Results tagged “thebronx”

Jerome Park has always had its share of fans. Since it was acquired by the city in 1940, the north Bronx patch of greenery, which rests adjacent to the Jerome Park Reservoir, has provided hundreds of Bronx High School of Science and Lehman College students with a place to read, walk and neck (we're talking about the good ole' innocent days here).

The Bronx's Jimmy Groves came forward yesterday to hold his Mega Millions press conference, his first public appearance since winning $168 million in the big drawing a few weeks back. After reports of Groves boozing up and bumming out fearing the downsides of his big paycheck, yesterday he was all smiles, telling of his big first meal as New York's biggest jackpot winner ever (a hamburger) and about his mom rushing up from Tennessee once she heard. The self-described "homebody" has retired from his job stacking chairs at MSG and said he wants to buy a home with a yard, possibly in the Bronx or Harlem or "places in Brooklyn that are having a resurgence." He said, "I went to Germany. I came back, and New York is the only place for me right now." Like 96% of ticket buyers, Groves said he always chooses the lump sum option, but switched to the annuity on the winning ticket "because it might bring a change of luck." The 49-year-old grandfather tried to downplay his newfound status saying, "I still got to pay my rent, I still got to pay my lights and gas. I'm still just a regular Joe like everybody else. It's just that I got lucky."

Stella D'Oro, the local makers of cookies and breadsticks that you used to be able to take almost anywhere, has been sold and is leaving its longtime home up in the Bronx. Earlier this summer, workers of the Kingsbridge cookie factory were put on a roller coaster ride when a judge ruled in their favor of their yearlong strike only to be told by owners Brynwood Partners that the court's costly decision was prompting a shutting down of the factory. Workers demanded that Brynwood sell Stella D'Oro so that operations could continue and the company complied...only to have new owners Lance Inc inform them the new jobs would be about 500 miles west in Ohio. Following the news, the union released a statement saying, "We weren't wrong in what we did. What's wrong is that the law allows companies to sell off its business in order to avoid a judgment of the law." Well, at least 75 years of baking cookies and a hardfought labor battle aren't all for naught—Lance Inc says Stella D'Oro is "a perfect fit in with the niche brand strategy that we have."

The Harlem Mega Millions winner who said that winning the $168 million has turned his life into hell is apparently eager to continue spreading the word and allowing people around him to share in the collective nightmare. A Fordham bodega owner near the one where Groves bought the winning ticket two weeks ago says he came in to buy a six-pack of Heineken and began bragging of the winnings and the fact that he was "not working anymore in my life!" The store owner who encountered Groves tells the Post, "I didn't believe him, because what would a millionaire be doing coming in here and buying candy and beer?" When Groves first revealed himself to be the winner after laying low for a couple weeks, he said, "It's a dream turned into a nightmare. Winning is the beginning. Living with it is pure hell." But now he seems to be in better spirits; the News talks to a liquor store owner in his neighborhood who said, "He came in and bought a bottle of Hennessy yesterday. He was so happy." The Harlem man says he doesn't plan on abandoning his regular spots because "I got my McDonald's and White Castle near me."

While there's still no word on just who was lucky enough to pick up the winning ticket to Friday night's $333 million Mega Millions jackpot in the Bronx (one of two winning tickets), lottery officials did reveal just where it was printed. Fordham Grocery and Convenience Store on Fordham Road will receive a $10,000 prize for selling to the winner, but the only detail they know is that it was a Quick Pick ticket. Store owner Michael Patel said that he sold over 2,000 tickets in the days leading up to the drawing and had his suspicions that the lucky winner may have been a man who bought 200 tickets Friday night. Maybe he's laying low just as MTA worker Aubrey Bryce did for three weeks when he won Mega Millions last month. Patel and his son Bhavesh posed posed for the News with a handwritten sign reading "Winner!! Mega Million Jackpot $166 million here!!" (Take some pride, fellas—round UP.) One local who shops at the store told NY1, "I'm really, really happy. It happened right here at my spot on my block where I play all the time. It could have been me, so God bless them. I won $10, so I'm grateful."

