In Last Fall’s Primary, New Voting Machines Lost 1,500 Bronx Votes

By Jeanmarie Evelly Remember those fancy new voting machines the state rolled out last September? Instead of heading into a booth and pulling a lever, voters on Election Day last year filled out paper ballots by hand and feed them into an optical scanning machine (pictured above). The change was made to ensure an accurate vote count–states were required by federal law to update their voting machines, a response to the 2000 presidential election fiasco. But a report released this week found that flaws with the new method resulted in 50,000 to 60,000 votes across the state going uncounted because


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Bronx Church’s Petition to Worship in Public Schools Denied by Supreme Court

The Bronx Household of Faith, a small congregation in University Heights, and dozens of other churches throughout New York City will become homeless on Jan. 1 after the Supreme Court decided today not to review an appeals court ruling in June that upheld the city’s policy of excluding churches from using public schools for worship services.

The Bronx Breakdown: Sitting Down with Sal, Bronx Corruption Updates, A Church Hopes for Supreme Court Help and More

The Bronx Breakdown is a re-imagined and re-invigorated version of what we once called “Friday News & Notes,” which was lacking in both an interesting title and consistency. We’ll be experimenting a little in this space, but for the most part, the weekly Breakdown, which will appear Friday afternoons, will consist of (1) a subjective breakdown of the week’s biggest and most intriguing news stories, (2) tidbits and newsbits we’ve come across and thought you should know about (3) a youtube clip, probably from Bronx Assemblyman and amateur Scorsese, Jose Rivera and (4) recommendations for things to do in the Bronx this weekend. So settle in, grab a cup of coffee or a Bronx Brewery Pale Ale and enjoy the Breakdown.

Sparkle Your Heart Tonight on Fordham Road

The Fordham Road Business Improvement District is kicking off the area’s holiday shopping season tonight with its “Sparkling the Heart of Fordham Tree Lighting Event” in Bryan Park (corner of East Fordham Road and East Kingsbridge Road) from 6 to 8 p.m.

A Bronx Neighborhood Loses Its Pizza Man, But Not His Pizza

It’s a typical Monday night inside Sal’s Pizza and Restaurant, Norwood’s oldest and most popular Italian joint. Hurried locals drop in for a quick slice. Friends pick up take-out. A family stops for a sit-down meal. And there’s Sal Calces, the gregarious, omnipresent owner of his namesake eatery since 1980. Two days from now, Sal will be gone.

Bronx World AIDS Day Event Tomorrow

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, which is actually today, Dec. 1, Fordham University will be hosting a conference titled “HIV Prevention 30 years into the Epidemic: National Strategies and Local Realities,” on Dec. 2 at 9 a.m.