Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Baychester News: Locks are for honest folk

Baychester News: Locks are for honest folk: --> COMMUNITY BOARD NEWS N’ VIEWS By Father Richard F. Gorman Chairman Community Board #12 (The Bronx) BR...
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Locks are for honest folk

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COMMUNITY BOARD
NEWS N’ VIEWS
By
Father Richard F. Gorman
Chairman
Community Board #12 (The Bronx)
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 30- The current debate surrounding the issue of gun control legislation is hot and heavy and undoubtedly will continue to be so. This should not surprise any of us. As a matter of fact, such public discussion and airing of every aspect of this issue should be encouraged. Our political leaders and the head honchos of the news media should help to shape an open, honest, non-ideological, non-partisan, and dispassionate examination of what is at stake as, indeed, there are tremendous implications for the safety, the security, and the good order of our society hanging in the balance. Far too often in controversial matters such as gun control, exceedingly more heat as opposed to light is shed. Voices are raised, hypothetically intractable issues demanding solutions are concocted, alleged all-encompassing and comprehensive answers are proposed, and
opponents of one’s positions are demonized either as ill-informed, ignorant, phobic, or a combination of all of the aforesaid. Such shenanigans, regrettably the staples of modern public debate, are unworthy of a great democracy such as ours and of a noble people such as us. Furthermore, while they frequently pay homage to the demands of political correctness, advance the careers of politicians, and feed the ideological campaigns of self-proclaimed public pundits; they lead to deficient, if not altogether failed, remedies to imperative questions. This circumstance, consequently, gives rise to cynicism along with a skeptical disbelief that our political system is incapable of addressing successfully, or even adequately, the needs of its citizenry.
The tendency to rush the enshrining of purported resolutions of public predicaments into law is another feature of the present discourse on civic difficulties. It is highlighted by the cavernous flaw in the recent gun control legislation approved by our New York State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. According to news reports, the provision of the law limiting the number of bullets that can be placed in a gun clip had the effect of making the service firearm utilized by many of our local Police Officers illegal.
Governor Cuomo’s hurried explanations to the contrary, this development demonstrates that judicial decisions and legislation
hurriedly put into place absent ample scrutiny and across-the board debate leads to bad law, which goes on to contribute to widespread skepticism and criticism relative to the integrity and the competency of our governmental processes. Even though the Governor maintains they are not needed, last reports in the media contend requisite amendments to correct the imperfections of the new Cuomo gun control law are in the works and will be taken up in due course by the State Legislature.
An interesting aside in this regard that has not really come to the
fore is why this flaw in the law was not discovered either by those who drafted it or those who deliberated and voted upon it. With both an Executive Branch and Legislature chock full of lawyers, should not have somebody picked up on this item? On the other hand, perhaps the need of some to be first on line to acquire bragging rights in this matter superseded the observations and/or objections of others.
Devising a legal response to the need to shrink gun violence requires time, full-fledged argument, and forthright candor. After all, and very importantly, this issue touches upon a constitutional right  -- viz., the right to bear arms  --  enumerated in the Second Amendment contained in the Bill of Rights appended in 1791 to the Constitution of the United States. In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States issued two landmark decisions officially establishing this interpretation. In District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm unconnected to service in a militia and to use that firearm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense in the home, within many longstanding prohibitions and restrictions on firearms possession listed by the Court as being consistent with the Second Amendment. In McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 3025 (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment limits state and local governments to the same extent that it limits the Federal Government. Constitutional rights are not to be toyed with or addressed lightly. The misuse and abuse of our constitutional rights does not justify and should not result in the extent of those rights being reduced, their practice restricted, or their existence abolished. The proper and reasonable reaction to self-serving, anti-social, and manipulative utilization of a constitutionally protected right is to encourage and to enhance the respectful and right practice thereof.
Prudence is equally called for in reflection upon the content of any innovative and contemporary laws and regulations. Does the gun control proposal genuinely tackle the issues at stake? Much talk on this subject has been directed as of late to such ideas as banning assault weapons. Such appears to many to be a reasonable and intelligent proposition in light of recent events. However, does it really speak to or address the basic problem? In his latest editorial comment in a local newspaper, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, while endorsing a ban on assault weapons, hastens to add that the real and overall problem with gun violence is the possession and illegal use of handguns. Any bona fide gun control proposal must include the
possession and the use of handguns  --  constitutionally, legally, and safely.
On a final note, I refer to the title of my column this week. The
Irish have a timeworn and time-tested statement that says “LOCKS ARE FOR HONEST FOLK.” In other words, persons who are honest do not take what is theirs, but those who are not do. A lock stops a one who respects the property rights of a neighbor while a thief merely picks the lock. Newly enacted laws and rules will bind those citizens who are law-abiding; criminals will basically ignore them. The genius of an authentic answer to the problem of gun violence must protect the rights and the well being of the righteous and peaceable individual while thwarting the designs of lawbreakers. Ergo, we need to move slowly and cautiously on the topic of gun control and only subsequent to far-reaching and circumspect conversation, something that I shall again take in hand when next meet.
Until next time, that is it for this time!
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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Baychester News: St. Michael Can’t Mount Comeback

