Highbridge News: FREE Bus Rides?

Highbridge News: FREE Bus Rides?: FREE Bus Rides?  Fare-minded Fool Hardy City Council wants to Decriminalizing Fare-Evasion By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, AP...

FREE Bus Rides?

FREE Bus Rides? 
Fare-minded Fool Hardy City Council wants to Decriminalizing Fare-Evasion

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 30- Members of the little known 'Eagle Team' working undercover in plain clothes and searching for fare-beaters along the route of Fordham Road's BX-12 Express Bus, quickly cornered and disarmed their suspect of his knife and placed him under arrest as the City Council continues to negotiate with Mayor Bill de Blasio such minor arrests as fare-beating-- non-criminal offenses.

Members of the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority's unit the Eagle Team and undercover officers from the 48th Precinct asked the individual for a bus receipt as the express bus picked up passengers outside of 464 East Fordham Road at 10:25 a.m., on April 23. The suspect told officers he had no receipt and members swooped into action and quickly removed him from the bus and eventually placed him under arrest.

The suspect, Leonardo Henning, 53, of the Bronx offered no resistance as the unit ordered him off the bus and removed a knife from his back pocket and placed him under arrest. According to the criminal complaint, Henning admitted to cops, "I have a knife, I keep it for protection."

NYPD spokesman Detective Marc Nell said of Henning, "He was arrested for intent to fraud, obtaining transit without payment, a misdemeanor and criminal possession of a weapon." Nell revealed that Henning also had a prior bench warrant out for his arrest, but Nell could not say what that charge was for.

What began as a pilot program on express busses, the Eagle Team expanded in July, 2012 to cover bus routes across the city with high rates of fare-evasion, such as the BX-12 that travels across Fordham Road and Pelham Parkway to Bay Plaza.

The City Council is currently in negotiations with the de Blasio administration that if agreed upon would make such crimes as fare-evasion, drinking alcohol in public and public urination, a violation and subject to a ticket and fine, but would no longer constitute an arrest.

However, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton warned of legalizing quality-of-life crimes, telling reporters on April 27, "If you lose those powers to arrest, that's where Pandora's Box is opened and the 1970's, the 1980's have the potential to come roaring back again."

However, supporters of the idea like City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverto who proposed the change, believe that the overwhelming number of arrests are concentrated in minority neighborhoods, clogging up the courts and the jail system and creating additional tension between minority neighborhoods and police.

One recent video posted on Facebook from February, 2014, shows a pair of cops question a man at what appears to be Pelham Parkway South and White Plains Road. Within minutes, six officers would soon wrestle their subject to the ground and eventually place him under arrest.

Orlando Smith, a University Heights resident who saw the video, fumed, "A confrontation escalating into a beating is inappropriate. It's uncalled for if he doesn't have a weapon and isn't doing anything and is just talking, they shouldn't have the right to put their hands on him."

According to the NYPD, there were 25,867 arrests in 2014 for fare-evasion, but the NYPD does not track how many of those arrests lead to additional charges, for such crimes as drugs or weapon possession.  

#NYPD #FareEvasion #CityCouncil #deBlasio #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Concern about Tanaka will cause Yankees To Step up...

Highbridge News: Concern about Tanaka will cause Yankees To Step up...: Concern about Tanaka will cause Yankees To Step up By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 29- Of course there is a concern abou...

Concern about Tanaka will cause Yankees To Step up

Concern about Tanaka will cause Yankees To Step up

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 29- Of course there is a concern about Masahiro Tanaka and how long it will take to get the right-hander back in the New York Yankees pitching rotation. The bad news became official in the fifth inning up in the press box when GM Brian Cashman addressed the media.  

Slight tendinitis in the right wrist have put the Yankees $175 million investment on the 15-day disabled list. So the immediate concern was this latest setback to Tanaka would ultimately mean that Tommy John Surgery is not far behind, and that this has been caused by more strain to the right elbow that shut him down last season.

Cashman would only say that it will be a month before he takes the mound again. That is the Yankees hope though the immediate concern is that there is more damage to the elbow. An MRI earlier in the day, according the Yankees medical report, detected the tendinitis, a mild strain in the forearm and no further injury to the elbow.

Tanaka said through an interpreter by the Yankees clubhouse, “I feel I will come back strong.” And the Yankees hope that is the case, though one longtime American League scout was quick to say that this latest injury has all indications leading to more issues with the elbow and it would not be a surprise if Tanaka does not pitch again this season.

