The Bronx News Network, in conjunction with BronxTalk, the cable television talk show hosted by Gary Axelbank on BRONXNET on Aug. 31, held a debate between Fernando Cabrera and Yudelka Tapia, candidates in the 14th District City Council race.

In the heavily Democratic Bronx, City Council elections are determined in the primaries, where only a small percentage of registered voters actually turn out to cast their ballots. This year, despite two compelling council races – in the 11th and 14th districts – looks to be more of the same.

Queens Councilman and Comptroller candidate John Liu met with the Norwood News at the end of August. Liu, a graduate of Bronx Science, was the only Comptroller candidate to explain his candidacy and qualifications to the News.

A listing of public and community meetings for our readers in the northwest Bronx and beyond.

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.