Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Riverdale News: Search Continues for Gunman in Double Homicide

Riverdale News: Search Continues for Gunman in Double Homicide: --> (Below) A memorial has been set up for the two victims who were discovered shot to death inside a car on Perry Avenue. (Above...
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Search Continues for Gunman in Double Homicide

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(Below) A memorial has been set up for the two victims who were discovered shot to death inside a car on Perry Avenue. (Above) A memorial photo of Jennifer Rivera.
By David Greene
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 30- Homicide detectives continue their search for the suspect wanted for the latest killing in the relatively quiet and safe neighborhood of Norwood, after two cousins were found shot to death inside an SUV.
Answering a call of a person shot, police were summoned to a private home at 3328 Perry Avenue at 12:15 a.m., on January 16, when the officers discovered a man and woman had both been shot in the head inside a white SUV.
According to police, the male victim was rushed to Jacobi Hospital and the female victim was removed to St. Barnabas Hospital. Both victims were pronounced dead upon their arrival.
Police would later identify the victims as Jason Rivera, 30, of E. 194 Street and his niece Jennifer Rivera, 20, of Boynton Avenue.
None of the residents spoken to reported hearing gunfire, leading to speculation that the victims were killed at another location and dumped of the relatively quiet Perry Avenue.
Police say Jason Rivera served 4-years in prison after he was
convicted of stabbing a man in 2005. One published report stated that investigators were looking at the older Rivera's criminal background as a possible motive for the killings.
One resident of the block stated, "I didn't hear the gunfire... I've
been here 52-years so something like this is not going to shake me."
Several other violent incidents were reported recently within the
confines of the 52nd Precinct, at just after 5 p.m., on January 10,
police were called to 2608 Creston Avenue, where police discovered a male victim who was shot through the front door of a building.
Police were looking for the gunman, described as a male Hispanic teen, between 14 and 15-years old, who fled from E. 193 Street towards E. Kingsbridge Road.
At just before 6 p.m., on January 13, officers from the 52nd Precinct were called to 3051 Valentine Avenue at E. 204 Street, where they discovered a 30-year old male shot to his side and back.
Police in this incident were said to be looking for a male Hispanic who fled in a Range Rover. On January 14, police were called to 3525 Decatur Avenue, where a victim was discovered with a slash wound to the leg. All three victims were expected to survive. No arrests in any of the incidents were reported.
Longtime Norwood resident Sim Binnum believed the solution rests with Commissioner Ray Kelly, stating, "If we had walking patrols like he has in Manhattan, he could end some of this crap right now. If you go to Fordham you'll see walking patrols. But 204th Street is just as much a commercial district as Fordham or Jerome Avenue."
The 52nd Precinct, which covers the Norwood, Bedford Park and Fordham communities reported just six homicides last year, down from a high of 43 in 1993.
Anyone with any information on any violent crime are asked to call the CRIMESTOPPERS Tip Line at 1 (800) 577-TIPS, all calls remain confidential.
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Friday, January 25, 2013

Riverdale News: Ben Franklin Dem Club Endorses Diaz & Cohen

Riverdale News: Ben Franklin Dem Club Endorses Diaz & Cohen: --> Riverdale Report By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, January 25- The headline refers to the meeting of the Ben Fran...
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Ben Franklin Dem Club Endorses Diaz & Cohen

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Riverdale Report
By Robert Press


BRONX, NEW YORK, January 25- The headline refers to the meeting of the Ben Franklin Democratic club that was held last Wednesday to see if the club wanted to endorse candidates in the race for Bronx Borough President and in the local 11th City Council race. The question to the membership was do you want to vote to endorse in the Bronx Borough President's race, and do you want to endorse in the 11th City Council district? The answer to both questions was an overwhelming YES, despite a question by one member if it was to early to endorse.

The one and only announced candidate current Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. spoke to the club saying how he thanked the club for its endorsement and help the first time around in 2009, and would hope that it be the same this year. He thanked the members of the club for their support.

Next were the candidates for the 11th City Council seat. Andrew Cohen was first up, and he stressed that he was a man of integrity and someone who is honest. He went through his community and professional experience, and some of his views on current issues. Cohen said that that public school system is drowning in standardized testing, the mayor should negotiate with the teachers on true teacher evaluations, and that there needs to be much better parent involvement in the school system.

Shelly Keeling who recently announced her candidacy two weeks ago was next up. Ms. Keeling said that she has lived in the area for over 25 years and has been a businesswoman for 34 years. She said that she is a substitute teacher.

