Wakefield News: Fordham Salutes 40th Anniversary

Wakefield News: Fordham Salutes 40th Anniversary: Fordham Salutes 40th Anniversary of Holiday Festival Champs  #Fordham #Rams #40thAnniversary #Basketball #Bronxnews By Howard G...

Fordham Salutes 40th Anniversary

Fordham Salutes 40th Anniversary of Holiday Festival Champs 

#Fordham #Rams #40thAnniversary #Basketball #Bronxnews

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 19- Sunday afternoon’s Alumni Day at Fordham University was a special celebration of a great accomplishment of Fordham’s men’s basketball team. The Rams captured the title of the ECAC Holiday Festival Tournament of December 1974. The annual tourney played at Madison Square Garden during the final days of each calendar year usually featured several local colleges as well as ranked teams from throughout the nation.

Hal Wissel was in his fourth season as head coach of the Rams. In 1971, Wissel, after four seasons as head coach of Lafayette, replaced Richard “Digger” Phelps as coach of the Rams after the latter left Fordham for the coaching spot at Notre Dame. Phelps had led Fordham to a 26-3 mark and a place in the NCAA Tournament in his only year at the university. The Rams were 18-9 and were invited to the NIT in Wissel’s first season at the helm.

Although the 1974-5 Rams finished the season with a record below .500 (12-13), they did not travel an easy road nor was the season without highlights. The Rams played six opponents ranked in the top 16 nationally, four within the top 10. Their 1-5 record against these difficult opponents skewed what otherwise would have been a winning season. Speaking about the season’s schedule, Wissel explained, “[Freshman coach] P. J. [who also attended the reunion] was responsible for making the schedule.”

The day after Christmas of that season began a happy week for the Rams at the “Mecca of Basketball” in Manhattan. The first contest of the ECAC Holiday Festival was also the annual “Battle of the Bronx” against heavily favored Manhattan College. Fordham defeated the Jaspers, 82-70. Two days later, the Rams moved on to face the St. Joseph’s Hawks, their current opponent in an Atlantic-10 contest on Sunday of this ceremony. Similar to the 2015 game, Fordham crushed the Hawks, 93-66, on December 28, 1974. Wissel recalled one newspaper headline after that Fordham victory, “Rams Win Leads Them to Slaughter.”

Southern California, #5 ranked in the nation, crossed the country to take part in the 24th year of what at that time was one of the most prestigious tournaments in college hoops. Wissel remembered that tough opponent, “They had several seven footers and six on the roster went to the NBA.”

To the surprise of most observers the Rams easily defeated the visitors from California by 17 points, 83-66. Brown, named the MVP of the tourney, scored 25 and grabbed 14 rebounds in the tournament finale against California. Kevin Fallon, a 1976 graduate, was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

At Sunday’s post-game reception, Brown reminisced about that special day, “Forty years ago, we did something that was a team effort. That’s the Fordham way.”

During this year’s Holiday Festival, two months ago, Brown was presented with an ECAC Special Achievement Award. Brown, the 17th leading scorer with 1,233 points and 7th leading rebounder with 807 was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. Brown is still happily connected to Fordham as a member of its Board of Trustees.

Wissel left Fordham after the 1975-76 season because his teams had records beneath .500. Wissel recognizes that attending a college or university is to prepare the student to successfully travel through the remainder of his/her lifetime. He explained on Sunday, “We did it the right way. We graduated our student-athletes. There were no under the table payments.”

Tom Pecora, Fordham’s current men’s basketball coach, follows the same ethical principles as his predecessor when he tells recruits to Fordham, “It’s not for four years it’s for forty.”

In addition to his many years of success as a college coach where his teams amassed more than 300 wins, Wissel worked in the NBA for 18 years. He held position as assistant coach, scout and an administrator for the New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks.

Also present on Sunday was Bob Wolff, the legendary broadcaster of that well remembered tournament. Wolff, 94, has been broadcasting for 75 years, the longest career in history. Wolff achieved the mark for longevity because of his outstanding ability. He is one of only two broadcasters, along with Curt Gowdy, who has been enshrined in the Basketball and Baseball Halls of Fame.

The salute to the Fordham alumni included a special half-time program and a post-game reception. Both, as many other special athletic ceremonies were classily arranged by Associate Athletic Director Julio Diaz. The hard-working and humble administrator when complimented for his work in arranging this reunion tried to reflect the credit to Coach Wissel.

Wakefield News: Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Wakefield News: Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light: Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light Vicious stabbing leads to life changing event #NYPD #DA #Crackheads #Bronxnews BRONX,...

Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Repeat Felon has Crack Heads See the Light

Vicious stabbing leads to life changing event

#NYPD #DA #Crackheads #Bronxnews

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 12- District Attorney Robert Johnson announced the sentencing of a repeat violent felon, Octavio Rivera, to 17 years behind bars, following a conviction that arose from a dispute over drugs and money.

Walter Romaine wanted to smoke some crack, but he did not want to smoke it alone. So he asked his friend Flossey Samuels to come along to his apartment on Creston Avenue the morning of August 2, 2012.            But they were followed by Rivera – who proceeded to demand Walter’s cash and phone – and when he got it, struck out with a knife.