A Bronx dad had to literally stomp a Husky off his toddler son as the boy was being brutally attacked by the dog more than twice his size while the pooch's owner idly watched nearby. 32-year-old Jeremiah Kendall tells the Daily News how he briefly took his eyes off of his 3-year-old son Kamrin Thursday night around 9 while in front of their Hunts Point home, only to turn around and see the 120-pound unleashed white Husky on him. He says, "My son's face was full of blood. I saw cuts on his eyes, face and nose." The older Kendall had to jump in, kicking the dog and even punching it in the face to get it off of his son. Animal control ended up putting the dog down, while its owner, 23-year-old Louis Delez, is facing charges for reckless endangerment. The News has a heartbreaking photo of young Kamrin as he recovers at Lincoln Hospital. Mr. Kendall did not sound too thrilled with Delez, telling the paper, "He was closer to the dog than me. I'm upset he didn't do anything."

The Department of Education has suspended a 57-year-old social studies teacher who has a long history of making students uncomfortable with his over-friendliness. Jonathan Polayes of Hostos-Lincoln Academy of Science in the Bronx has taught in city schools since 1989; accusations around his inappropriate touching began in 1994. In 2001, Polayes was found guilty of touching a student and suspended without pay for a semester. The latest investigation leading to the suspension began in January with a 15-year-old claiming he touched her on the thigh and now up to ten other girls issuing complaints. Polayes made the girls uncomfortable hugging them, patting their bottoms, tickling them and "carrying one 11-year-old girl, cradling her like she was a baby." The DOE released a statement saying, "He has ignored previous warnings and disciplinary action, and it is unfortunate that it is so difficult to fire someone who obviously does not belong in the classroom." The investigation has been forwarded to Bronx DA for potential charges against Polayes.

A day after the Knicks' pugsy point guard Nate Robinson was bashed for his flip tweets while being pulled over and arrested in The Bronx, sources tell the Post that his attitude wasn't limited to his 24,000+ followers. The paper says that when Robinson got pulled over, he "cranked up a rap song when the cop walked off to check his license, and then sang along when the officer returned." Maybe Nate was singing along that he wished he had a girl who looked good so he could call her. When the cop came back, the flashy dunker then apparently mouthed off at the officer, "Well, I'm Nate Robinson from the Knicks," to which the cop replied, "OK, Nate Robinson from the Knicks, you're under arrest." While there's been much speculation that the incident won't help Robinson gain any leverage in contract negotiations with the Knicks, his agent said, "Whether he remains a Knick will not be effected by a traffic incident...He didn't murder anyone, didn't rape anyone.'' Nate's tweeting life is back to normal after the hub-bub, updating recently, "Just seen a girl run n wit an ipod and she fell on her face lol am I wrong for laugh n at her? Smh."

A teenager in The Bronx yesterday was arrested after stabbing his three younger siblings because he was "seeing demons" and was "zombielike." 17-year-old Nelson Santos was at home in his family's Claremont apartment when he picked up a butcher knife and attacked his two brothers Miguel and James, ages 13 and 6, and his 9-year-old sister Ashley. Santos's mother and a neighbor fetched by one of the brothers eventually wrestled the teenager down and took the knife from him before cops arrested him and took him into psychiatric care. Neighbors told the Daily News that Santos practiced black magic and John Flores, the 19-year-old man who intervened, told reporters, "He said the world was going to end so he had to kill his brothers and sister." Ashley Santos only suffered superficial wounds and 13-year-old Miguel is in stable condition after being stabbed in the chest five times. The youngest brother, James, is in critical condition at Columbia-Pres after being stabbed in the back.