Baychester News: St. Michael Can’t Mount Comeback: --> (Photo by Gary Quintal) BRONX, NEW YORK, January 17- Mount Saint Michael lost to Cardinal Hayes 70-60 evening in Boys Baske...
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St. Michael Can’t Mount Comeback

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(Photo by Gary Quintal) BRONX, NEW YORK, January 17- Mount Saint Michael lost to Cardinal Hayes 70-60 evening in Boys Basketball.  The Mountainers played catch up throughout the game falling behind by 20 midway through the second quarter 33-12. A 20-3 run by Mount Saint Michael pulled the game to with-in 6 points at the half, but Mount could not take the lead and falls to 7-8 as Hayes Improves to 11-4.  
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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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Friday, January 11, 2013

Baychester News: Watch Out Mickey

Baychester News: Watch Out Mickey: --> Spellman Cheerleaders Head to Nationals in Florida BRONX, NEW YORK, January 11- Congratulations to the Cardinal Spell...
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Watch Out Mickey

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Spellman Cheerleaders Head to Nationals in Florida
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 11- Congratulations to the Cardinal Spellman High School Varsity Cheerleaders for receiving a bid to the UCA High School Cheerleading Nationals in Walt Disney World Florida on February 9th, 2013. 
This is the first CSHS cheerleading team to ever receive a bid and attend Nationals. The team is coached by Rosalie Maiale and Michele Muccio. Led by Senior Captains Kaliyah Burris and Michelle Mack, the following cheerleaders will be representing CSHS at Nationals: Seniors Samantha Beltron, Penelope Golden, Amy Servedio, and Jioni Mehciz; Juniors Alexis Cala, Alexa Gama, Jessica Berrios, Giesla Diaz and Terilynn Williams; and Sophomores Ariel DaCosta and Amber Ramos.
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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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Baychester News: Second class citizens

Baychester News: Second class citizens: --> Wakefield Area News By Mary V Lauro   BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10- All of these years we have helped scores of t...
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Second class citizens

