The Bronx has issues similar to those the Times describes for Brooklyn and Queens.
Nice catch, BD Reader!

~ErLu

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Former Fordham QB to Start in NFL

John Skelton, who was drafted out of our nourishing mother Fordham University, will be making his first NFL start this Sunday for the Arizona Cardinals.

I am excited to be able to root for a fellow Ram -- even if the missus has a crush on him.

~ErLu

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Groupon Deal for Bronx Ale House

Big ups to BD Reader Lis for alerting us to an awesome Groupon deal for Bronx Ale House: there's still 4 hours left to buy into a deal offering $30 worth of "classic bar fare and drinks" for only $15!

Click here to check out the deal.

~ErLu

Monday, December 6, 2010

CB7 Tree Lighting Thursday Evening

Community Board 7 will host its annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on the Mosh this Thursday, 12/9, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Santa Claus will be making an appearance this year! Details below.BxCB7 Tree Lighting Flyer 2010
~ErLu

Friday, December 3, 2010

Battle of the Boroughs is Back!

Attention Bronx performers: WNYC and WQXR's Battle of the Boroughs is back! Entry details are below:
Got talent?
The Greene Space is looking for the best undiscovered performers – bands and ensembles of all genres, instrumentalists, vocalists, DJs and spoken word artists – to take part in our second annual celebration of New York City’s up-and-comers.

Be heard!
Selected talent will perform in The Greene Space. The winner of the final battle gets a featured concert, plus and opening act slot at SummerStage!

Sign Up!
Rules and more info at thegreenespace.org/battle

ENTER BEFORE DECEMBER 31!
Battle of Boroughs 2010
~ErLu

Shake Ya Groove Thang Tonight at PeaceLove Cafe

PeaceLove Cafe will be hosting a Salsa Dance Party this evening at 8pm. Click here for PeaceLove's website. Details on the dance party below.

~ErLu

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Free Independent Film Screenings Coming to Bruckner Bar & Grill!



We just received an exciting announcement from Rooftop Films -- Bruckner Bar and Grill will be home to their independent films series in the South Bronx.

On the first Thursday of each month, there will be a free screening of an independent film at Bruckner Bar and Grill. Rooftop Films is pleased to collaborate with Council member Maria Del Carmen Arroyo to bring some of the best new, independent films to the Bronx.

Starting December 2nd, Rooftop will present free monthly screenings on the first Thursday of each month, indoors at the Bruckner Bar and Grill. We will be showcasing fascinating new films from all over the world, with a focus on films that speak to the interests and issues of the diverse community in the South Bronx.

Rooftop’s inaugural screening will feature the Bronx premiere of WHITE LINES AND THE FEVER: THE DEATH OF DJ JUNEBUG, winner of the Best Documentary Short award at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. Filmmaker Travis Senger will be present for a Q and A following the show. We will also be presenting CLOSENESS, directed by Danilo Perra, a powerful short documentary about Bronx jazz musician Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre and his struggles to complete his final album.

All screenings at the Bruckner Bar and Grill will be free and open to all.

BRONX BLOWING THROUGH (SHORT PROGRAM)
Where: Bruckner Bar and Grill (1 Bruckner Blvd, South Bronx)
7:00 Doors Open 7:45
Films 9:00
Q and A with filmmakers
More information at: http://www.rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/69-bronx-blowin-through

Rooftop Films is a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage and inspire the diverse communities of New York City by showcasing the work of emerging filmmakers and musicians. In addition to our Summer Series – which takes place in unique outdoor venues every weekend throughout the summer – Rooftop provides grants to filmmakers, teaches media literacy and filmmaking to young people, rents equipment at low-cost to artists and non-profits, and produces new independent films. At Rooftop Films, we bring the underground outdoors. For more information and updates, please visit our website at www.rooftopfilms.com.

Maria Del Carmen Arroyo moved from Puerto Rico to the Bronx as a child in 1965 and has been representing the 17th District since February 15, 2005. Since her election, she has worked with community residents, organizations and leaders to build the partnerships and collaborations needed to bring positive changes to the community she represents. She has distinguished herself as a hard working representative for her district and has gained the respect of all she has encountered in her work as a Council member. She has been helping Rooftop Films to bring free independent film events to her district since 2009.