The Yankees certainly hope that is not the situation. And if it is, even with relatively good starting pitching the past week, the Manager Joe Girardi said, “People have to step up.” Chase Whitley the right-hander made his season debut Tuesday night and he stepped up allowing 1-run in five innings in the Yankees 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

It was to be one start for Whitley who was called up to give the starters extra rest with the demanding April schedule. Now Whitley will stay in the rotation and be one of the pitchers to step up. 

“Right now he’s on our rotation,” said Girardi. And without Tanaka, who was scheduled to make his next start Wednesday afternoon, the Yankees have sole possession of first place in the AL east and improved to 4-1 on the six-game home stand. They are also playing good baseball, 10-2 since April 17th,   

Tanaka made four starts, thus far, and has compiled a 3-3 mark with an ERA of 3.22 Whitley joins CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, and Adam Warren in the rotation. By mid June the Yankees expect Ivan Nova to return and fully recovered from Tommy John surgery. And Chris Capuano out with a right quad strain is expected back by the first or second week of May, 

Cashman explained, “Every year you have to deal with adversity. That’s part of a baseball season.” The Yankees will now deal with that and hope Whitley, who was 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA at Triple-A Scranton Wilkes Barre, can continue to one of the arms in the rotation to step it up.

Said Whitley after his first win: “I am not trying to look ahead to anything else. Just pitch when and where they tell me to pitch.” And with no specific timetable as to when or if Tanaka will return, Whitley will now have a set spot in the rotation and fill the void.

In the meantime, Girardi said this latest setback to Tanaka is different from last year. In a way it was because it happened later in the season and that was the elbow that caused much of the concern. The Yankees then were still fighting for a playoff position and now, with April coming to an end, they sit in first place.

But this is April, and as we all know there is plenty more baseball to be played even if the Yankees have won 10 of their last 12 games. 

THE GAME:  The bullpen once again did their job allowing an earned run in 4.01 innings and since April 22 they are 3-0 with four saves, a 0.77 ERA. With Dellin Betences and Andrew Miller not available for the save, Girardi went to Chris Martin who tossed a scoreless ninth inning and notched his first career save.

Prior to Martin, Esmil Rogers threw 2.2 innings of scoreless ball and a hit. A strikeout and ground ball out accounted for two outs and got the Yankees out of a potential jam in the eighth inning.  

“It was a little nerve racking the first pitch but I settled down there,” said Martin, the 28-year old right-hander. “ I feel like everyone is helping this team win. This is a team effort. Hope I can be pitching well and all of us contribute….” 

Brian McCann continued to pace the Yankees with two doubles and drove in three runs. “I feel good, been feeling good all season long,” said McCann. “Hits are starting to fall and I’m finding the barrel.”

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso  Twitter @Ring786

#MasahiroTanaka #Yankees #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Ain’t That a Pitch!

Highbridge News: Ain’t That a Pitch!: Ain’t That a Pitch! Masahiro Tanaka to go on Disabled List By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 29- During the fifth innin...

Ain’t That a Pitch!

Ain’t That a Pitch!

Masahiro Tanaka to go on Disabled List

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 29- During the fifth inning, the media members at Yankee Stadium were addressed by General Manager Brian Cashman. The GM informed the media that right-hander Masahiro Tanaka will be placed on the 15-day DL. 

He explained that Tanaka arrived at the ballpark at about 2 p.m. and complained that his wrist was bothering him. An MRI was immediately taken that was negative. It was determined that he has slight tendonitis in his right wrist. 

To check on his elbow, a second MRI was taken that was also negative. It was realized that there was a very mild strain in his forearm.

To be careful it was decided to place Tanaka on the disabled list. He will be immediately shut down for 7-10 days. Cashman said the organization was taking a “safe, conservative route.” His elbow appears fine, but it will probably “be a month till he gets back to the rotation” according to Cashman. 

Tanaka was scheduled to pitch on the following day, Wednesday afternoon. He has made four starts, thus far, and has compiled a 3-3 mark with an ERA of 3.22.

Cashman explained, “Every year you have to deal with adversity. That’s part of a baseball season.” 

#MasahiroTanaka #Yankees #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Yanks Win Battle But Mets Could Win the War

Highbridge News: Yanks Win Battle But Mets Could Win the War: Yanks Win Battle But Mets Could Win the War More to Come in September for Subway Series By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK,...

