Bronx

Bronx News Roundup, Wednesday, April 6

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Weather: It looks and feels beautiful out this morning – bright and cool, but not cold – but apparently there’s a 20 percent chance of rain later on. To the news!Story of the Day: ‘Wild Style’ Filmmaker Back in the BronxFilmmaker Charlie Ahearn, who put a spotlight on the Bronx hip-hop and graffiti scene with his seminal documentary, “Wild Style,” is returning to the Boogie Down with his new short film, “Bongo Barbershop.” The new film, which is showing this week during the New York African Film Festival, is set in University Heights, near the cross section of Jerome Avenue and 183rd Street, close to the unofficial birth-place of hip-hop – Kool Herc’s basement in a Sedgwick Avenue building. It focuses on the story of a young MC from Tanzania in search of the “real hip hop” who meets a Bronx legend – Grandmaster Caz, who starred in “Wild Style” – in a barbershop. In the video below from the Daily News, Ahearn talks about his new film.AC_FL_RunContent(‘codebase’,’http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0′,’width’,’485′,’height’,’350′,’title’,’Video Player’,’src’,’http://www.nydailynews.com/swf/video_player/vp_485_single_06092010′, ‘FlashVars’, ’embedCode=o2dDRkMjqV_GoeScn23eSAEDQcV8Hk8g’, ‘quality’,’high’, ‘play’, ‘true’, ‘loop’, ‘true’, ‘allowFullScreen’, ‘true’, ‘pluginspage’,’http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash’,’movie’,’http://www.nydailynews.com/swf/video_player/vp_485_single_06092010′ ); <img src=”http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png” style=”background-color: #b2b2b2; height: 350px; width: 485px; ” class=”BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder” id=”BLOGGER_object_0″ data-original-id=”BLOGGER_object_0″ /> Quick Hits:After rejecting a plea deal, Bronx health clinic founder and ex-State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. and his son pleaded not guilty to embezzlement and fraud charges in Brooklyn yesterday.

Bronx

No Room For Pork in Cuomo's Budget

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It’s a political practice as well-established as candidates kissing babies: a local legislator shows up at a senior center or an elementary school, giant check in hand, to announce that he’ll be funding a daily meals program or buying new uniforms for the spring soccer team.There’s a photo-op and everyone leaves feeling

Bronx News Network

Talented Mr. Rivera Honors Bronx's Celia Cruz Singers

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A minute and a half into the above clip, you’ll see a passionate and touching performance of the Puerto Rican national anthem turned in by Bronx State Senator Gustavo Rivera at last weekend’s Somos El Futuro conference in Albany. Seriously. Not bad, right? Next stop: Albany Idol.According to Rivera’s communications director Conchita Cruz, the new state senator in the 33rd District is an avid singer who won an award for his killer karaoke work over the weekend. (He was also honored for pushing transparency legislation this year, Cruz said.

Bronx

Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, April 5

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Speed roundup today as we’re going to press with the latest edition of the Norwood News, which will hit streets in Fordham, University Heights, Bedford Park and Norwood tomorrow. First, the weather: Rainy, with temperatures falling into the high 40s and winds gusting up to 36 miles an hour. To the news!Story of the Day: Bronx Boy Leads UConn to National Hoops TitleSoundview’s own Kemba Walker, who attended IS 174 before heading to Rice in Manhattan to play his high school ball, was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in leading the University Connecticut men’s basketball team to its third national championship. They beat Butler University, a relatively tiny Indiana school, 53-41. Jason Fisher, who apparently played with Walker back in the day, said he was proud to see his fellow Bronxite make it on the big stage.

Bronx

Town Hall Meeting To Be Held April 10th, All Encouraged to Attend

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Bronxites are being encouraged to voice their opinions at a Town Hall Meeting on Sunday April 10th at 11:00 am at the Van Cortland Jewish Center located at 3880 Sedgwick Avenue.Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz, Congressman Eliot Engel, Council Member Oliver Koppell, and State Senator Gustavo Rivera will be holding the meeting which is open to the public. The meeting will focus on many important issues, including the federal, state, and city budgets, housing issues, the upcoming expiration of rent laws, senior citizens concerns, MTA issues, education, job creation, and economic development. Your politicians are eager to hear your concerns and opinions.

Bronx

Bronx Bands in the Battle of the Boroughs

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Last week, a number of musical acts from the Bronx performed at WNYC’s Greene Space as part of the organization’s Battle of the Boroughs competition. Three groups were chosen that night as the best performers, and you can vote for your favorite online until April 10. The winner will move on to the next round, to battle it out against acts from the other four boroughs in June.Who do you think should move on to represent the Boogie Down? Here are clips from the three Bronx groups that are still in the running.Finotee:Just A Lil Bit: The Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra:

Bronx

BP Diaz' Gambling Ways

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The cover story in the latest issue of City Hall features a lengthy piece on our very own Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr, called “The Gambler,”-homage to Diaz’ sometimes risky political moves, from his running for Assembly at the tender age of 22, to taking on Mayor Bloomberg over the Kingsbridge Armory to his speculated run for Mayor in 2013.The story, of course, delves into the Kingsbridge Armory battle and the uncertain future of the still-vacant building, which Diaz said lies ultimately in the hands of Bloomberg, his political enemy number one.”The decision on whether or not something’s going to be developed there is going to come from City Hall,” Diaz told the paper. A final proposal for the Armory will be made this spring or summer, the story says, and then will be at Bloomberg’s disposal.The article goes on to discuss Diaz Jr.’s relationship with his controversial father, State Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., and says that the Rev. could be the BP’s “biggest liability of all” if he does make a run for Mayor. You can read the whole piece here. Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Bronx

Bronx News Roundup, April 4

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Weather: Keep your umbrellas on hand. It’s gray and dreary in the Bronx today, with rain expected later tonight and continuing for the next few days.Story Of The Day: Hometown Boy Makes GoodBronx native Kemba Walker, the 20-year-old basketball superstar that’s led the UConn Huskies to the NCAA championships, graces the cover of today’s New York Daily News. Walker