After spending almost a year in various domestic violence shelters around New York City, Maria, whose real name is being withheld for her own protection, has found a new life and a new beginning in the northwest Bronx. What she found was Marcello Manor, the newest and largest project of New Destiny, a nonprofit housing corporation that provides permanent housing and help for survivors of domestic violence.
At a heavily-trafficked intersection in University Heights, residents are increasingly scared to cross the street. There is no crosswalk or traffic signal at the intersection of 183rd Street and Sedgwick Avenue, and several accidents have been reported there since 2007, sending at least two street crossers to the hospital.
Pedro Espada may be the second or third most important person in state politics at the moment, but he wasn’t a state senator a mere six months ago.
He won a Democratic primary against Efrain Gonzalez, Jr., the indicted incumbent, with less than 5,000 votes.
Democratic officials who were in the process of deposing party leader Jose Rivera, closed ranks behind Gonzalez, despite clear indications that he was headed to jail.
They overlooked Gonzalez’s pending criminal trial on fraud and corruption charges by telling themselves that Gonzalez would be more loyal than Espada, and that if he went to jail, they’d get to hand pick a candidate who would sail to election. Gonzalez had never flirted with joining the Republican caucus (though he did endorse Rudy Giuliani and Al D’Amato) and wouldn’t stand in the way of hallmark Democratic legislation like vacancy decontrol, their reasoning went.
"If he were to be convicted, he would be out of office and there would be a special election," says Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. "If Pedro Espada got elected, we believed there would be a good chance that he’d sit with Republicans because he had a history of doing that, and it’s not a distant history."
It would be a decent point if Gonzalez had won. But he didn’t – probably because few voters were motivated to head to the polls to choose between the indicted Gonzalez and Espada, who has his own sordid history.
What if they instead had gotten behind a third candidate?
He won a Democratic primary against Efrain Gonzalez, Jr., the indicted incumbent, with less than 5,000 votes.
Democratic officials who were in the process of deposing party leader Jose Rivera, closed ranks behind Gonzalez, despite clear indications that he was headed to jail.
They overlooked Gonzalez’s pending criminal trial on fraud and corruption charges by telling themselves that Gonzalez would be more loyal than Espada, and that if he went to jail, they’d get to hand pick a candidate who would sail to election. Gonzalez had never flirted with joining the Republican caucus (though he did endorse Rudy Giuliani and Al D’Amato) and wouldn’t stand in the way of hallmark Democratic legislation like vacancy decontrol, their reasoning went.
"If he were to be convicted, he would be out of office and there would be a special election," says Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. "If Pedro Espada got elected, we believed there would be a good chance that he’d sit with Republicans because he had a history of doing that, and it’s not a distant history."
It would be a decent point if Gonzalez had won. But he didn’t – probably because few voters were motivated to head to the polls to choose between the indicted Gonzalez and Espada, who has his own sordid history.
What if they instead had gotten behind a third candidate?
This is an open letter to landlords, brokers and tenants in the Norwood News readership area. Landlords of six housing units or more cannot refuse to accept section 8 vouchers or any federal, state, or city subsidies under local law 10 Int. 061-A. This includes people on public assistance or Social Security.
On June 24, Community Board 7 held a public hearing on the Related Companies’ application to develop the Kingsbridge Armory.
This has been a long time coming. If done well, this project will become an engine to revitalize the community; helping northwest Bronx residents succeed for generations to come, with new schools, recreation and community space, new shops which do not drive out existing neighborhood business, and the creation of good jobs for local residents.
Sadly, Related’s application for the sale and rezoning of the Armory falls far short of these goals.
Sadly, Related’s application for the sale and rezoning of the Armory falls far short of these goals.
All along the Grand Concourse, you find people walking, talking and listening to their cell phones. But in the coming months to come, you may find them listening to their cell phones while standing in front of and staring at trees.
"Each has its own story to tell," said Katie Holten, referring to the 100 trees along the Grand Concourse that she has made a part of the Bronx Tree Museum.
"Each has its own story to tell," said Katie Holten, referring to the 100 trees along the Grand Concourse that she has made a part of the Bronx Tree Museum.