100 PERCENT
By Robert Press
BRONX, NEW YORK, October 5- The specialized high school admission process based on only one test given to all students has come under fire from advocacy groups who have filed a federal complaint. They claim the admission process is racially biased since minority student parents do not have the resources that non minority student parents have, thus giving those non minority students an advantage in taking the one test that is used to determine who is admitted to the specialized high schools.
In answer to the complaint Mayor Bloomberg said “admission to those schools is based strictly on merit, and it is one of the Bright Lights in our school system.” “The students with the highest scores are admitted without prejudice to ethnicity.” Bloomberg later told one reporter “Life Isn't Always Fair.” Go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to read Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.'s reaction and comment to what Mayor Bloomberg said.
At the last Community Board #7 meeting there was a second attempt to oust District Manager Fernando Tirado. As was the case in the first vote there were not enough votes to accomplish this task. We spoke to Mr. Tirado who will have the last laugh as he has submitted his notice to Community Board #7 that he has found a better job that he will enjoy without the tension of the politics on the Community Board.
It was Mr. Greg Faulkner who ascended to the position of Chairman of CB 7 when the previous long-term chair (and still CB 7 member) was asked by then Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion to withdraw from the election for chair during unsubstantiated rumors of wrong doing. Long time CB 7 District Manager Rita Kessler was then replaced with CB 7 Board Member Fernando Tirado. With the election of Fernando Cabrera to the City Council Faulkner became his chief of staff. Several sources have said current CB 7 chair Paul Foster in his attempts to oust Tirado may be taking his marching orders from Faulkner, and we will have to see who replaces Tirado as District Manager. One possibility we are told could be former CB7 Housing Chair, and Executive Director of the Bronx Democratic County Committee organization Ms. Ischia Bravo. Bravo complained about Tirado while she was briefly on CB 7 before her quick departure from the board.
In the “Lets Have Another Laugh” department - City Councilman Charles Barron is now exploring a possible run for Public Advocate when current PA Bill de Blasio announces his run for mayor next year. Barron fresh off a defeat in a Brooklyn congressional primary will be term limited out of the council in 2013, and word is that his wife Inez Barron will run for his council seat. This will allow Charles Barron after he looses his bid for public advocate to run for his wife's vacant seat should she be elected to his council seat.
The 2nd annual Bronx Little League championship game was played at Yankee Stadium. The Little League Raiders beat the Little League Bronx Bombers 6 – 1, and you can go to my blog to see pictures of the players as they ventured on to the same field and sat in same dugout as their favorite New York Yankee players.
The 18th Annual TOUR DE BRONX will take place on Sunday October 14th, and will cover all 61 neighborhoods in the Bronx. There will be a 25 mile and a 40 mile bike route choice for the largest Free Cycling event in New York State. Bronx Borough President was on hand at Montifiore Hospital (one of the sponsors of the bike tour) this past Monday to unveil the route.
I would love to cover the Tour De Bronx, but I will be attending COMIC-CON 2012 at the Javits Center that runs from Thursday October 11th through Sunday October 14th . You can check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com for daily updates on who and what will be appearing at COMIC-CON 2012 at the Javits Center.
If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.
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