Yanks Win Battle But Mets Could Win the War

Yanks Win Battle But Mets Could Win the War

More to Come in September for Subway Series

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 27- At the end of the evening Sunday the New York Mets left the Bronx with the best record in baseball and still a first place team. The Yankees took two out of three games from them in this first of two interleague series between the two teams with a 6-4 win.

So until they meet again in September at Citi Field, three more games in the Mets home ballpark, we may have more of a clear picture where either team will be in October. Because it is April, they say the games mean nothing. But losing games this month can come back to haunt a team that is in the thick of a pennant race in September.

The Mets feel they will be there in September, as do the Yankees. Fans for both teams also have those hopes for playing baseball in October. With that in mind, and with the anticipation and drama of these three games now in the books, there are no answers as to where they will be during that tough stretch of games in September.

it is simple: April is almost over and the Mets have accomplished something they have not done since their championship year of 1986 and left the Bronx with a 14-5 record, the second best for the franchise to start the season, and Monday night play three at Miami before heading home Thursday for four games with the Washington Nationals.

That’s seven with division opponents and before the series with the Yankees, they compiled and tied a club record 11-game winning streak by going 13-3 against the Nationals, Philadelphia and the Marlins of Miami.

Along the way the Mets realize they will have a few bumps on the road. They did Sunday night committing  a season-high four errors that prevented them from taking two of three games from the Yankees.

"In a game like this, you can't make those mistakes," their manager Terry Collins said. "Just a bad night for us. For the most part they’ve played pretty well.”

But they did not play well  Sunday night and it was a game that did not resemble their sparkling play in the month of April. Eric Campbell forgot how many outs there were on the base paths and got doubled up. The middle infield at short and second, Daniel Murphy and Wilmer Flores, each committed an error and are tied with the team lead with four.

Murphy botched a double play groundball in the fifth inning and Wilmer Flores at shortstop was charged with a throwing error to first that prevented the Mets from doubling up Alex Rodriguez. That got some attention despite Murphy going 2-for-3 and tying a career high with two doubles.

“We got this ugly one out of the way,” Michael Cuddyer said. “We’re going to go to Miami and play better.”

Cuddyer got a ball in left that got to second base late and that enabled  Chris Young to cross the plate in a four- run second Yankees second inning that increased their lead to 5-2.    

So there is every indication, and with five months and a long season ahead, that the Mets will be where they want to be in September. Playing the Yankees then will have more significance than these last three games in the Bronx.

“Mistakes are a part of the game,” Flores said. And for the most part, Flores has been handling the position well at shortstop, Collins made reference that Flores had two bad games in the first week.

Said the manager, “Until tonight, he hadn’t had an error since.”

But September is a month the Yankees want to make sure is significant to them. They feel they will be a part of the mix and return to the postseason after a two year absence. These games with their cross town rivals was just as important to them as it was to their fans.

And those three games in September with the Mets will be more important and have implications for the Yankees if they play like they have been, going 8-2 since April 17 after starting the season at 3-6. This series did not mean they have taken the town away from the Mets as much as Yankees fans would like to believe.

“We won the series and that gets you to October,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. Winning series has been a trend for his team that came off a 7-3 road trip before this first Subway Series in the Bronx. And if they continue to do that, then come September when they meet the Mets again, those games will be significant.  

  

However, again, that is a long time off. The Yankees have been hitting and overall getting the pitching, in particular out of the bullpen where they shutout the Mets after the fifth inning and did not give up a hit in 4-⅔ innings.

And with Alex Rodriguez hitting a solo home run in the first inning off Jonathon Niese, number 659 of his career, and one shy of tying Willie Mays, the Yankees are feeling more confident about their lineup. A-Rod has been an early season surprise and faces a possible battle of an incentive clause in the contract that the Yankees have said they will not pay him when he surpasses Mays, and if he passes the other all-time home run leaders.

One of those milestones will happen way before September. Perhaps the Mays’ milestone comes this week when the Yankees host Tampa Bay for three in the Bronx. All that matters now is that the Yankees have something to play for when they meet the Mets again in September.

The Mets feel they will be there. Hey, losing two out of three to the Yankees in the Bronx does not have the implications of three games in September. But when the time arrives, and if these two teams are playing for something then, an Alex Rodriguez milestone won’t matter if his 40-year old body is still producing runs, something more important. 

