LATEST NEWS

Scandal Plagued Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo To Step Down

Welcome2TheBronx has just learned from The Observer that New York City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo—the politician from The South Bronx who scandals have a penchant for following her—has announced late today that she will be stepping down from office as of December 31, 2015.

We CANNOT allow The dirty politics of The Bronx Democratic machine to take over this democratic process and install one of their puppets yet again.

This comes to many as a huge surprise for someone who fought so hard to hang on to her council seat through methods deemed less than savory which even landed her in court when during last elections in 2013 she had celebrities such as model Kate Moss and former Yankees Derek Jeter on her ballot petitions.

19th Century Torah Rescued From Nazis Finds New Home in The Bronx

A Torah scroll from 1880 that originated in the town of Domazlice, Czech Republic, has made its way to Calvary Hospital in The Bronx.

According the The Daily News, the Torah was damaged when Nazis took away religious and cultural artifacts from Jewish communities in Europe during World War II.

Although still damaged, the scroll will be restored with care at Calvary Hospital and then will be able to be used in ceremonies for its Jewish patients.

Legionnaires Update, Migration Stories, Puerto Rican Heritage Artist & Book Expo|Bronx PM Links

Legionnaires update on the second outbreak in The Bronx in Morris Park, Puerto Rican Heritage Month’s Artist and Book Expo at Hostos Community College, and Migration Stories at The Bronx Documentary Story are part of this evening’s Bronx PM Links roundup.

1 Millionth Tree Planted in The Bronx Celebrated By Residents, Elected Officials & Of Course, Bette Midler

Today was a special day in The Bronx at Joyce Kilmer Park on 161st Street and The Grand Concourse. Local school children gleefully joined residents, elected officials, NYC Parks employees to celebrate the millionth tree which was planted last month at the park as part of the MillionTreesNYC program initiated by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

When the millionth tree was planted last month at the park, it was 2 years ahead of schedule as 2017 was the target date for completion of the project to green up New York City—especially the areas which lacked greenery and green streets such as The South Bronx where the ceremony took place.

The Bronx actually received the 2nd most number of trees with a total of 276,600 adding to the greenest of the five boroughs of New York City. Queens received the highest number of trees but only by a little over 8,000 more trees at 284,755.

A Look Inside the Changing Bronx General Post Office, Green Taxis, & 4 Apartment Buildings Get Major Makeover|Bronx AM Links

The top story this morning continues to be how community boards across New York City are striking down de Blasio’s zoning changes. Meanwhile, a look into the world of green taxis, Comptroller Scott Stringer thinks it’s fine time to shut down Rikers, 4 buildings get a new lease on life, and a peek inside the Bronx General Post Office and plans for the landmark.

Pandas Coming to The Bronx, South Carolina Crabs In Our Borough, and New Doc Explores Struggling Single Dads|Bronx PM Links

Pandas in The Bronx, buying South Carolina crabs right here in our borough, and a new documentary explores the difficulty of extreme poverty facing single fathers and devastate impacts on their families are some of the stories you’ll find in this evening’s edition of Bronx Links.

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LATEST NEWS

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Councilmember Torres & NYCHA Infill, and South Bronx Pride

On Bronx AM Links we have stories on standing proud of being from the South Bronx, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and how she almost pulled away from the confirmation process, and Councilmember Ritchie Torres on controversial plans for New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) plans for infill at public housing to create market rate and “affordable” housing on its properties.

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Bronx Boro Board and Prez Votes No on Changes to Zoning Text

Last week we reported that 9 of 12 Bronx Community Boards had voted down any changes to the zoning text for Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Affordability and Quality—a cornerstone for Mayor de Blasio’s housing plan to preserve and create 200,000 units of “affordable” housing.

Now, this morning, The Bronx Borough Board and the BP has voted no on MIH and ZAQ which seems to align that with the wishes of the residents of The Bronx as well as with many similar increasing sentiments around New York City.

Now just because Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr voted no, don’t let your guard down just yet.

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Piano District Billboard Ad GONE; Replaced With Ad for Ice Cream

It was up for barely a month yet it made headlines around the world and now it’s gone—the Piano District billboard has been replaced with an innocuous ice cream ad.

The billboard display heralding the coming of luxury waterfront living and a rebranding of a neighborhood while promising to bring in “world class dining, fashion, and art” for many was a sign that gentrification was coming in and fast.

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NLE Labs Presents: ‘Intersecting Imaginaries’ At The Old Concourse Plaza Hotel

No Longer Empty Curatorial Lab (NLE Lab) is pleased to present Intersecting Imaginaries at 900 Grand Concourse, a site-responsive exhibition curated by Natasha Bunzl, Dalaeja Foreman, Paola Gallio, Mary Kay Judy, Eva Mayhabal Davis, Lindsey O’Connor, Walter Puryear, and Emilia Shaffer-Del Valle. Including sculpture, photography, installation, video, works on paper and commissioned works by Bronx-based and tri-state area artists, Intersecting Imaginaries considers mapping as a method for understanding place, time, and identity.

The title of the exhibition is borrowed from the philosophical concept of the social imaginary, which considers community to be composed of human interaction and perceived connection. Intersecting Imaginaries melds this abstract understanding with an acknowledgement of external circumstance, presenting a constellation of works that speak to memory and lived experience as composite parts of a map, and as the binding fibers of community.

Facing the Bronx Supreme Courthouse, and mere blocks from Yankee Stadium, the storefront sits in a highly frequented intersection of the South Bronx. These landmarks, each controversial in their own right, arouse singular stories within a diverse borough that inform the cultural and sociopolitical discussion at the heart of the exhibition. The site has served many functions: it was once a ballroom as part of the Concourse Plaza Hotel, a diner, a thrift store, and now stands empty, sharing walls with housing provided by the Mid-Bronx Senior Citizen Council. Remnants of its former lives are evident in the raw space, serving as inspiration and context for works that navigate body politics, racial identity, communities in flux, and the natural environment as both separate and intersecting realities.

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A Gould Memorial Library Seeks New Life; de Blasio’s Failing Housing Plan|Bronx PM Links

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s housing plan to preserve and create 200,000 units of affordable housing is crumbling, Casita Maria searches for a new executive director as Sarah Calderon departs the organization after 7 wonderful years, and the Gould Memorial Library at Bronx Community College may be repurposed are some of the stories you’ll find here at Bronx PM Links.

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