Third and last was Cliff Stanton. Mr. Stanton opened up with “Now I know how Jonah must have felt in the belly of the whale”. Stanton went from bad to worse by cracking a joke that he had Assemblyman Dinowitz's back after being called the dictator of the club by one member. Stanton gave a brief bio of himself, and said “I get things done”. On a question about censorship of a local Riverdale newspaper, Stanton said that the paper was constantly attacking PS 24. Whether it was a joke or not Stanton went on to say “If the government was coming after Andy Wolf (the publisher of the paper), I would come to his aid”.

When the vote was counted BP Diaz got all but 2 votes where no endorsement was marked. In the 11th Council race, of the three candidates Andrew Cohen received 84 of the 99 votes. Second place went to no endorsement with 6 votes, third was Ms. Shelly Keeling with 5 votes, Cliff Stanton received 3 votes, and there was one write in vote for Bob Press the writer of this column. Just for the record I am not a member of the Ben Franklin Club, and was therefore not able to vote. Check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com archive section on the left “Ben Franklin Club Endorsements” for more details & photos of the candidates and vote count.

Community Board #8's Economic Development Committee met on Monday January 14th, and on the agenda were street activity permit applications (SAPO) for three events co-sponsored by KRVDC (the Kingsbride Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation). Ms. Tracy Shelton the Executive Director of KRVDC was on hand to answer questions, but when committee members asked to see the applications there were none. Committee Chair Sergio Villaverde said that he asked the District Manager of the board to e-mail them out. It also appeared that when asked if he knew the SAPO rules, Mr. Villaverde thumbed through a loose leaf looking for an answer that did not come. It was later announced that this was only an informational meeting on the applications, and the vote on them would be next month. The following night two different SAPO applications were heard, seen, and approved by the Traffic and Transportation committee chaired by Dan Padernacht. Also on the T&T agenda were two sidewalk cafe applications that were both approved. Separate discussions on the Cannon Place retaining wall replacement presentation by the DDC, and truck route to the West 238th Street/Broadway mall Riverdale Crossings were also part of the meeting.

If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or you can call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Riverdale News: Bronx Seeing Major Drop in Crime

Riverdale News: Bronx Seeing Major Drop in Crime: --> BRONX, NEW YORK, January 23- Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. released statistics highlighting the decrease in murders in th...
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Bronx Seeing Major Drop in Crime

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BRONX, NEW YORK, January 23- Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. released statistics highlighting the decrease in murders in the Bronx in 2012. Last year, the Bronx had a total of 112 murders, down from 148 in 2011 and an all time low in the borough since the early 1960s.
“We are fed up with the negative stereotypes and the erroneous images about who we are as a Borough. The Bronx is a different place from when I was a teenager in the 80s and 90s, and hopefully we can make 2013 safer. This is a good first step, but we have much more work ahead of us,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
“I would especially like to thank the hard work of the NYPD, our elected officials, community organizations and everyone who continues to help make our borough a safer place to live.”
With roughly 1.4 million residents in the Bronx, statistics show that in 2012 the Bronx had a murder rate of 8.0 per 100,000 residents. For example, in 2012 Philadelphia’s murder rate stood at 21.4 per 100,000 residents, while Boston had a murder rate of 9.1 per 100,000 and Newark had 33.1 per 100,000 in 2012.
Other cities with significantly higher murder rates than the Bronx included New Orleans, Detroit, Atlantic City, Cleveland, Buffalo, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Dallas and Houston. Los Angeles, with a murder rate of 7.7 per 100,000 residents, barely edged out the Bronx in 2012.
“The Bronx is outpacing the nation in a wide variety of areas, including crime reduction. These statistics show that our borough, which continues to suffer from an inaccurate image as a dangerous place, is indeed outpacing some of the nation’s biggest cities when it comes to violent crime reduction. Given these numbers, it’s time for people across the nation and the world to reconsider how they think about the Bronx,” said Borough President Diaz.
Since the NYPD began tracking crime statistics through CompStat 19 years ago, the Bronx has seen a 70.4 percent total drop in crime, including a 78.1 percent drop in murders. This year’s drop is the lowest number of total murders since 1963. In 2012, the borough saw a drop in shooting victims of 7.7 percent and in shooting incidents of 6.7 percent from the previous year. In the past 19 years, the Bronx has seen shooting victims drop 65.1 percent, and shooting incidents drop 68.5 percent.
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Monday, January 21, 2013

Riverdale News: Beware Phony Workers

Riverdale News: Beware Phony Workers: --> Scam Artists Target Morris Park Seniors By Dan Gesslein BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- Police are warning seniors to b...
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Beware Phony Workers