That is runs for the Yankees in September. And for the Mets, with this promising pitching that was showcased these last three games, they can only hope that they play errorless baseball that will get them to September.

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso  Twitter@Ring786

#SubwaySeries #Yankees #Mets #ARod #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: CC near the end?

Highbridge News: CC near the end?: CC'ya Yanks! Is C.C. Sabathia’s Career Nearing its End? Tweet By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, ...

CC near the end?

CC'ya Yanks!

Is C.C. Sabathia’s Career Nearing its End?

Tweet

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 26- C.C. Sabathia, now playing in his 15th major league season, has been one of the most effective hurlers during his career. In his first 14 years, 2001-2014, he was first in wins (208) and strikeouts (2,437) and second in complete games (37) and innings pitched (2,821.1).

His accomplishments during his first 13 seasons rank 

him as one of the greatest in history. He is one of three hurlers (Cy Young and Greg Maddox) to have a winning record and at least 180 innings pitched in 13 consecutive seasons. He is one of just four (Tom Seaver, Don Sutton and Eddie Plank) to have at least 11 wins in each of his first 13 seasons in the majors. He was the first pitcher since Maddox in 1999 to have won his 200th game by his 33rd birthday, July 21, 2013.

Did all that work have a deleterious effect upon his pitching? He has only won eight games since July of 2013. In the 2014 season, Sabathia’s record was 3-4 and his ERA was high 5.28. His final start of the season was on May 10th and he was on the disabled list for the rest of the season.

The veteran hurler lost his fourth decision in his fourth game of 2015 on Saturday. He left the game after two batters in the sixth frame. The first Kevin Plawecki, in his fourth game in the majors, led-off the inning with a home run. The final batter he faced, Juan Lagares, singled for his third hit of the game. Lagares finished the contest with four hits to tie his career high. Sabathia departed the game after yielding seven earned runs and nine hits in 5+ innings.

In three of the four starts, the lefty gave up at least four earned runs. The decision on Saturday was the sixth straight decision the starter lost. His winless streak extended to seven games, the longest in his career.

Although the following games were not part of this streak, the 34 year-old was 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA in three games during Spring Training in 2015.

Not every observer of these recent outings comes to the same conclusion. Yankee skipper Joe Girardi feels Saturday’s contest was an aberration, “He [Sabathia] threw pretty well this year. I think in three of them he threw the ball well. In this one, he struggled for whatever reason. We’ll get back to work and get him right.”

Whether or not Sabathia improves in his forthcoming starts this year will soon be seen.

#SubwaySeries #CCSabathia #Yankees #Mets #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Yanks Derail Mets Express

Highbridge News: Yanks Derail Mets Express: Yanks Derail Mets Express  Mets Played second Fiddle to the Yankees on this night By Rich Mancuso BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 25-  On...

Yanks Derail Mets Express

Yanks Derail Mets Express 

Mets Played second Fiddle to the Yankees on this night

Tweet

By Rich Mancuso

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 25- On this Friday night the Yankees sent a message to New York that they are not going away as the supreme baseball team in town.  

The Subway Series came early this year with  three games in the Bronx, in late April. Though the cross-town rival Mets owned the best record in baseball coming in, the Yankees also had a share of first place in their division.

And by all standards this was an anticipated start of six games between the two teams. The Mets off to this good start and their 11-game winning streak. The Yankees who are supposed to be on the decline returned home off a successful 7-3 ro

ad trip. Both teams playing good baseball, and the Mets with the best overall record in baseball made this an intriguing first three games of this annual interleague baseball rivalry.

They said the past few years that this series had no more steam. The Mets struggling and rebuilding were still a few steps behind the Yankees for baseball supremacy in the big city. The Yankees and their failures the past few years gave the Mets and their fans some momentum to take over that supremacy, 

But the Yankees, true to what they always do, would not allow the Mets to take over the town and not in their backyard. It was the Yankees dominating early and taking the first game 6-1. Their six runs in the first three innings quickly took away any buzz that was building with the fans before the game.

Mark Teixeira, an early candidate for player of the year hit two two-run home runs. The first inning and third inning shots went to right field, and his 7th home run and 17th run batted in did more than set the tone. It took out all the steam and momentum the Mets had built during their winning streak, and perfect 10-0 opening season homestand that concluded Thursday afternoon,

“It’s disappointing because we were on a nice roll,” Mets manager Terry Collins said, “and I know the Yankees have been playing very well, but we're surprised when Jake doesn't have his good stuff, and tonight he didn't have it."

