This week's Riverdale Review and Bronx Press

Here are the stories in this week's issue (September 20 -26) of the Riverdale Review and Bronx Press.

* Educrats at PS 24 defend 50 percent cut in music program > Officials at PS 24 continue to defend their controversial decision to downsize the school's cherished music program. Despite widespread outcry from local parents, elected officials and community members, PS 24 interim acting assistant principal Emanuele 'Manny' Verdi last week said he stood by a move to excess the school's vocal music teacher.
* Skating rink details: Recycled shipping containers; loss of parking > Around six parking spaces along Broadway could be temporarily lost during the winter months every year so that a designated drop-off zone can be established at the Van Cortlandt Park ice-skating rink. Concessionaire officials announced plans to submit an application for a street activity permit during last Wednesday's Community Board 8 parks committee meeting.
* Manhattan College hosts education session on Islam on 9/11 anniversary > September 11 this year at Manhattan College's Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center was marked by a panel discussion on the need for Americans to reach an understanding of Islam. 
* Projects in some local parks still lag, as others near completion > Local residents are finally beginning to catch a break with local parks projects. After years of enduring repeated delays, construction woes and issues with private contractors, parks in the Riverdale/Kingsbridge area are getting spruced up. We look at a list of current parks projects, including Ruth MacLaughlin Playground; Conrad Grauer Field; Sid Augarten Field; Van Cortlandt Park; Ewen Park, and their status.
* SAR calls for traffic calming measures > Officials at Salanter Akiba Riverdale Academy are urging that speed bumps be installed on streets surrounding the school in order to increase student safety. In a letter sent to Community Board 8 and obtained by the Riverdale Review , SAR High School principal Rabbi Tully Harcsztark said traffic calming measures were desperately needed along West 259th Street.
* Mace and Taser used in Kingsbridge melee > A fun-filled night came to an abrupt end when security guards allegedly Tasered patrons and sprayed mace inside a popular upscale Kingsbridge restaurant. Police said a brawl involving at least six people broke out at Silhouette Restaurant & Lounge, located at 5668 Broadway, around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 9.
* New roof to be constructed at PS 24 > Students at PS 24 will lose a small section of their playground while construction crews perform much-needed repairs to the school's roofs and parapets. Workers have begun replacing two roofs--a 12-year-old roof and a 48-year-old roof--on the main school building as part of the $5.2 million capital improvement project.
* Man dies in crash on Deegan > A 35-year-old man was killed in an early-morning car crash on the Major Deegan Expressway in North Riverdale last Thursday. Police said Brian Mills was driving his black 2004 Hona Accord northbound on the Major Deegan when he slammed into the back of a construction truck near Exit 12 just after 6 a.m. on September 13. Exit 12 is the intersection where the expressway meets an extension of Mosholu Parkway.
* Scandal-scarred assemblywoman crushed in adjoining district > The residents of Tracey Towers propelled Bronx real estate agent and property manager Mark Gjonaj to a historic victory during last week's four-way Democratic primary. According to unofficial results released by the New York City Board of Elections last Thursday, Gjonaj trounced scandal-plagued Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera by 513 votes.

Also, in the Bronx Press:
* Plan for commuter rail through Morris Park gets thumbs up > A plan to expand Metro-North service into four neighborhoods in the East Bronx could slash travel times to midtown Manhattan in half, according to officials. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled details of the long-awaited proposal during the first of four information sessions at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Morris Park on Monday, September 10.

Diaz Sr. congratulating Hispanic colleagues in Skelos boycott

State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. has congratulated the members of the state legislature who joined him in boycotting Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos' Unidad Latina Legislative Conference last week. We've got the full backstory here and here.

The GOP called the conference a success, citing the fact that two current Hispanic members of the Assembly attended. Diaz ponders why they did attend, but ultimately is pleased that most of the Hispanic members of government did not attend. Diaz said in an earlier letter that he was boycotting the conference because Republicans hurt Hispanics in the state budget this year, and the conference was nothing more than a publicity stunt.

Jump below for the full statement.

From Diaz to the members of the Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus:

This memo is to congratulate my Senate colleagues who serve as Members of the New York State Senate Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus: Senator Adriano Espaillat, Chair; Senator Gustavo Rivera, Vice-Chair; and Caucus Members Senator José Peralta, Senator Martin-Malavé Dilan, and Senator José M. Serrano.  I congratulate all of you for showing real unity on behalf of our Caucus and our community by not attending the so-called Legislative Hispanic Unity Conference that was organized by our Senate Majority (Republican) Leader Dean Skelos.

Most importantly, I have to admire our Caucus Chairman, Senator Adriano Espaillat for his leadership.
I have to admire our Caucus Vice-Chair Gustavo Rivera for being forthright in the media last week by stating: “I will not be attending the conference. If the majority leader and the Senate Republicans were serious about addressing the issues affecting Latinos, they would have asked their Latino counterparts in the Senate to help them organize a conference that reflects the issues that are impacting Latinos throughout the state such as immigrants’ rights issues as well as the need to extend the millionaire’s tax so that New York State is able to continue funding important services like education, housing, and healthcare that are so critical to our communities.”

Agosto Explains LDA Endorsement Further

Kenny Agosto, district leader in the 80th Assembly District, took a few minutes over the weekend to further explain why his Liberty Democratic Association chose to endorse Assemblyman Ruben Diaz for Bronx Borough President.

As we know, the LDA has in recent weeks gone to battle with Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera's sister, and Agosto spoke happily about thwarting what he described as an attempt by the assemblywoman to stack the club and take over its leadership.

Agosto said his club chose to endorse Diaz because they felt he was the right man for the job, and because they were disappointed with Councilman Rivera’s record in the City Council, particularly as the health committee chairperson.

“I’m not doing this because I was mad at the Riveras,” said Agosto. “The person who takes over the borough presidency is going to be the political persona of the Bronx, and we need someone that’s going to respond.”

Agosto added that Diaz has practical experience as a member of the State Assembly and that he has been responsive to the needs of his constituents.

“We’re not picking someone just because he’s not someone else,” said Agosto. “There’s a record to run on. We need someone who is pragmatic, who is progressive, who’s going to do right by us.”

--John DeSio

Liberty Democrats First To Back Diaz

Well, that was quick.

The Liberty Democratic Association has announced that it will throw its weight behind Assemblyman Ruben Diaz in the upcoming special election. LDA is a fairly new club, but has played a major role in the shaping of the Borough political atmosphere in recent months.

De facto club leader Kenny Agosto played a key role in the battle between Carl Heastie and Jose Rivera to head the Bronx Democratic Party when, as district leader, he declared his loyalty to Heastie. Agosto, a former Rivera supporter, gave Heastie a majority of district leaders with his change.

More recently, Agosto and LDA participated in a velvet revolution of sorts, purging Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera's supporters, and thus her influence, from the board of LDA, which is the kind of thing you do before you decide to endorse her political enemy over her brother, City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera.

More to come.

--John DeSio

(Caption: Liberty Dems (from l. to r.):Treasurer Diane D'Ambrosio - Pelham Pkwy.; Sgt. At Arms Dr. Charles Gorelick - Bronxdale; Democratic District Leader Kenny Agosto - 80th AD; Bronx Borough President Candidate Ruben Diaz, Jr.; Democratic State Committeeman Joseph McManus - 80th AD; Democratic State Committeewoman Diane Cerino - 80th AD; Democratic District Leader Miriam Schwartz - 80th AD; and Former President Sallie Caudwell - Norwood.)