Round'em Up

Here are some Bronx-related stories which we've rounded up you, our lovely readers, while trolling the interweb with our horse and lasso this fine morning:

Councilman Larry Seabrook has been charged with money laundering, extortion, and fraud related to schemes which, among other things, secured city contracts for a boiler company...a Manhattan US Attorney says that Seabrook essentially "operated his own corrupt, City Council-funded friends and family plan." [New York Times, Daily News here and here, New York Post, YourNabe.com, and Gothamist]

BD NOTE: The 66-page indictment contains a laundry list of charges, but among them our favorite has to be that Seabrook (whom the Daily News says is referred to as "Cash and Carry Larry") allegedly altered a deli receipt for a bagel and a diet soda that cost $7 so that he would be reimbursed $177. Come on Larry! That's the oldest forgery trick in the book...isn't that what 5th graders do to change grades to deceive their parents? Not only are our Bronx politicians completely uninterested in representing the needs of their constituents, but they also just seem plain old dumb sometimes.

Norwood's Foodtown, which was burned to the ground in a December fire, and Tremont's Western Beef have both been approved for financial incentives through the City's FRESH program to rebuild/expand their stores in order to offer a broad selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy products [New York Times]

Proposed homeless shelter in Westchester Square is now being considered as a permanent site for transitional housing for the homeless...The Westchester Square Merchants' Association questions the amount of money the cash-strapped City is spending on these apartments [Village Voice]

The New York Public Library System will be addressing budget issues by cutting hours at branches throughout the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island...The Bronx will be the first to experience the reduced hours beginning February 16th. [Staten Island Advance]

A team of doctors from Montefiore Medical Center share their experiences providing healthcare to the people of Haiti [Daily News]

Anybody looking to adopt about 75 chickens? The fowl were featured in yesterday's Daily News, and now their caretaker is seeking a safe and humane way to get them off the streets of Highbridge. [Daily News]

A Burr Avenue apartment building dubbed 'White Castle' is hanging in limbo as it awaits a certificate of occupancy from the City [YourNabe.com]

~ErLu

CB Applications Due This Friday!

Since you're most likely stuck in your apartment today due to the white stuff outside, you'll finally have time to fill out that application for the Community Board that you've been meaning to get around to. The applications are due this Friday - here's a link to the BP's website with all the documents you'll need.
CB flier 10
~ErLu

Round'em Up

Here are some Bronx-related stories which we've rounded up you, our lovely readers, while trolling the interweb with our horse and lasso this fine morning:

Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, a community activist whose name most Bronxites know well from KARA's fight against the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment plan, is considering running against Pedro Espada Jr. for his State Senate seat [BxNN]

BD NOTE: Although we are quite peeved with the outcome, uncertain future, and very certain vacancy of the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment plan, we'd vote for a ham sandwich over Pedro.

Sen. Diane Savino thinks perhaps Pedro Espada should consider some important ammendments to the bill he's introduced to boot any lawmaker who is convicted of a misdemeanor, such as including those in violation of campaign finance rules, residency laws, etc. [Daily News' Daily Politics]

A profile of the work that's being done along the Bronx River by the environmental group Rocking the Boat [OnEarth.org]

The Silver Fox dishes all this week's juicy Bronx gossip [Daily News]

The Bx12 bus route is among the first in the City to debut what transit officials call 'the bus of the future.' The Nova Bus LFS features three doors, low floors and clean engine technology and will run along the City's Select Bus Service corridors. [2nd Ave. Sagas]

There are a bunch of wild chickens walking the streets of Highbridge...residents say aside from the loud crowing in the morning, they're really quite friendly [Daily News]

There will be a reunion this spring to unite current and former Parkchester residents [Daily News]

~ErLu

Round'em Up

Here are some Bronx-related stories which we've rounded up you, our lovely readers, while trolling the interweb with our horse and lasso this fine morning:

It seems the good life in Edgewater Park and Silver Beach can only be bought by some...a suit alleges that the two Bronx cooperative communities and a realtor representing listings there have been engaging in discriminatory practices [New York Times]