Collins was referring to his starting pitcher, Jacob deGrom. The right-hander tied a career high, giving up the two home runs to Teixeira and one to Jacoby Ellsbury, and he also had his 18.1 inning scoreless streak come to an end.

“I was throwing the ball nice in the bullpen,” deGrom (2-2) explained, “and when I went in the game I don’t know if it was a little adrenaline or something but I was leaving the ball a little up.” But these are the games that will tell if the Mets are a resilient bunch and that can only be answered the next game,

That next game comes Saturday afternoon in the Bronx. And the Mets have their ace, Matt Harvey on the mound to try and get back on the winning track. Both teams will still have first place in their respective divisions and bragging rights to the city won’t be determined after the finale Sunday evening.

it will be “Harvy Day” in the Bronx Saturday but there will be three more games between them in mid September and those games could have implications across town at Citi Field in Queens, By then, if both teams are fighting for postseason spots, three crucial games in this interleague rivalry will be more significant than the ones played this weekend in the Bronx.

So for this night the Yankees got bragging rights. Michael Pineda has developed into the pitcher the Yankees expected.. He had the fastball and changeup, and the Mets could do nothing. They knew it was going to be a rough night in the Bronx from the beginning when Pineda struck out the first two he faced as Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares set the tone for Pineda.

Pineda allowed five hits and a run in 7/2-3 innings. “He matured,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. On this night, not the best for baseball with a game time temperature of 47 degrees, Pineda had control and the Mets could do nothing. And deGrom will continue to mature and learn from the mistakes of throwing the wrong pitch to an opposing Yankee in the Bronx, 

For the moment the Yankees have not surrendered bragging rights to the Mets. They are still the team to surpass as kings of baseball in town event if the records read the 13-4 Mets and the 10-7 Yankees.  

NOTES:  Right-hander Hansel Robles of the Mets made his Major League debut and retired three of his four batters. He stranded the bases loaded in the seventh and the first hitter he faced was fellow Dominican Alex Rodriguez.

Through an interpreter, the 24-year old Robles said “I am really happy about it,” about his debut. And about facing fellow Dominican Rodriguez, Robles said, “it was interesting and I really happy facing a player like Alex Rodriguez” 

Mets also snapped a four-game winning streak at Yankee Stadium….. Ellsbury had his first home run of the season….  

Comment Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso  Twitter @Ring786

#SubwaySeries #Yankees #Mets #Bronxnews

Bye Bye Bernie

Bye Bye Bernie

Williams Officially Retires from Baseball

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 25- Eight years and seven months after he played his final major league game, Bernie Williams signed his official retirement papers. 

At a press conference on April 24 at Yankee Stadium, Williams explained the delay, "I didn't think it was so important at the time. It was a process mentally wrestling with [breaking away from baseball] the first two-three years. It was a grieving process like losing your best friend."

Williams played all 16 years (1991-2006) of his career in the majors with the Yankees. He was the first of the Yankee greats since 1990 who was developed in the minor league system of the Yankee. The Puerto Rican native later became one of the most popular and productive players on the team in the past quarter-century.

The Yankees qualified for the post-season playoffs in each of the final 12 years of Williams’ career. In four of the years (1996, 1998-2000) the Yankees were World Series champions. Not surprisingly to those who recognize the importance of Williams to the organization, those were some of his best seasons. He was chosen as an American League All-Star for each season between 1997-2001; he won the Gold Glove for his fielding excellence in each year between 1997-2000; his .339 batting average won him the American League batting title in 1998. 

Despite his importance to the success of the organization in the past 25 years, he was never named as part of the celebrated group of Yankee greats called the Core Four. Williams commented, “I was part of a team that had a great run. We were all part of that run. I’m very proud to have been part of that team.”

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman referred to Williams with high praise, “Bernie is part of the Fab Five. He is one of the building blocks and foundation of the success [in the 1990’s and 2000’s].”

The statistics compiled by the legendary center fielder rank him as one of the all-time greats in the history of the iconic Yankees. He ended his career with a lifetime .297 batting avaerage. e ranks third in doubles, fifth in hits, sixth in games, sixth in runs and seventh in runs batted in. His post-season numbers are even more impressive. He still leads all Yankees in home runs (22) and runs batted in (80). He is second in runs scored, hits and doubles.

