Anarchy In The Bronx Comes To An End

The strike is over:

Public safety officers and lobby attendants were back on the job at Co-op City yesterday, ending a bitter seven-week strike after ratifying new contracts over the weekend.

The workers at the sprawling Bronx housing complex made modest gains in their new four-year contracts, but management won its major goal — control of the scheduling chart that determines when public safety workers called in for unscheduled or extended shifts are entitled to overtime pay.

The Only Two Places Left In The World Where Ballot Box Stuffing Is Acceptable Are Belarus And Zagat

After last year’s successful effort, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. is encouraging Bronx boosters to stuff the Zagat ballot box again:

Following up on last year’s successful push to get more of the borough’s eateries in the renowned guide, which saw 13 additional Bronx restaurants join 12 others from the borough in Zagat’s, Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. is teaming up with the Bronx Tourism Council again for the second annual Zagat Guide campaign.

“We’re just getting the word out again this year to encourage people to vote for their favorite restaurants and get them in the guide,” said Carrion. “More people are checking out our great restaurants because of the Zagat listings. I hope we will increase our presence in the 2007 guide.”

Last year, the BP’s office launched a campaign that saw Alice’s Tea Cup, Bruckner B&G, Dominick’s, El Malecon, El Rancho, El Rey del Marisco, Enzo’s, F&J Pine, Jake’s Steakhouse, Joe’s Place, Le Refuge, Lobster Box, Madison’s, Mario’s, Park Place, Pasquale’s Rigoletto, Piper’s Kilt, Portofino, Riverdale Garden, Roberto’s, Siam Square, Spoto’s, Tosca Café, Umberto’s and Willie’s Steakhouse added to the annual guide to the city’s best restaurants.

“The lack of attention to Bronx eateries is like the elephant in the room that everyone sees, but no one talks about,” said Jake’s Steakhouse general manager James Shelly. “We are ecstatic that the borough president was so aggressive in addressing the problem in a positive matter. It worked. We have worked hard here and people wondered why we were not in the guide. We didn’t have an answer, but now we have made it.”

. . .

In order for that to be further recognized in the next guide due out later this year, Bronxites must step up to the plate and be heard. “It’s up to Bronxites, all New Yorkers and our suburban neighbors who enjoy our great restaurants to cast their votes for their favorite eateries,” said Carrion. “I know I’ll be voting for many places again this year.”

Did You Hear What They Want To Do With Blackwell’s Island?

Department of Corrections officials announced that they identified a site for a new jail in the Bronx. They just don’t want to say where:

A South Bronx industrial lot is to become the site for the city’s new $375 million jail, officials said yesterday.

John Antonelli, a deputy commissioner of the Department of Correction, told the City Council that the facility would have space for 2,000 inmates and be just two miles away from the courthouse.

“We have identified a site in the Oak Point section that is in reasonable proximity to the courts, appropriately zoned and large enough to accommodate a 2,000-bed facility,” Antonelli testified before the council’s Fire & Criminal Justice Committee.

The proposed site is in an area with garbage dumps, a sewage-treatment facility and power plants.

The site’s prior owners were investigated for possible ties to reputed crime boss John Gotti and declared bankruptcy, leaving behind $60 million in unpaid taxes.

“I would anticipate opposition to this, but I think that your agency is going to have to come forth with a more detailed plan than what we have today,” warned Councilman James Vacca (D-Bronx).

Where, you say, is the “Oak Point” section of the Bronx? It’s not in the Encyclopedia of New York City? Neither Lloyd Ultan nor John McNamara (see here) has written the definitive history of the neighborhood? Maybe that’s because Corrections officials are really talking about Hunts Point, but then we would have known where they were talking about . . .

Next thing you know, they’ll be putting a jail in the Winfield section of Queens, and over in Vandewater’s Heights in Manhattan, one within walking distance of Punkiesberg (uh, scratch that example!), or maybe one in Kreischerville.

For extra credit.

Still Waiting For The Crime Rate To Rise In Co-op City

Anarchy still reigns in the Bronx:

As the public security strike at Co-op City drags into its seventh week, both sides continue to blame the other for the stalemate, while community leaders are urging them to resolve the crisis.

“It’s open season on Co-op City now,” said Kevin Lambright, 43, president of the residents’ association that represents three buildings in the sprawling 35-building development.

. . .

Union President Joseph Monahan told the rally that criminal elements were catching on to the reduced level of security at Co-op City.

“With warmer weather and more people on the street,” he warned, “it’s just a matter of time before quality-of-life issues get worse.”

George Meets The Lorax

Add mass arborcide to the growing list of Yankee sins:

Nearly 400 mature trees are going to get the ax to make way for the new Yankee Stadium — although the city vows to replace them with up to 12,000 young trees.

A Parks Department spokesman, Ashe Reardon, said yesterday that the replacement trees will be “of all different sizes and shapes” and will cost about $14 million.