Bedford Park News: Criminal Element ‘Hijacking’ Community

Bedford Park News: Criminal Element ‘Hijacking’ Community: Criminal Element ‘Hijacking’ Community- Activist Says By Michael Horowitz BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 12-  A criminal element is “hijacki...

Criminal Element ‘Hijacking’ Community

Criminal Element ‘Hijacking’ Community- Activist Says

By Michael Horowitz

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 12- A criminal element is “hijacking” Co-op City and its shareholders, destroying the quality of life that shareholders are entitled to, civic activist Junius Williams charged this week.

The civic activist said that his goal is to assure that Co-op City does not become the nation’s largest urban ghetto.

Williams, the parliamentarian of the Building 21 Association and an unsuccessful candidate in last month’s Riverbay board election, said, “I’m not happy with just heat and hot water. I want the whole enchilada when it comes to quality of life in the community where I live.”

Williams has blamed Co-op City’s Department of Public Safety for the recent shooting of a young man at the basketball courts at Bellamy Loop.

The civic activist noted that the young men, who had been harassing him and his neighbors for close to one year, stopped hanging out at the Bellamy Loop basketball courts after last month’s shooting.

A Co-op City shareholder, who wished to remain unidentified, told the News, this week, that the criminal element, who had been hanging out at the Bellamy Loop basketball courts, are now hanging out in the  vicinity of Building 24.

The unidentified shareholder said that those hanging out there routinely smoke marijuana, and Public Safety officers, despite being called, have done little to stop this infringement on his quality of life.

Williams, for his part, stressed, “I want to make sure that they don’t come back here to destroy my quality of life and the quality of life that my neighbors have a right to enjoy.”

The civic activist said that if Public Safety officers had been proactive in removing the young men who were hanging out at the Bellamy Loop basketball courts on the night of the shooting, the crime would never have occurred.

“I blame the people in charge of management for what my neighbors I have had to live through,” Williams stressed. “I don’t blame my neighbors because I know that they have been proactive in reporting infringements on their quality of life to the people in the Public Safety Department,” Williams stressed.

The civic activist added, “The people in the Public Safety Department seem to think that we have to accept things because we have a large minority community. This kind of thing didn’t happen in Co-op City when people from other races and ethnicities were dominant in this community.”

Williams stressed that it is incumbent upon Co-op City’s shareholders to demand that they have the same quality of life that people on Manhattan’s Eastside and in Riverdale enjoy.

Bedford Park News: Man Stabbed Outside Bar

Bedford Park News: Man Stabbed Outside Bar: Man Stabbed Outside Bar BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 11- Police were looking for two individuals wanted in connection with an early morning k...

Man Stabbed Outside Bar

Man Stabbed Outside Bar

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 11- Police were looking for two individuals wanted in connection with an early morning knife attack today at Aqueduct Avenue West and West Kingsbridge Road in the University Heights section. Police say the 42-year-old victim was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital and is expected to survive. Detectives were looking for two male Hispanics who possibly fled in a grey Toyota Camry. 

Photo by David Greene

Bedford Park News: Skating Rink Plan on Ice

Bedford Park News: Skating Rink Plan on Ice: 100 PERCENT By Robert Press Skating Rink Plan on Ice Falling Out has Put Project on Hold BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 9-  An illegal c...

Skating Rink Plan on Ice

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

Skating Rink Plan on Ice

Falling Out has Put Project on Hold

BRONX, NEW YORK, JUNE 9- An illegal crosscheck in hockey is similar to hitting someone below the belt in boxing. The both result is a penalty. A break up of the four people led by Mr. Kevin Parker, known as The Kingsbridge National Ice Center to build a $345 million ice skating palace on the current Kingsbridge Armory, site has put the KNIC plan on ice for now. That is until the New York City Economic Development Corporation completes its 'Due Diligence' review of the armory project.

It seems that there was a falling out of the four KNIC partners as to just who has the expertise and experience to build the ice skating palace. Now the two separate groups are filing law suits against each other which should delay, if not possibly doom, the ice skating palace plan. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has issued a statement that he believes that the matter can be solved and sooner than later. He hopes that the proposal can move forward, the chillers turned on, and everyone can go skating as planned.

On Monday night's edition of Bronxtalk there will be a debate between the candidates for the 13th congressional district. This should be a very interesting hour since Congressman Rangel who at first took this primary jokingly has now changed his tune to what could be he farewell party. Bronxtalk can be found on Cablevision channel 67 on Monday nights starting at 9 PM and on the corresponding Verizon Fios cable channel 33.

The 13th Congressional District election is Tuesday, June 24th. The two main candidates are the same two main candidates from two years ago. This year the supporting candidates are different, and while there is another Hispanic candidate to try to take votes away from candidate Adriano Espaillat, I don't see her getting more than 2 percent. I found my trusty 'Crystal Ball' and asked it who was going to be the winner in the 13th Congressional race. At first there were clouds, but when the clouds broke there was a party going on. It was a victory party for new Congressman Adriano Espaillat. When I asked my crystal ball what the results were only the number '44' came up.

Petition gathering is now going on for state elected and Democratic Party positions, and will end at midnight Thursday, July 10th according to the Board of Elections website when all petitions for the September Primary are due. While you are being asked to sign a petition for the second time, the person should be reminding you that the primary for Congress if you live in the 13th Congressional District is on Tuesday, June 24th. If all this different petition signing and different primary dates are confusing you next year will be very easy on you as here in the Bronx the only local election is for Bronx District Attorney. Bronx DA Robert Johnson by the way has run unopposed in the Democratic primary, and has been found on several other party lines in November including the Republican line in past elections.

Now that Councilman Fernando Cabrera is out collecting signatures to run against current 33rd State Senator Gustavo Rivera, many people think it was State Senate Co-Leader, Independent Democratic Conference Leader, and 34th State Senator Jeff Klein who put Councilman Cabrera up to running against Senator Rivera. It was 32nd State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz Sr. who preached to fellow church leader Councilman Cabrera to run against Senator Rivera, the man who has been out spoken against Diaz Sr. and his conservative values. From what I heard Senator Jeff Klein, who has become more of a friend to Senator Diaz Sr., has no love lost for Senator Gustavo Rivera, as Rivera has also been outspoken against Senator Klein and the IDC.

In the 78th A.D. race now that Assemblyman Jose Rivera will be facing a primary challenger we will have to wait and see if Jose is going to use his strategy from two years ago when Senator Rivera faced a token opponent. That was Rivera – Rivera. Now that Jose has endorsed Senator Klein for re-election it will be interesting to see how he will campaign. Will it be Rivera/Rivera again, Cabrera /Rivera, or both Rivera & Cabrera/Rivera this year? One never knows with Jose Rivera, just ask Albert Alvarez. By the way Rivera has endorsed Senator Jeff Klein, and has been seen at more than one Senator Diaz functions recently. Next week the 86th A.D. race.

For updates on the KNIC and 13th Congressional race along with other items that may come in after our deadline don't forget to check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com 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.

Bedford Park News: Bay Plaza

Bedford Park News: Bay Plaza: New Mall Under Way On June 6, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. toured the forthcoming "Mall at Bay Plaza" near Co-op...