Friday, February 1, 2013

A broken promise

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Wakefield Area News
By Mary V. Lauro
 BRONX, NEW YORK, February 1- The other shoe is falling! The Mayor is continuing his assault on Wakefield. 
Praxis is already building its 70-unit building to support AIDs victims and drug addicts on White Plains Road. On Bronx Boulevard, Project Renewal has begun construction on the Balfour building for 100 homeless men now Mayor Bloomberg has waved his nasty wand so construction will soon begin to turn the Muller Army Reserve Center at 555 Nereid Avenue into a shelter for 200 single homeless men.
"No! No! No!" Borough President Diaz had said about the Muller ARC over and again. He would not let that happen without taking the City to Court. He has every reason to do so. From its inception, the Mayor bent the federal guidelines for acquiring the Muller ARC. Then in an entirely illegal move he claimed that the three person group mandated to decide whether or not the Muller ARC would become a homeless shelter had voted to do so. One of the three people in the group (Local Redevelopment Authority) was Borough President Diaz. He claims there was never a meeting and there was never a vote. We are sure he would never vote for a homeless shelter that would negatively impact on two great neighborhoods: Wakefield and Woodlawn.
Even so and sadly, no matter his good intentions, the BP is muting his promise. He never told us that he would take the city to court only if he could find an attorney who would do it Pro Bono. So far, it seems there is no attorney in the community or the Bronx who is willing…
We thought that in making the promise, the BP had the resources. One would think that he has a legal department and/or the necessary finances. It would not pain the borough to do in the something for Wakefield. Neither the Bronx, nor Wakefield's elected officials have done anything for it for at least 50 years. Doing nothing now, will be far more, costly in the future.
To aggravate the situation, two weeks ago, the Chair of CB 12 (in which Wakefield is located) disseminated the idea that the residents of Wakefield should donate money to hire a lawyer! What an obnoxious and, well, stupid idea especially since he is himself an attorney. Surely, he can do this pro bono, for Wakefield and for the Borough President. How wonderful that would be. The people of Wakefield should not have to buy what their elected officials should do. The people of Wakefield already pay them.
All of this is not to be construed as a diatribe against the homeless. Being without a home can occur much more easily than at first considered. Surely shelter must be given to those who have none, but the host community should have a say on location. It is their treasure and their families that will be affected. The way it is done now is a form of taxation without representation.
There are five boroughs. One would expect them to each have an equal share of homeless. That would be 20% each. But that is not the case. The Bronx has 33%.
On Monday, January 28, 2013, the City will send out people to count those who have no shelter on our streets, subways, wherever. This is done every year. While it is not an accurate count, it is a reasonable approximation. Last year (2012) the count in the Bronx was 169. We doubt it will be more than that this year.
Why do we need room for 380 homeless individuals? Where are they coming from?
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Wakefield News: Bronx Hails Koch

Wakefield News: Bronx Hails Koch: -->   Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. issued the following statement on the passing of Mayor Ed Koch: BRONX, NEW YORK...
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Bronx Hails Koch

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Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. issued the following statement on the passing of Mayor Ed Koch:
BRONX, NEW YORK, February 1- “Today the Bronx is mourning the death of a son and one of the city’s greatest and most charismatic public leaders. Mayor Ed Koch was a man of wit and wisdom, a leader who helped lift our city out of the brink of bankruptcy, raising our spirits along the way and securing New York’s place as the capital of the world.
“Mayor Koch was always proud of his Bronx roots. During his administration he helped rebuild the South Bronx, creating a task force that helped restore burned-out buildings while creating new, thriving communities—work that still resonates to this day. He was a man of deep devotion, who after leaving office continued to inspire New Yorkers through his activism and his commitment to a city he fiercely loved.
“While we mourn his loss we honor his legacy, commitment to civil rights and his civic leadership, which will forever live in our hearts and in the millions of lives he touched. On behalf of the 1.4 million residents of the Bronx, I would like to extend our most heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this very difficult time,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Health Screenings

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BRONX, NEW YORK, January 16- Residents living in and around the Bronx can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke or bone fracture. Knights of Columbus will host Life Line Screening on January 28. The site is located at 3243 Ampere Avenue in Bronx. 
Four key points every person needs to know:
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of permanent disability.
Eighty percent of stroke victims had no apparent warning signs prior to their stroke.
Preventive ultrasound screenings can help you avoid a stroke
Screenings are fast, noninvasive, painless, affordable and convenient.
Screenings identify potential cardiovascular conditions such as blocked arteries and irregular heart rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. A bone density screening to assess osteoporosis risk is also offered and is appropriate for both men and women.
Packages start at $149. All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete.  
For more information regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-237-1287 or visit our website at www.lifelinescreening.com.  Pre-registration is required.
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Wakefield News: Where the Cops Aren’t

Wakefield News: Where the Cops Aren’t: --> Wakefield Area News By Mary V. Lauro BRONX, NEW YORK, January 16 - The newspapers have been shrieking that last year (2012) mur...
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Where the Cops Aren’t