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Scam Artists Target Morris Park Seniors
By Dan Gesslein
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 21- Police are warning seniors to be on the lookout for a pair of phony repairmen who scam their way into the elderly’s home just to steal their valuables.
Investigators released a sketch of the man they say has been targeting seniors in Morris Park. Cops have linked the scammer to three robberies in one week. In each case the man in the sketch poses as a repairman or government worker checking on a phony report of a leak or other problem in the victim’s home. Once the victim is distracted the scammer’s accomplice sneaks into the victim’s bedroom and steals jewelry and cash.
The first incident took place at around 3:45 p.m. on January 9. In that case, the suspect rang the doorbell of a 71-year-old Morris Park home owner. The scammer said he was fixing a neighbor’s adjoining fence and needed access to the senior’s yard. Once distracted the accomplice snuck into the house and began looking for items to loot. However, the home owner came back into the house and spotted the thief. The 71-year-old went after the red-handed scammer, who then fled the home along with the phony repairman. They fled in a grey pick up truck. 
The thieves were more successful the following day striking twice. At around 3:15 p.m. the scammer posed as a water company worker. He knocked on the door of an 89-year-old woman claiming he needed to check her basement for leaks. Once distracted, the accomplice removed jewelry from the woman’s bedroom dresser.
A short time later the scammers struck again. This time posing as DEP workers they approached an elderly married couple. The phony worker told the husband and wife, both 73 years old, that he needed to investigate a fictitious complaint. As the husband and wife tested the water in their kitchen the two men took cash from the couple’s bedroom dresser. 
Cops say that in none of the cases did the crooks display phony badges or wore uniforms indicating that they worked in an official capacity.
The suspects are described as a white male and a Hispanic male. They are both between the ages of 25 and 25, 5 foot 10 and 170 pounds. 
Anyone with information should call CRIMESTOPPERS at (800) 577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
All calls are strictly confidential.
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Thursday, January 17, 2013

It's Off to Albany Now

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100 PERCENT
By Robert Press
BRONX, NEW YORK, Januaru 17- Our headline refers to back to back inaugurations of the two newest members of the state assembly. 
Luis Sepulveda was sworn in as the new assemblyman from the 87th A.D. on January 12th, and on the very next day Mark Gjonaj was sworn in as the new assemblyman from the 80th A.D. Both new assembly members had their day to remember, and if the events are a sign of what the two new legislatures can do the Bronx is in good hands.
Assemblyman Sepulveda held his event at St. Raymond’s Church in Parkchester. This site was uniquely located that U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer rode his bicycle to the event. There was Schumer sitting in the front row in his bike attire holding his helmet on his lap. Schumer was joined by Congressman Jose Serrano, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., and many other Bronx elected officials from the city council and state legislature. Also on hand were several candidates for office this year including two candidates for mayor. Though the elected officials were on hand as were over 600 people, this was a day for Luis Sepulveda and his family to remember, it was their day. Years of hard work finally paid off in Sepulveda's election to the state assembly. You can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to see photos of the Assemblyman Sepulveda swearing in ceremony, his lovely wife Elizabeth, 2 year old son Luis Jr., some of the elected officials on hand, the swearing in by Judge Fernando Tapia, and of course Assemblyman Sepulveda thanking all of those who helped him get elected.
Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj held his event at Columbus High School, and this swearing in however was very different from Assemblyman Sepulveda's the day before. Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj was to be the first Albanian American to be sworn in to the New York State legislature This was history in the making. While U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer was in attendance he did not ride his bike here, and was joined by Congressman Eliot Engel, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., State Senator Jeff Klein, City Comptroller John Liu, and many other Bronx elected officials from the city council and state legislature. Like the day before there were several candidates for office this year including three candidates for mayor. and over 1,000 people in attendance at this event. This however was a day for Mark Gjonaj, the Gjonaj family, the people of the 80th A.D., and of Albanian American decent to remember.
Senator Klein was the first up of the elected officials to speak, and you had to wonder what was on his mind when he said “it was 18 years ago that Judge McKeon administered the oath of office to me when I became the new assemblyman from the 80th A.D.” One by one many of the elected officials who were sitting on stage got up when they were called to speak, and this time around had only words of praise for Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj. Some were the same elected officials who supported Assemblyman Gjonaj's opponent and said that he could never get elected to the assembly. Today however all were brought together as BP Diaz said it best when he said “Mark Gjonaj has exhibited the work ethic to help improve his district, and the Bronx in a way to bring people together”. 
City Comptroller John Liu congratulated Assemblyman Gjonaj as one whose family had also immigrated to the United States, but added that he (Liu) was made in Taiwan and not Albania. Liu added that he knows firsthand the struggles that the Gjonaj family had to endure. It was strange though that while City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was sitting on stage and listed as a speaker that she left early in the program. 
Another candidate for mayor in 2013 who was sitting in the audience was former Bronx BP Adolfo Carrion Jr. I got to ask Carrion now that it looks like it will be a lot tougher than he thought to get the Republican nod for mayor if he was going to run for Public Advocate or Comptroller as he announced in his aborted 2009 run for citywide office. Carrion told me “It's City Hall all the way”, but we shall see. Check my blog for more on this event, and the many photos.
Over the weekend I saw many of the people who have opened up campaign committees or have been named or rumored to be running for the 15th City Council seat. Current 15th council seat holder Joel Rivera would not comment on who he might be supporting, and while speaking to Albert Alverez his current Chief of Staff (who has announced his intentions to run for the 15th seat) Albert said that he was running even if another Rivera entered the picture. Current 80th A.D. Male District leader Kenny Agosto said that he is running for the 15th council seat, and knows that he will have lots of company. I won't mention a few others as they said that they had not fully made a decision on if they were running or not, and all predicted a crowded field in the race. One interesting note was that when I asked who each candidate who was the front runner in the 15th council race all but one said Radame Perez, the owner of the C-Town supermarket on Crescent Street in the Belmont section of the 15th council district. I attended the Annual coat drive that Mr. Perez partners with Health Plus to give out to those who need in the neighborhood a warm coat, to talk to him about the 15th council race. When I entered the recently renovated C-Town on Crescent Street it looked like I was in a beautiful gourmet store somewhere else that could not be here in the Bronx. I found Mr. Perez who told me the C-Town renovation has taken up most of his time, and that the store will have its official grand re-opening in early February. He added that he wants to run for the council seat, but will not make a decision until after the C-Town reopens in February.
Don't forget to check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com for photos of the two inaugurations mentioned in this column, other items that did not make it into this column, or items that may have come in after the deadline. If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.
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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Riverdale News: Health Screenings

