Activists Urge Klein To See The Sign On Campaign Finance Reform

by David Cruz “The cops are coming, let’s go!” said Matt Edge, head of the grassroots group Money Out of Politics (MOP), shouting to his accomplice as they scurried out of Fordham Plaza. In guerilla fashion, the activists hoisted a burlap sign in mid-afternoon with painted words that read “Klein, No More Empty Promises on Fair Elections #99.13%.” Six other banners were scattered throughout Klein’s 34th Assembly District, hung visibly around several overpasses along the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Taking Charge of the Parkway, Advocates Pick Up After Polluters

By Justin McCallum With warmer weather approaching, the many snowbanks along Mosholu Parkland are melting to reveal not budding flowers but heaps of trash discarded over the winter months. A walk along just ten concrete slabs of park sidewalk finds used cigarette boxes, a tomato sauce can, shattered beer bottles, motor oil and a moldy box of coffee along with paper cups. A felled “No Litter” sign lays discarded alongside debris, adding irony to a prairie that’s often treated like a wasteland. More trash lines the street, sidewalk, in the roadway and between cars.

Business Beat – Belmont BID: Selling Authentic Italian Traditions

By JUSTIN MCCALLUM For Bronxites and beyond, traveling to the Bronx’s Little Italy is often compared to a trek to the old country. It’s a destination. The smell of seasoned Italian sausage, blended with sights of Italian-named eateries and singers greeting its customers make the area a must-see. And behind a push to attract visitors to the destination is the Belmont Business Improvement District, the agency tasked to promote the epicenter for Italian fare. Unlike most BIDs, which usually promote merchandise stores, Belmont’s marquee draw is its neighborhood, intertwined with tradition and Italian fare. After all, its woven into their sales

CB7 Shows Support for Proposed Charter School

By Shayla Love At their general meeting on Feb. 18, Community Board 7 voted to write a letter of support for Atmosphere Charter School, which hopes to open a facility in the recently closed Our Lady of Mercy School building at 2512 Marion Ave. in Fordham, foregoing any public space. The school’s founding team first met with the board in October last year to present the school’s model. Colin Greene, a founder, said that he will include CB7’s letter of support in their application along with a letter from Community 6, which serves East Tremont, Bathgate, Belmont and West Farms.

By JUSTIN MCCALLUM With a deadline approaching, hospital union leaders and their local City Councilman are pressuring the city to re-open North Central Bronx Hospital’s maternity ward on time or risk losing the medical service.

Bloomberg-era DEP Chief to Re-run Agency

By DAVID CRUZ Amid a decade of delays for the Croton Water Filtration Plant project, Mayor Bill de Blasio has re-hired the city Department of Environmental Protection commissioner largely criticized for turning the plant project into the city’s costliest endeavor. Emily Lloyd was once again tapped to run the DEP, replacing outgoing chief Carter Strickland. She was DEP boss from 2005 to 2008 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, charged with overseeing construction of the plant. But the project gradually spiraled out of control, resulting in federal fines for slow work, federal probes into the project’s mob-connected construction firms, and audits

by David Cruz When Norma Jean Scully peered outside her window on Feb. 20, she quickly grabbed her camera phone. Scully had finally discovered the man boldly dumping an oversized bag of garbage along the sidewalk of East Mosholu Parkway in broad daylight. She let her phone roll. Turns out it was a neighbor, fishing out mounds of refuse from the trunk of his booted car only to plop it inside a steel trashcan belonging to the city Parks Department. He later schlepped back to his apartment building at 375 E. Mosholu Pkwy, a six-story pre-war with plenty of

Sen. Gustavo Rivera to Endorse Espaillat

State Sen. Gustavo Rivera is expected to endorse state Sen. Adriano Espaillat for the 13th Congressional District, adding to a list of electeds piling on the endorsements for Espaillat. After persistent speculation on whether he would run, Espaillat declared his candidacy for the 13th CD this week. The seat is currently held by longtime Congressman Charles Rangel, the 22-term Congressman who defeated Espaillat in a very close race. But his campaign has hit some snags in after City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced she’ll back Espaillat. With Rivera in tow, Espaillat is expected to touch base with business owners along

Be Healthy: Keeping Your Ticker In Shape

By the Norwood News Vital Stats: About 600,000 Americans die of heart disease each year – that’s one in every four deaths. (Source: Montefiore Medical Center) February is National Heart Month, and Montefiore Medical Center has been spreading awareness through several events, on the dangers of neglecting the heart. The Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care is now leading an effort to reduce heart disease, the leading cause of death in the country. The hospital’s goal is aimed at educating patients, the community and Montefiore associates about heart disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.