     

We've seen plenty of old images of the Bronx, but what about the current state of affairs in the borough? Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao's photographs of the Bronx document today, and are part of the upcoming Intersections: The Grand Concourse Commissions at the Bronx Museum of the Arts (running from Sunday, August 2nd through January 4, 2010). Liao is just one of the artists who will be a part of the installation; his "series features several vast and virtuosic panoramas of the Grand Concourse, including two 128-foot wide, hyper-detailed panorama of every building on the thoroughfare." Learn more about the exhibit, and other artists involved, here.

A man is in critical condition after being shot by an NYPD officer following a chase with cops early Saturday morning. Police approached 47-year-old Jesus Roldan in the Morrisania section of The Bronx around 3:45 a.m. Saturday when they noticed him "shuffling around with his waistband." Roldan quickly bolted and pulled out a gun as he was followed by the two officers along with an undercover trailing in an unmarked car. Officers said that they repeatedly told Roldan to drop the weapon, a claim backed up by a neighbor who spoke to investigators. Eventually Roldan changed course and faced officers, who again told him to put the gun down. When he didn't, one of the cops, a five-year-veteran, shot him three times, once in the torso and once in each arm. Police say Roldan has been arrested eight times since 1985 for robbery, weapons and drugs. A neighbor told the News, "It was loud and clear. I paid no attention to it because it's the Fourth of July."

Ah, summer, when the news is sprinkled with a healthy portion of marine life sightings. This one could turn out to be the summer of dolphins! Yesterday we noted that following the sighting of 150-200 confused dolphins in Long Island Sound on Saturday, a pod of dolphins was spotted off the south end of City Island. Reportedly the group had started off as one (they were also sighted last Wednesday in Northport), and has now split in two: the City Island crew (team Bronx) and the the Long Island Sound crew (team Bayville).

This weekend rainbows have been spotted in the skies over Brooklyn, shunned from the fire escapes of the West Village and now are being fought over on the corner of The Bronx. These particular rainbows are ones that come in a frozen form known as "helados," sold from carts and better known in their Latino neighborhoods as 'Rembo.' The Times looks into the fierce competition emerging this season as the respect given to some longtime vendors' dibs on certain corners is getting trumped by new vendors who have patiently held out through long waiting lists. They're all fighting, legally or not, to make make ends meet through what's already been a tough stretch of inclement weather, not to mention the recession. While it sounds like a relatively cold war going on in Park Versailles for now, the elements are certainly in place for a equivalent the Goodfellas-esque ice cream tuck wars taking place in Queens.

This morning U2 headed up to Fordham University to wake up the faculty and students with a relatively small, and very early concert. CityRoom reports that security was tight, but five hairdressers from Michigan managed to smooth talk their way in.

Just before 4 a.m. this morning, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle in the Bronx--and thrown into the path of a city bus. WABC 7 reports that "the 29-year-old was hit by the vehicle at the intersection of East 180th Street and Washington Avenue," where a Bx36 bus was running through. The driver of the first vehicle fled while the bus driver stayed at the scene. On Long Island, a man in a motorized wheelchair was struck and killed by a car. The victim had been traveling on the shoulder of Route 25, and 24-year-old Lauren Dean hit him and kept driving. She was later apprehended and charged with DWI, leaving the scene of the accident and driving with a suspended license.

Excellent news: The Neptune Foundation's Floating Pool will be coming back to NYC this summer--and will head to the Bronx!

Governor David Paterson announced that he was pardoning Ricky Walters, aka hip-hop artist "Slick Rick," for his 1991 attempted murder and weapons convictions. Walters, who was born in the U.K. moved to the Bronx when he was 11 (he lives in the Bronx now), served more than five years in prison but has been threatened with deportation in recent years.

Now that the glory days of moving to Brooklyn after being priced out of Manhattan are all but gone, the question remains: where do Manhattanites move?

The Bronx DA's office says an 83-year-old engineer lied about using steel in a building that caught fire and collapsed and left two firefighters dead in 2006. Jose Vargas, who pleaded not guilty, was arraigned in court yesterday.

With the writers' strike looking like it'll wrap up this week, Crain's points us towards another problem for New York's entertainment industry.