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Wakefield Area News

By Mary V Lauro 

BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10- All of these years we have helped scores of tenants deal with their landlords. Every now and then we realized that the small landlord, the one who owns a two or three-family house cannot be placed in the same category as the apartment building owner. But wait; let's make very clear that not all apartment building landlords are cut from the same cloth. There are many honest and decent landlords in the Bronx and the City who are judged not by their decency, but by the greed and indecent behavior of the less honorable landlords, the biggest of which is the City's own New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).
For this reason, a certain segment of the population judges all landlords as rich, evil money grabbers. They view the rent they pay as extortion. They have no idea of the small landlord's struggle to pay real estate taxes, water charges, insurance and the cost of repairs. In most cases the landlord chose a two-family house so that the rental income could assist in paying the mortgage.
Apparently, our columns regarding evictions in two and three-family houses have struck a note. We received several calls from Wakefield residents and one from Queens. Essentially besides describing what their errant tenants were doing, the complaints focused on the feeling these small landlords had that they had no rights. Indeed it has often seemed that way.
What can a landlord do if the tenant decides to pay the rent at the end of the month instead of at the beginning? If he laughs at late charges? What can he do if the tenant does not recycle; if he runs the hot water endlessly; if he insists on keeping the hall light on all day; if he gives keys to strangers so that they use his apartment when he is not there; if he thinks they are trashing his apartment; etc.
We checked with Attorney General Schneiderman regarding any rights a landlord may have. Our phone call engendered some confusion. We were transferred to three individuals who could not respond. The fourth said “Of course he has rights. He can evict. A two-family house landlord does not even need a reason if there is no lease. It's called a Holdover Case.” Ah, yes! But that maybe, a costly proposition.
The easiest type of eviction process is for non payment of rent. It is only easy, however, if the tenant agrees to move or does not show up for his court appearance. A great deal depends on the judge too. A single mother holding her baby weeps. “Your honor I promise to look for a job. I'll pay him all the rent I owe him.” Sounds reasonable, except that is what she said twice before, so the landlord loses another two months rent on top of the year he has already lost. It is not easy for him to meet his obligations, but the judge has no time for his tears.
The other type of eviction as the Attorney General's office said requires no reason from the landlord provided there is no lease. The process begins with a notice to the tenant that he must, leave in 30 days or be evicted. If the tenant does not leave in 30 days which is generally the case, a court date is set, but not automatically. The typical landlord acting without an attorney (pro se) bounces back and forth from Housing Court on some quest or another be it the special legal forms that must be used, the court dates, and so on.
The first court date is to have the tenant and landlord come together to try to convince the tenant to leave. But why should he? From the outset of this process, the landlord cannot take rent from the tenant. If he does, it signifies that he is satisfied and will no longer pursue eviction. The tenant will take every opportunity and every guise to hold on to the rent-free apartment. Thus does the small homeowner become a second class citizen.
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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Truck Flips Over and more on the Week in Crime
(Photo by David Greene)
The Week in Crime
By David Greene
SKI-MASKED BANDITS STRIKE ON PELHAM PARKWAY... 
BRONX, NEW YORK, January 9- Police officers from the 49th Precinct were called to Pelham Parkway South and Holland Avenue for a report of a robbery. Police were looking for several individuals wearing ski masks. No arrests or injuries were reported.
SCHOOL ROBBERY IN MOTT HAVEN
Officers from the 40th Precinct were called to P.S. 223, located at 360 E. 145 Street, after the school reported a theft of five Apple laptop computers. No arrests were reported and police continue to investigate.
MAN CRUSHED BY CONTAINER TRUCK
A man was briefly pinned under a container truck after a motor vehicle accident in Mott Haven. 
Police and fire crews were dispatched to 538 E. 138 Street, at 9:40 a.m., on January 7. The unidentified victim was removed after several agonizing minutes and transported to a local hospital. The condition of the victim or the accident's cause remains unknown at this time.
MAN SAVED FROM MORRIS PARK BLAZE
Firefighters were dispatched to a home where a victim was reported trapped.
Rescue crews responded within minutes to the home at 2179 Bogart Avenue, at just after 7:30 a.m., on January 7. Firefighters reportedly pulled-out a bedridden man from the two-and-a-half story home. The fire was brought under control a short time later. No injuries were reported.
FIRST FATAL CRASH OF 2012
Police say a 62-year-old man was the first crash fatality of 2013. 
Police say the unidentified victim was driving a 2001 Mercedes Benz when he lost control and flipped over at the intersection of E. 153 Street and Elton Avenue, at 7:45 a.m., on January 4. The man was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he died.
Sources say the victim died of a heart attack, but an autopsy would have to be performed to determine if the heart attack was the cause or result of the crash.
MAN WOUNDED IN BOSTON ROAD SHOOTING
Police were called to 3040 Boston Road for calls of a person shot.
Officers from the 47th Precinct reportedly discovered the wounded victim, at 6:30 p.m., on January 3. The victim was shot as he sat in his car and was expected to survive. 
Initial reports stated that one suspect was in custody and a second individual was sought.
SOUNDVIEW RECORD'S CITY'S FIRST HOMICIDE
Bronx homicide detectives were busy working the year's first homicide case, when a mother was shot dead inside her apartment inside the Monroe Houses, at 1790 Story Avenue. 
The shooting was reported at 1:10 p.m., on January 3. Police say the victim Elzina Brown, a 59-year-old school crossing guard was shot once in the chest and died at the scene. 
The younger woman was reported to have been shot in the face, but expected to recover. Police continue to search for the boyfriend, identified as Raymond Mayrant, 25, who is said to have an extensive criminal background.
WEBB AVENUE ARMED ROBBERY
Officers from the 52nd Precinct were called to 2500 Webb Avenue, after an armed robbery was reported. 
The victim reported the suspect produced a silver firearm at just before 2:45 p.m., and took the victim's cellphone. Police were looking for the armed bandit, described as a male Black, 6-feet tall and dressed in all black.
If you have witnessed or have information on a violent crime, you may give your information anonymously by calling 1 (800) 577-TIPS or TEXT: Crimes. ENTER: TIPS577. 
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