One month after Friday’s retirement ceremony, (May 24), Williams’ #51 will join 17 other uniform numbers that will never be worn by a Yankee player again. He will be the 19th Yankee (Berra and Dickey both had #8 retired by the club) to have his number retired.On that date there will also be a plaque in his honor added to the 30 plaques in the crowded Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.

As a prelude to the cheers he will hear on May 24, Williams was roundly cheered after throwing the ceremonial first pitch before the game. 

Williams, who has finally come to terms with his retirement from baseball, told the reporters he was a full-time student at the Manhattan School of Music majoring in Jazz Performing. 

#BernieWilliams #Retire #Yankees #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Princesses Promote Parade

Highbridge News: Princesses Promote Parade: Princesses Promote Parade  BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 24- Young Bronx princesses got their chance to shine and promote the upcoming B...

Princesses Promote Parade

Princesses Promote Parade 

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 24- Young Bronx princesses got their chance to shine and promote the upcoming Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade Inc., presented their annual Miss PR. Infantil for young girls of ages 6-9 years old on April 18, 2015. It was held at the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) located at 2500 Halsey Street, Bronx New York. 

The coordinator for this event was: Melissa Martinez. The Miss Puerto Rico Infantil Pageant is a traditional coronation event that selects a queen, 1st princess and 2nd princess for the annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade on May 31st. 

The pageant consisted of three categories in which each has a point scale. The three categories consisted of Talent, Evening Wear and Questions. Additional special

awards were chosen by the contestants themselves in which they voted for the most friendly (Ms. Amistad), and for the contestant who raised the most money (Ms. Cooperaciòn). Ms. Fotogenica (Ms. Photogenic)was chosen by none other than one of the photographers at the event. 

Subsequently, judges scored the contestants on stage presence, eye contact, and confidence as they demonstrated their individual talents. The third category of evening wear consisted of the girls modeling elegant evening gowns. Judges searched for poise, presence, and confidence as they modeled the stage. For each category, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places were filled with the winners with the most points. 

The heaviest weighed segment of the Infantil pageant was the Questions & Answers portion. The winners were

chosen based on the following characteristics: confidence, composure, charisma, speech, vocabulary, grammar and communication. 

Winners included: 1st princess Kayla Cordero, Queen Jade Rivera, and 2nd princess, Alani Lopez. The judges at the pageant included: Bryanna Borges, Alexa Tirado, Felicita Rivera, andRev. Carmen Hernandez. The young ladies each represented the different cities of the Caribbean island and the order went as follows: Queen Jade Rivera represented Cabo Rojo, 1st princess Kayla Cordero represented Loiza, 2nd Princess Alani Lopez represented Bayamon, Olivia Lopez represented San Sebastian, Jazlene Class represented Humacao, and Jennifer Medina represented Ponce. 

In next to no time: the Juvenil Pageant for contestants ages 10-14 years old will be held on April 25, 2015 at the same location. The Women’s and Men’s Pageant will be scheduled for May 17thand May 23rd respectively, so be on the lookout for an announcement.

Also, save the date: Sunday, May 31st, will be the 29th annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade on the Grand Concourse from 192nd street to Van Courtlandt Avenue East. The parade will kick-off at Poe Cottage Park at 10 am so stay tuned!  

#PuertoRicanDayParade #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with A...

Highbridge News: Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with A...: Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with Assaulting Patients She called herself “Dr. Val” –but it’s alleged that Valbona Yze...

Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with Assaulting Patients

Justice Bites Back as Phony Dentist Charged with Assaulting Patients

She called herself “Dr. Val” –but it’s alleged that Valbona Yzeiraj is not only not a doctor – but also that the dental procedures she performed harmed her patients. 

Now, the 45-year-old woman faces criminal charges in the Bronx, announces Bronx County District Attorney Robert Johnson, as Yzeiraj was arraigned this week on the Supreme Court indictment which charged: assault in the second degree (Class D Felony, 2 counts); assault in the third degree (Class A Misdemeanor, 2 counts); unauthorized practice (NYS Education Law §6512) (Class E Felony, 5 counts); attempted grand larceny in the third degree (Class E Felony, 1 count) and reckless endangerment in the second degree (Class A Misdemeanor, 3 counts).

It is alleged that Yzeiraj of White Plains, NY, claimed to have had dental training in her home country of Albania, but was neither trained nor licensed in the United States. She is accused of treating patients at the office of Dr. Jeffrey Schoengold, at 3800 Independence Avenue, where she worked as an office manager. Some of her dental procedures, which included root canals, came with a bite – it is alleged that at least one patient got an infection from a botched root canal, and another suffers persistent pain two years after treatment.