Earlier this week, the Post reported that "high-profile" Bronx Republican Fred Brown, who is a GOP district leader in the Bronx and votes there, actually lives in Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. Which means he's been voting in the Bronx illegally. Now, the Bronx's DA's office is investigating the matter.

ART: The Bronx Museum of Art is getting on board the First Friday bandwagon. They'll be opening their doors every first Friday of the month for free, and add a little something extra each time. Tonight their theme is “Say it Loud! I’m Black & I’m Proud” in celebration of Black History Month. There will be a tribute to the late James Brown, and a showcase of independent artists paying tribute to black music.

Looks like someone took that pirate trend a little too far. The NY Times is reporting on Brian Markey and Owen Cahillane, who are sailing the high seas in their floating abode. Okay, no sailing is involved, but the two roommates, recently transplanted from New Orleans and channeling the spirit of Davy Crockett, live day in and day out on a houseboat in the Bronx.

The Bronx Zoo is decked out for the holiday season through January 6th. Every animal under the sun has been recreated in twinkly lights, so bundle up and check out the sparkling safari. Giraffes and rhinos and peacocks, oh my!

It was a violent night in the Longwood section of The Bronx this morning, where a triple shooting left two people injured and killed one. Police say that all three victims were shot while inside vehicles. One victim, who was shot in the arm, actually walked into the 40th precinct to report the shootings.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: shots fired on 166th St. and the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, a pedestrian struck at Berry St. and Division Ave. in Brooklyn, and a found body on Richmond Valley and Arthur Kill on Staten Island.
• Still searching for the Staten Island ninja burglar, police questioned New York Post photographer Ron Romano because of his ninja-like ability to tightrope walk.
• A huge hole in the middle of Brooklyn's Pacific Street provides rude awakenings for drivers who don't see it.
• Mark it. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says he has no intention of running for Mayor.
• The City of New York was found liable for the 2004 mauling of a toddler in the Bronx, because a police officer gave a pit bull to a mother who had never handled the dog before.
• The loudest neighborhoods in NYC, based on the number of noise complaints. The Bronx is blasting.
• With two weeks to go before Christmas, customers are lining up day and night to get a hand on a Nintendo Wii game system.
• Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes describes the sub-premium mortgage meltdown as equivalent to the crack epidemic of the 1980s.
• And w00t is Merriam-Webster's word of the year.

'Tis the season to be aware of fire safety during the holidays. Christmas lights caused a fire that left 26 people injured last night. The fire started around 6:20PM in an 8th floor apartment of a Bronxdale building. A woman who lived in the apartment told the Daily News, "My daughter said there's a fire in her room from the Christmas decorations. I called 911, grabbed the kids and ran out." Twenty-five irefighters and civilians...

The pedestrian, bicyclist and sensible transportation advocacy group Transportation Alternatives has just launched a new website, Crash Maps: CrashStat 2.0, which maps intersections and streets where pedestrians and bicyclists have been hit by vehicles. It's an updated version of their previous map, and when the information is presented different depending on how closely you zoom into the map. For instance, at one level, it shows crashes (those with injuries as well as the fatal...

MOVIE: BAM pays homage to the late Barbara Stanwyck tonight with a screening of Forbidden. The 1932 Frank Capra-directed film (which tells the tale of a librarian who has fallen for an unobtainable/married man) was supposedly influenced by his real-life affair with the leading lady. Critic and historian Elliott Stein will discuss the film after the 6:50 screening. 4:30, 6:50 and 915pm // BAM Rose Cinemas [30 Lafayette Ave., Fort Greene] // $11 Meanwhile, the...

Well, it didn't take long for Joe Torre to find a new job (not that it should have). He's trading The Bronx for Chavez Ravine and "fans" like Rudy Giuliani for Posh Spice. The Post is reporting that the former Yankees manager has agreed in principle to a three-year $14.5 million deal (hopefully there are no performance incentives) to be the next manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He would be replacing Grady Little, who...