A detailed look at the history and upcoming closure of the Old London Foods factory in Morris Park [New York Times]

Ey ho! This week's 'Living In' focuses on life in the Belmont community of the BoogieDown [New York Times]

One real estate broker calls out Riverdale's Solaria for a bit of misleading advertising regarding financing available for the units there [malcolmcarter.wordpress.com]

Although the national unemployment rate has fallen, the Bronx is still feeling the burn of the recession as they struggle to find jobs [Bronx Ink]

Haven Academy, a charter school in the South Bronx, is the first school in the City dedicated to serving children from broken families [New York Times]

Certain 6 train stations in the Bronx will be closed beginning today for major renovations, but bus service will be offered [Daily News]

More on the 100-bed transitional shelter that the City plans to open in Wakefield [Daily News]

The Bronx News Network, who just celebrated their 2,000th blog post, will be hosting a fundraiser at the Bronx Ale House on February 25th [BxNN]

~ErLu

Round'em Up

Here are some Bronx-related stories which we've rounded up you, our lovely readers, while trolling the interweb with our horse and lasso this fine morning:

The City has ordered the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center's 10-bed homeless shelter to close, even though the community supports having the shelter there [New York Times]

A look at the evolution of graffiti throughout NYC over the years [New York Times]

A review of the movie 'Falling Awake,' which the critic calls a Latino Bronx Tale [New York Times]

An inside look at 'Benny From The Bronx,' a regular caller well-known in the sports talk radio loop [Daily News]

An examination of the history of the lack of hotels in the BoogieDown [BxNN]

A softball interview with Pedro Espada [Daily News via BxNN]

BD NOTE: Warning - this interview is nearly 15 minutes of Pedro yammering on and on and on using nothing but the usual political rhetoric to make himself look good. I suggest you skip to the 4:45 mark, where you can watch Pedro stammer, "Let's take the Bronx, where I, I, I, I'm from..." Why so nervous Pedro? We already know you're from the Bronx...we would have been much more interested to hear you say where you currently LIVE.

A report on the public hearing regarding a change in zoning laws to allow a developer to add ten stories to his health care clinic for moderate income apartments [BxNN]

BD NOTE: Here's what we posted as a comment on BxNN regarding what appears to have gone down at the meeting:

I am confused by what seems to have gone on at the hearing... Currently Mr. Daneshvar is adding on 3 stories to expand the health care clinic, right? And this expansion fits in with current zoning laws for the area, from what I've read.

The real issue seems to have been overshadowed at the hearing, which is the additional TEN stories that Mr. Daneshvar wants to add on to build moderate income rental units. I'm baffled as to why Medalliance supporters would hold signs saying "More Jobs, More Health." How would increased congestion and an out of character 10+ story building improve people's health?

And Medalliance's land use lawyers arguing that most patients take mass transit to the health clinic does nothing to explain how all the additional residents living in the 58 unit apartment complex will be getting around.

I don't think anyone really has a problem with the health clinic expanding by 3 stories, it's more the additional 10 stories that Daneshvar wants to build as apartments. Medalliance's supporters seem to be confusing the issue here.

~ErLu

Town Hall Meeting For Haitians This Evening

There will be a Town Hall meeting this evening to assist Haitians with the process of obtaining Temporary Protected Status. Please see the below flier for details.
Town Hall Meeting 2010
~ErLu

Round'em Up

Here are some Bronx-related stories which we've rounded up you, our lovely readers, while trolling the interweb with our horse and lasso this fine morning:

A woman is trying to find a Vietnam veteran named Edwin Marrero who lived on Prospect Avenue near 149th Street in the 1960s...She has vigilantly protected his family's photos through a house fire and two basement floods and desperately wants to return them to Mr. Marrero [New York Times]

A cop from the 52nd precinct was arrested yesterday for allegedly conspiring to rip off drug dealers - he even provided a police scanner and hydraulic jack for the job [Daily News]

Award-winning poets Sarah Stern and Matthew Thorburn will be reading this evening at 6pm at the Riverdale Library as part of BCA's "BxIndie presents BRIO Program Series" [AmericanTowns.com]

~ErLu