The illegal dental practice is alleged to have been conducted between late 2012 and the summer of 2013, out of Dr. Schoengold’s offices, “Dr. Val” seeing patients when he was not there. When the dentist discovered her activities, Yzeiraj was fired. But it is further alleged when she left, she attempted to take money from the practice.

Yzeiraj pled not guilty to the charges before Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett. Bail was set at $20K bond/$10K cash and her case has been adjourned to May 28^th. Justice Barrett also barred her from working anywhere in regard to dentistry for the duration of her case.

If convicted of the charges, Yzeiraj faces up to seven years behind bars. The charges in this indictment are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

#NYPD #BronxDA #PhonyDentist #Yzeiraj #Bronxnews

Healthcare Showdown

Healthcare Showdown 

Rigid Staffing #s Not Way to Improve Care- Hospital Execs say

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 23- Members of the New York City Hospital Alliance (NYCHA), currently negotiating a new contact between its five-member hospitals and roughly half of the 18,000 nurses currently working without a contract, has issued a statement after several thousand nurses held a rally at the State Capital in Albany.

The statement read in part, "The NYC Hospital Alliance 

continues to negotiate in good faith with NYSNA (New York State Nurses Association) to reach a fair contract that honors our nurses by protecting their strong health and pension benefits and offering a wage increase that keeps them among the best paid nurses in the country."

The statement continued, "NYSNA's insistence on rigid staffing ratios is not the way to improve patient care. Nor is there a shortage of nurses currently as the hospitals that make up the Alliance (who) have collectively hired 1,000 additional nurses since the last contract was signed."

In what could be a sticking point in any future negotiation, the NYCHA statement added, "In a changing healthcare landscape that requires flexibility and team-based approach, staffing levels and assignments must remain the responsibility of hospital management."

The statement concluded, "We are pleased that NYSNA has agreed to discuss the remaining issues during a joint mediation, and we look forward to reaching an agreement that recognizes the important contributions of all healthcare professionals and allows these hospitals to continue providing the highest quality care to all of their patients."

The NYCHA is made up of a select group of negotiators from Mount Sinai, St. Luke's, Roosevelt, Montefiore and New York-Presbyterian Hospital and is currently in the process of negotiating a new contract between those five hospital's and the nurses union.

The NYCHA boasts that it's five hospitals handle nearly one million emergency room visits and nearly six million outpatient visits each year.

Addressing the under-staffing concerns raised by the demonstrating nurses, Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for Montefiore Hospital, stated, "In the last three years, Montefiore has added nearly 500 nurses, half of whom were hired to increase nurse staffing to meet patients' complex needs."

Heller maintains,"NYSNA is disparaging city hospitals to try and gain advantage in ongoing contract negotiations. We always have and always will work cooperatively with NYSNA to improve patient care, which is not just our top priority-- it is our only priority."

"Fixed staffing ratios," Heller continued, "Which NYSNA is requesting, are an outdated idea, have not been proven to improve health, and would actually undermine the team-based care model that works best for our patients."

Heller added, "We look forward to reaching an agreement that recognizes the important contributions of all of our health care professionals and allow us to continue providing the very best care for our patients."

#Healthcare #Nurses #Hospitals #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Death Over Parking Space

Highbridge News: Death Over Parking Space: Country Club Man Charged with Beating Neighbor to Death Over Parking Space BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 22- District Attorney Robert J...

Death Over Parking Space

Country Club Man Charged with Beating Neighbor to Death Over Parking Space

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 22- District Attorney Robert Johnson announced the Supreme Court arraignment of Gjok Deda (pron: ZH-AWK DAY-dah) in the death of his downstairs neighbor, 68-year-old Ronald Antonucci, in the parking lot of the apartment building they lived in at 1110 Stadium Avenue in the Country Club section of the Bronx.

Deda, who will turn 41 years old later this week, pled not guilty before Supreme Court Justice George Villegas, to the single charge of manslaughter in the first degree, a Class-B Felony.

The row between the two men occurred in the early morning hours of March 19^th, 2015, when Deda allegedly became enraged because Antonucci was backing out of a parking space he felt was too close to him and his daughters. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Deda is accused of repeatedly punching the older and much smaller 5-foot-8 and 156-pound Antonucci in the head.  Antonucci died shortly after from what the medical examiner described as multiple blunt force trauma to the head.