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Wakefield Area News
By Mary V. Lauro
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 16- The newspapers have been shrieking that last year (2012) murder in the City shrank to a record low. If we are to believe CompStat figures that is true enough, but it is not true for the 47 Precinct. While we had five less murders than in 2011, at 16, we were still the second highest in murders in the Bronx. We were beat out by the 43rd Precinct which had 18. In regard to murder, the 45th Precinct gets the prize. It had only two murders through 2012.
Close to murder is the category shooting victims. Sorry to say, the 47th again wins a prize. At 59 shooting victims, it ties with the 46th Pct. for highest in the Bronx.
In the rape category, the 47th is still the second highest sharing the spot with the 42 and 46.
Overall, citywide crime has increased. The Mayor thinks it is because thieves are stealing iPhones. We don't. The slight increase in robbery citywide does not translate to iPhone thefts. Whatever the Mayor thinks, robbery in the 47th climbed to 500, an increase over last year of 15.5 percent.
What is truly amazing are the statistics for grand larceny auto otherwise known as car thefts. In every single precinct in the Bronx there was a diminution of car thefts. Even so, who had the highest number of cars stolen? You guessed it. The 47th Precinct at 250.
In felonious assault there seems to be an overall increase both city-wide and Bronx-wide. The 47th increased as well, but maintained third place highest. Keep in mind that there are 12 Precincts in the Bronx. Being third highest means 9 other precincts did better than we did.
In burglary, at 394, the 47th did 4.1 percent better than last year. However it remains the second highest in the Bronx.
Grand larceny seems to have increased throughout the city. Every Bronx Precinct increased. The 47th increased 34 percent, but is on a par with most Bronx Precincts.
We will not deny that when we speak of the low crime rate in the 50th Precinct (Riverdale) there is an element of envy in it. But one must remember that 30 years ago Wakefield easily competed with the 50th Precinct. There was very little crime here, while today it is the second highest in crime sector in the 47th Precinct. The question is what impedes crime?
To a large extent the moral and civic attitudes of its residents is a factor in the amount of crime a community can experience. (If they are good people or wealthy people you will get less crime.) Allied to this is the number of available agents (police) whose presence can inhibit incipient crime. So that two people out of a 100 want to commit robbery. If there is one cop, he can keep an eye on one would-be robber. The other robber can commit the crime with no problem. If there are no cops, then crime rises.
What is interesting about the 50th as well as other areas of wealth is that they don't seem to be bothered by criminals from other communities. One would expect robbers and burglars to go where the wealth is. Instead they travel to communities which are not so wealthy. Now what could cause this strange behavior? Perhaps it is because the wealthy communities received more police presence than the poorer ones?
At this point we get a lot of handwringing. How could we entertain such a thought? Easily. We think the NYPD uses the "epidemic" mindset. In this mode of thinking, an area which is not experiencing the ravages of an epidemic disease is kept healthy by all sorts of means so as not to pollute it with disease. By the same token, all of the assistance the disease-free area receives is assistance not available to the diseased areas.
We want to make very clear that in no way do we fault the 47th's commander or its officers for the poor showing of the 47th in 2012. We identified the problem many years ago, but our pleas and cries have been consistently silenced with false promises. In reality, when one considers the constant crime and the daily calls for police, except for one or two duds, the 47th is overwhelmingly staffed with superheroes and great commanders.
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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Feds Shut Down Bx Drug Gang

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Ringleaders Charged with Kidnapping,
Burning the Victim with an Iron
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10- The FBI and NYPD announced charges against 10 members of a criminal organization based on Wyatt Street in the West Farms section of the Bronx. Nine of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. 
The crew’s alleged ringleader, Anibal Ramos, and one of its members, Anibal Soto, were charged in the original, July 2012 indictment with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and the brandishing of a firearm in connection with, and in furtherance of, the kidnapping. Ramos and Soto are alleged to have kidnapped and tortured an individual, including by burning the victim with an iron. The superseding indictment adds narcotics charges against Ramos and also charges him and three of the new defendants with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.
All eight of the new defendants charged were taken into custody as part of a coordinated operation involving federal and local law enforcement officers. Ramos, who was arrested in August 2012, and Soto, who was arrested in July 2012, remain detained. All the defendants arrested today will be presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, for far too long, these defendants were a bloody blight on a Bronx community, contaminating it with poisonous and highly addictive drugs and the guns and brutal violence that are part and parcel of the drug trade. This case demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in this conduct and to expand cases previously charged when we develop new evidence. With the charges we bring today in two separate cases against 19 defendants, the Bronx neighborhoods in which they ran amok are safer places for their residents.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos, “This case highlights once again the dual threat posed to our communities by the illegal drug trade. The drugs themselves are poison, with life-altering and lethal consequences. And violence almost always comes with the territory. We remain committed to restoring our communities to their law-abiding residents.”
NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “The depraved acts of torture described in the indictment need no further characterization, other than to observe that the nexus between drug trafficking and violence is well-established, and the commitment among police and prosecutors to bring its practitioners to justice is unyielding.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed and other documents filed in Manhattan federal court:
From at least 2000 through August 31, 2012, Ramos was the leader of a drug crew that operated on Wyatt Street in the Bronx and sold significant street level quantities of crack cocaine and heroin. In addition, members of the drug trafficking organization used firearms, threats of violence, and violence to secure and enforce their drug territory, including the kidnapping and brutal torture committed by Ramos and Soto.
Ramos, Joel Cabrera, William Zacchi, Christopher Hernandez, Michael Aviles, Latrell Riddles, Charitza Quintana, Yasmine, Zelayandia, and Jacqueline Hernandez are charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, crack cocaine and heroin.
Ramos, Aviles, Riddles, and Zelayandia are also charged with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. He added that the investigation is continuing.
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