Riverdale News: Health Screenings: --> BRONX, NEW YORK, January 16 - Residents living in and around the Bronx can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke o...
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Health Screenings

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BRONX, NEW YORK, January 16- Residents living in and around the Bronx can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke or bone fracture. Knights of Columbus will host Life Line Screening on January 28. The site is located at 3243 Ampere Avenue in Bronx. 
Four key points every person needs to know:
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of permanent disability.
Eighty percent of stroke victims had no apparent warning signs prior to their stroke.
Preventive ultrasound screenings can help you avoid a stroke
Screenings are fast, noninvasive, painless, affordable and convenient.
Screenings identify potential cardiovascular conditions such as blocked arteries and irregular heart rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. A bone density screening to assess osteoporosis risk is also offered and is appropriate for both men and women.
Packages start at $149. All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete.  
For more information regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-237-1287 or visit our website at www.lifelinescreening.com.  Pre-registration is required.
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Monday, January 14, 2013

Riverdale News: Broncs Ride Over Jaspers

Riverdale News: Broncs Ride Over Jaspers: --> (Photo by Gary Quintal) By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, January 14 - The Rider Broncs (8-9, 3-2) rode into the Bronx ...
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Broncs Ride Over Jaspers

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(Photo by Gary Quintal)

By Howard Goldin
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 14- The Rider Broncs (8-9, 3-2) rode into the Bronx and over the Manhattan Jaspers (4-11, 2-3) at the Draddy Gymnasium, in Riverdale on Wednesday night. The win was the second consecutive for Riders. The Broncs had lost five straight contests before their most recent victories. The defeat was the eighth in Manhattan’s last ten games.
The first half was very tightly contested and low scoring. Neither teams reached double figures until the mid-point of the half. The score was tied for the third and final time at 13. The visitors completed the period by out-scoring the Jaspers, 15-7, to lead 28-20 at the half.
A basket by Nurideem Lindsey, a transfer from St. John’s, at 19:16 of the second half gave the Broncs the largest advantage of the game, 10 points. Although the lead was equaled several times later in the contest, it never grew larger. A free throw by C. J. Jones of the Jaspers cut the lead to a single point, 54-53 with 4:31 remaining, but Manhattan trailed the visitors throughout the second half.
Manhattan, averaging +4.5 rebounds over its opponents, was ineffective under the boards. The Jaspers were out-rebounded, 48-32. Another previous strength, free throw shooting, fell in the contest with Rider. The Jaspers, averaging 71.2 percent from the charity stripe this season, netted only 9 of 19 attempts from the foul line.
Two players on the Broncs were instrumental in the victory by producing double-doubles, Daniel Stewart scored 22 and grabbed 16 boards. Anthony Miles netted 13 and hauled down 14 rebounds.
The Jaspers output was lessened by the absence of two its three leading scorers, George Beamon and Michael Alvarado, by injuries. Rhmel Brown continued to lead the Manhattan attack by scoring 15. He was also highly potent on defense with 11 boards, two blocks and one steal. He has averaged over 15 points per game in his last six contests. Freshman Shane Richards continued his accuracy from the perimeter, He tied his season high of 18 points on 6 of 13 from beyond the arc. C.J. Jones scored a season-high of 11 points.

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