If convicted of the charges, Deda faces up to 25 years behind bars, and deportation to his home country of Albania. The charges in this indictment are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case against Deda has been adjourned to July 13, 2015 in Part 77, before Justice William Mogulescu, Bronx Supreme Court, 265 E. 161^st Street.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Erin Kelsh of Trial Bureau 20/50.

#NYPD #BronxDA #ParkingSpace #GjokDeda #RonaldAntonucci #CountryClub #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Softball

Highbridge News: Softball: Rams Sweep St. Joes By Gary Quintal  BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 20- With Atlantic 10 conference play entering its final two weeks, ...

Highbridge News: Softball

Highbridge News: Softball: Rams Sweep St. Joes By Gary Quintal  BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 20- With Atlantic 10 conference play entering its final two weeks, ...

Softball

Rams Sweep St. Joes

By Gary Quintal 

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 20- With Atlantic 10 conference play entering its final two weeks, fourth place Fordham hosted fifth place Saint Joseph's University at Bahoshy Field this weekend.  

The Fordham Rams swept Saint Joseph's in impressive fashion, not only winning all three games, but shutting Saint Joe's out of the entire series, taking the Saturday double header 8-0 twice and finishing Sunday with a 4-0 victory.   

The victories place Fordham into third place in the Atlantic 10 with an 11-5 conference record (25-17 overall), while Saint Joe's falls to seventh place with a record of  21-15 (6-8 conference).  

Fordham returns to the Bronx next weekend to start their final home-stand of the season against A-10 opponent George Washington. 

#Fordham #Softball #SaintJosephsUniversity #Bronxnews

Highbridge News: Soccer

Highbridge News: Soccer: Portland Timbers Edge NYCFC on Late Goal By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 20- On Sunday night, NYCFC hosted its second g...

Soccer

Portland Timbers Edge NYCFC on Late Goal

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, APRIL 20- On Sunday night, NYCFC hosted its second game at Yankee Stadium within four days as the Portland Timbers travelled nearly 3,000 miles for the first of five road matches in a six week period. Portland and NYC were meeting for the first time, but the Timbers played in New York City 40 years ago. On July 16, 1975, Portland defeated the NY Cosmos, 2‐1, in a NASL game at Randall’s Island. The legendary Pele scored the lone goal for the Cosmos.

NYC was short‐handed (pun intended) as Spanish international star and New York City native Jason Hernandez among others were out with injuries suffered in their previous match, Villa with a hamstring strain and Hernandez with a calf strain.

In addition to the above two starters, Mix Diskerud, who missed the previous match due to playing with the USMNT against Mexico, injured his ankle earlier on Sunday. NYC coach Jason Kreis commented, “We’re really unlucky; five players were unable to play today; that’s a lot.” 

Mix downplayed the importance of the injuries as a factor in the loss, “They [substitute players] came and did a great job.” He felt their gaining game experience is beneficial to the club because “we’re going to need them.” Goalie Josh Saunders agreed, “We have a lot of quality players. We can absorb those losses.”

The match was scoreless until the 79th minute when Dairon Asprilla scored the only goal of the game. It was the first MLS goal for the rookie from Colombia, who signed with Portland in December. The Timbers since 2013 have shown remarkable ability to bounce back after suffering a loss. This was their eighth win after losing. In that period they have three draws and have only lost two straight twice.

Despite it being the fifth consecutive NYCFC match without a win and their third straight game being deprived of points by a late goal, the NYC coach and players spoke very positively of their club’s play. Kreis remarked, “I’m actually very encouraged by our performances in the last two matches. Morale was especially high and that’s encouraging...Right now, the results aren’t going the way we like, but the performances are. We need to look at the positives and build on that.”

Each of the players, who spoke with the media after the contest, spoke similarly. Veteran goalie Josh Saunders, a native of Oregon, who spent several seasons with the Timbers, said, “I think we can walk out of here with our heads held high. I thought our defense played well. They [Timbers] had limited chances. If we keep doing good things, good things are going to happen.” The facts bore out the points he made. NYC had 21 shots on goal while Portland had only 12. The other stats such as number of passes, passing accuracy, duels won and possession of the ball were close, but not connected to a losing contest.

#Soccer #NYCFC #YankeeStadium #PortlandTimbers #Bronxnews