Flossey, terrified but in control, managed to call 911 for the critically injured Walter Romaine, who, slashed in the face and ear, and stabbed in the chest, would require surgery to repair a punctured lung and torn aorta.

In August of last year Rivera was convicted by a jury of assault in the first degree, a Class B violent felony, as well as criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, a misdemeanor. 

Before Justice Dominic R. Massaro, he was sentenced to 17 years in prison with five years post-release supervision, after being adjudged a predicate violent felon, a provision of the New York State Criminal Law by which defendants who have been convicted of previous qualifying violent felonies are given tougher sentences than they would normally have gotten. 

This was Rivera’s second violent felony in a prolific life of crime. At age 38, Rivera has spent more time in prison than out during his adult life for a laundry list of crimes, more than two dozen cases adjudicated in the Bronx alone, most involving the criminal possession and sale of drugs, but also including a half-dozen felonies including grand larceny, robbery, harassment, assault and criminal trespass.

But the story does not end there. Although Rivera will be spending the nearly two decades behind bars, Flossey Samuels and Walter Romaine’s stories involve recovery and success.

Flossey, now age 44, admits she was a lifelong drug addict who at times turned to prostitution to feed her habit. After this horrific 2012 incident and drug arrests in 2012 and 2013, she accepted plea agreements that saw her enter TASC, an alternative treatment program for drug offenders. And it worked. Clean of drugs for a year and a half now, she has made a remarkable comeback, making progress on getting her younger children back, working toward her GED, and newly engaged to be married.

Walter Romaine, although still coping with lingering injuries from the horrific attack, also entered drug treatment with equal success. The 39-year-old continues his drug-free progress and is working with a food services company.

Wakefield News: Drivers Boiling Mad After Blaz Tells Them to Move ...

Wakefield News: Drivers Boiling Mad After Blaz Tells Them to Move ...: Drivers Boiling Mad After Blaz Tells Them to Move It #Snow #Drivers #deBlasio By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 11-...

Drivers Boiling Mad After Blaz Tells Them to Move It

Drivers Boiling Mad After Blaz Tells Them to Move It

#Snow #Drivers #deBlasio

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 11- For at least the last two weeks the city has suspended the alternate side parking rules, so the plowed snow has turned into blocks of ice that have encased vehicles across the borough and many Bronxites believe the city's decision to lift the suspension was just plain wrong.

The suspension was lifted on Tuesday, February 10, and many area drivers were furious with the decision.

One young woman who declined to give her name, had been busy breaking the ice for three-hours outside Herbert H. Lehman College in Bedford Park.

The woman blurted out, "It sucks man, because now I have to take the car and then I won’t find parking when I comeback because of all this ice."

"It's very difficult," the woman continued, "It took me three hours to get out of this spot. There's no way an elderly person can do this."

Asked if officials made an error in the decision, she replied, "Absolutely."

Carmen Ortiz was slightly older and a little more angry as she was breaking and shoveling the blocks of ice near Villa Avenue when she said, "It's stupid and ridiculous. I don't even think I can do it myself."

Ortiz eventually won her battle with the elements and as her reward, she was able to pull her truck out before being slapped with a $65 summons-- and traffic agents were on patrol.

Before leaving, Ortiz replied, "It's too cold and there's too much ice. I think the mayor made a mistake."

Another driver, iced in near Paul Avenue summed it up best, stating, "I think it's a mistake. I think they could have waited a couple of days when they have forecastered rain, that will wash it all away."

Another driver, Herman Vela, stuck on Jerome Avenue, also sounded off, "Even without the snow it's tough to find parking sometimes. I at least hope they take all the snow away, so we can park properly."

Vela added, "I think they made a good choice, because it's time now to move" the vehicles.

But when asked about his elderly neighbors, Vela replied, "Oh that's different man. I guess they have to find somebody to help them."

Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked about the decision, when he stated, "The DOT (Department of Transportation) is the agency with jurisdiction over that, but obviously we all coordinate.

Norwell said the decision was decided by the DOT, Department of Sanitation and the mayor's office.

Norwell continued, "Anytime decisions are made about alternate side parking, whether to suspend it or reinstate, it's made in full coordination across multiple agencies."

Norwell then added, "Obviously, this has a lot to do with the Department of Sanitation and their ability to sweep the curb and that kind of stuff."

Norweel then ended the interview, asking for an e-mail request for any additional comment.

A written request was then sent to the mayor's office asking if they were planning on plowing the ice before the street sweeper moves in.

The DOT could not immediately say if it was 14 days or 18 days since the alternate side parking suspension went into effect-- during the suspension the city has issued $0 in summonses for alternate side parking.

A response from both the mayor's office and the Department of Transportation were not returned before the deadline for this article.  

Wakefield News: Fordham Wins First Conference Game of the Season

Wakefield News: Fordham Wins First Conference Game of the Season: Fordham Wins First Conference Game of the Season #Fordham #Rams #Basketball #Bronxnews By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, FEBRUAR...