City Council candidate Tony Cassino is flying down the Grand Concourse in his red Nissan hatchback on his way to a debate, one of several between him and his opponent. Weaving between cars, Cassino gives a drive-by tour of his childhood, talks about campaign issues and, hold on a minute, he needs to call somebody to get directions.

Such is the fast-paced, multi-tasking life of Anthony Perez Cassino, a.k.a. Tony Cassino, a rookie candidate who’s making an insurgent bid to unseat an incumbent, Oliver Koppell

Standing near the entrance to the downtown 4-train at the Mosholu Parkway station, Councilman Oliver Koppell is making a valiant attempt to shake hands with commuters and ask for their support. It’s 8 a.m. and the straphangers are loaded down with bags, purses, babies, coffee cups and egg sandwiches. Some stick out their hands. Others hurriedly offer whatever they can. A wrist. A forearm. A pinky.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz refused to sign off on The Related Companies’ proposal to transform the borough’s largest indoor public space into a shopping mall.

He did the right thing.

The Bloomberg administration and its chosen developers expect communities to give carte blanche to projects even when they include massive chunks of prime public real estate and hand over considerable taxpayer subsidies to private companies. And they expect officials like Diaz to sign on the dotted line before negotiating Community Benefits agreements.

Adolfo Carrion, Diaz’s predecessor, went along, but with this action Diaz has set a different tone early in his new administration, as we urged him to do in a July editorial.

The borough president’s vote is advisory and the City Planning Commission, the majority of whom are mayoral appointees, is virtually certain to ignore it. But Related’s proposal will then head to the City Council.

While the Council rarely bucks the mayor on development issues, Diaz’s move puts pressure on the borough’s Council delegation, especially Council Members Maria Baez, whose district the facility is in, and Oliver Koppell, who has taken a keen interest in the Armory even though it’s just outside his district.

If the Bronx delegation votes “no,” then Council members from other boroughs will almost certainly defer to its decision.

If you’re a registered Democrat, you are eligible to vote in the Democratic primary on Sept. 15. (Unfortunately, there is scarcely a two-party system in the Bronx, so victories on Primary Day are tantamount to election.)

When a community turns out strong at the polls, whomever it votes for, it sends a powerful message to elected officials that it cannot be taken for granted.

Another way to send a message, if you’re reading this on Sept. 10, is to come to the debate we’re sponsoring tonight for the Council candidates in the 11th District at the Mosholu Library (see front page for details).

Drivers and pedestrians did double takes Thursday as they passed the center mall of Mosholu Parkway. They were awestruck by the appearance of a giant blow-up movie screen and people sitting in lawn chairs and on blankets there. Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera arranged for the showing of the Disney film "Wall-E" on the parkway.

One of our seniors was recently mugged during the daytime hours in his apartment building. He was robbed and badly injured. At present, he is slowing recovering from his injuries. We are all outraged to see a friend and, for that matter, anyone suffer such a brutal and unnecessary attack. Fortunately, his building has security cameras and there are photos of the suspect. Even with the photos of the suspect we have no arrest yet from the 52nd Precinct. Is this case and other similar ones a priority for our police? Currently, there has been no information given to very concerned and frightened members of the community.

I have concerns about the new school that is scheduled to be constructed on the site of a former parking lot on Webster Avenue and East 205th Street. While I understand the need for more classroom seats in a district that has been chronically overcrowded for years, the 11 two-family homes that are adjacent to the property will have to endure months, perhaps years, of noise, traffic, dust, and loss of privacy.

The Norwood News’ 2009 primary voter’s guide. Take a look at the candidates in the area’s two competitive City Council races: the 11th and 14th Districts. Find out how and where to vote. And see who’s running in the citywide races.

"It is so exciting!" squeals Sying, a 7-year-old foster child, upon receiving a brand new backpack from Abbott House, a care provider for foster and adopted children. "I love it," Sying beams.