News

Housing Lottery Launches for units at Betances Senior Residence in Mott Haven

By DAVID GREENE
An affordable housing lottery has launched for units in Betances Senior Residence, a Passive House senior housing building at 445 East 142nd Street in Mott Haven, as reported by YIMBY.   The 12,000 square-foot development is designed by CookFox Architects and is developed by Breaking Ground. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 78 units for residents at 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $0 to $53,700.   Amenities include fitness room, computer room, library, a shared laundry room, community room, security guard, and landscaped courtyard outdoor terrace.   At 50 percent of the


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Second Suspected Pelham Bay Killer Captured

By DAVID GREENE
Police have arrested a man for a suspected fatal shooting that was the second such killing in Pelham Bay in less than three months.   On Monday, June 14, police announced the arrest of Luis Rivera, 18, of 2004 Ellis Avenue in Parkchester, who was charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.   According to police officials, Rivera was charged in the fatal shooting of Nelson Caban, 24, of East 102nd Street, Manhattan. Caban was discovered inside his Honda Accord at 10:23 p.m. on Tuesday, March 30, on the southbound Bruckner Expressway between Exits 7-B and 8,


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Rare ‘Annular’ Eclipse of the Sun Briefly Visible in Co-Op City

By DAVID GREENE
Bronx residents who were awake and facing east at dawn on Thursday, June 10, captured a rare, yet brief treat as an ‘annular’ eclipse of the sun was visible in the eastern sky across North America. In New York City, the eclipse was cut short when thick clouds and rain rolled into the area.   Partial solar eclipses happen when the moon comes between the sun and earth, but the moon only partially covers the sun’s disk. A total solar eclipse happens when the moon comes between the sun and earth and casts the darkest part of its shadow, the


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Eric Dinowitz Calls for Voting Access to any Poll Site in County following Kingsbridge Incident

By SÍLE MOLONEY
District 11 Council Member Eric Dinowitz released a statement on June 8 in which he renewed his call to the New York City Board of Elections (BOE) to allow voters to cast their ballot at any poll site within the county in which they live. The statement comes on the heels of a confusing situation regarding a poll site change in the Kingsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx.   Kingsbridge residents previously voted at In-Tech Academy but were moved to the Bronx High School of Science, a location a good distance away from their homes. The BOE has since updated their


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Mayor & Bronx BP Races: Kathryn Garcia & Nathalia Fernández Cross Endorse Each Other

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernández (A.D. 80), candidate for Bronx borough president, endorsed Kathryn Garcia as her number two choice for New York City mayor on Friday, June 11, while Garcia, the City’s former Sanitation commissioner and food czar, endorsed Fernández as her number one pick for Bronx borough president.   Fernández credited Garcia’s dedication as a lifelong public servant, her extensive career fighting climate change, and her steady hand shepherding New York City through some of its biggest crises, as the deciding factors in ranking Garcia her number two choice for mayor. On May 12, the assemblywoman announced her endorsement of


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Dinowitz Bill Allowing Seniors in Co-Ops Access to Home Equity Loans Passed by Legislature

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The State Assembly and State Senate have passed legislation (A1508) to allow seniors living in cooperative apartment buildings to apply for “reverse mortgages,” a type of loan currently available to homeowners that transfers built-up home equity into cash. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), who was one of the legislators to introduce the bill, announced the news on Friday, June 11, as the Legislature broke for the summer recess.   According to bankrate.com, a home equity loan is a lump-sum loan that’s secured by home equity. Quickloans.com defines equity as the difference between what a person owes on their mortgage and


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Bronx BP Race: United Probation Officers Endorse Vanessa Gibson

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The United Probation Officers Association announced their support on Sunday, June 13, for District 16 City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson in her bid to win the Bronx borough presidency.   Dalvanie K Powell is president of the association and said The Bronx needs elected officials who understand the role that probation officers play in turning lives around in New York City and that Gibson “certainly” does that. “She has proven herself, time and again, that she is committed to the future of the Bronx and to New York City, and we proudly endorse her for borough president of the Bronx. We


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MTA Officers Arrest Three Motorists within 30 Minutes for Attempted Toll Evasion on RFK Bridge

By SÍLE MOLONEY
MTA Bridges and Tunnels announced that on Wednesday, June 9, bridge and tunnel officers successfully apprehended three motorists for allegedly using fraudulent license plates, in an attempt to evade paying the toll on the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.   The arrests were made in a 30-minute span, and began at approximately 9:30 a.m. Personnel utilized intelligence provided by Bridges and Tunnels staff and electronic license plate readers for the purpose of stopping persistent toll violators. According to the officers, the first motorist was found to have a fraudulent temporary New Jersey license plate.   Ten minutes later, at approximately 9:40


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Update: Jamaal Bowman Issues Statement on Eric Adams’ Education Remarks on Virtual Learning

By SÍLE MOLONEY
In response to remarks about remote learning made by Brooklyn borough president and New York City mayoral candidate, Eric Adams, during a Citizen’s Budget Commission forum in February 2021, which were posted to Twitter on June 11, U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), himself, a former teacher, released a statement on Saturday, June 12, condemning the borough president’s remarks.   The tweet was posted under the Twitter handle for The Matt Skidmore Show. Under the YouTube channel for the The Matt Skidmore Show, it states that “Matt creates a video explaining why voters should consider 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate and former


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