Fireworks Explosion

Following Fireworks Shake and Wake in Park,

Pol Calls for Stiffer Sentences for Vandals 

BRONX, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 31- In the wake of a major fireworks explosion Monday night in the Bronx, State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein announced he will introduce legislation that would dramatically increase penalties for vandals who set-off fireworks explosions causing more than $1,000 in property damage or public panic. Assemblyman Michael Benedetto (D-Bronx) will sponsor the legislation in the Assembly.

“New Year’s Eve should be a time for public celebration, not panic and fear. Last night’s explosion was terrifying and has no place in any community,” Senator Klein said. “If these types of vandals think they can get away with a slap on the wrist, they’re dead wrong. I will not risk letting our young people think that this type of life-threatening vandalism is ok here or anywhere else in New York.”

Assemblyman Benedetto said, "It is important that we send a message to all who think something like this is a 'fun prank'. It is anything but. Terrifying our residents in the middle of the night is anything but fun and they should be held responsible."

Currently, an individual who illegally explodes fireworks faces a maximum of 15 days in jail. But under Sen. Klein’s proposed legislation, an individual who illegally explodes fireworks and causes $1,000 or more in property damage or public panic would face a sentence of between 1- 4 years in prison. The legislation would elevate the offense from a violation  to a Class E felony.

Community Board 10 Chairman John Marano said, "It is scary knowing that the perpetrator of this explosion can just walk the streets and get away with harming others. I applaud Senator Klein for recognizing the need to hold those that cause public panic like this accountable. The common person should never have to live in fear."

Al Carena, President of Spencer Estates Civic Association said, "In this current climate we live in, incidences like this can cause public alarm and should be addressed. The New York State Legislature should take a look and consider this bill." 

Frank W. Diefenbach, Affected Homeowner on Middletown Road said, "The perpetrator of this explosion showed no regard for our property or for the safety of local residents and animals in the area who could have been hurt or injured. I think this legislation is a wonderful idea and it’s something that needs to be done to protect homeowners like me."

Monday night’s incident, which occurred inside Pelham Bay Park at approximately 11:00 p.m., is currently under investigation by the Arson and Explosion Squad and by the 45 Precinct Detective Squad. Damage to at least three homes has been reported as a result of the explosion.

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Rams Victorious in Fordham Holiday Classic

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Rams Victorious in Fordham Holiday Classic: By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 31- Aficionados of college women’s basketball in the Bronx had an opportunity to attend ...

Rams Victorious in Fordham Holiday Classic

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 31- Aficionados of college women’s basketball in the Bronx had an opportunity to attend two doubleheaders shortly before the close of 2013 as the 7^th annual Fordham Holiday Classic was held on the afternoons of December 29 and December 30 at the Rose Hill Gym. As in the previous six years, the invitees included teams from a wide area of the nation and from several conferences. 

In the opening contest on Sunday afternoon, the Fordham Rams easily triumphed over the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Spartans, 79-48. The Rams began aggressively by scoring the first eight points. At 11:35, Fordham reached its first double digit lead of the contest, 15-5. They increased their lead at the half to 39-20. 

Mid-way through the second half, Fordham increased its advantage to an insurmountable 67-34. Fordham’s experienced and classy coach, Stephanie Gaitley, gave all the reserves on its bench an opportunity to see action and to ensure that the visiting team from the South was not treated to an even more embarrassing defeat.

Erin Rooney paced the Rams, nearly achieving a triple double with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in only 27 minutes on court. 

The closing game of day #1 was the first meeting between the Harvard Crimson and the Tulsa Hurricanes. The two teams battled competitively on a court foreign to both. Control of the boards, 44 rebounds to 32, and six additional points from the charity stripe gave the 61-57 victory to Harvard.

The consolation contest between Tulsa and UNCG opened the second day of the tourney. The game was hard fought and evenly played by two teams that never previously faced one another. Tulsa led throughout most of the first half, but the Spartans took a 27-26 lead with four minutes left in the half. The Hurricanes followed with 10 unanswered points, and led at the half, 36-32.

After knotting the score at 38 early in the second half, the Spartans remained behind for the remainder of the game. They cut the Tulsa advantage to a single point on four occasions, but could not again equal the Tulsa point total. The Hurricanes won, 76-71.

The title contest of the two-day tourney was between Fordham and Harvard. Interestingly, the two men’s teams of the same universities met in the same Bronx venue two nights earlier. The Rams’ ability from beyond the arc furnished them an advantage during the opening half. Five of Fordham’s first six baskets were from downtown and allowed the Rams to lead, 20-12 at 7:47. A basket and a free throw by Emily Tapio brought Fordham its first double figure advantage of the game, 25-14, at 5:56. 

Fordham never lost the double figure advantage again during the contest. During the final two minutes of the game, Fordham, in the person of Abigail Corning, outscored the Crimson, 6-1, to raise its final score lead to a game high 20 points, 64-44. The win was the 10^th straight for the Rams, equaling a mark last accomplished in the 1978-79 season. They are undefeated at home, 7-0.

Corning had an impressive game for the Rams, grabbing 12 boards, scoring 9 and dishing 6 assists. Rooney led all scorers in the contest with 19.

Corning and Rooney were named to the All-Tournament team along with Janaé Stevenson of UNCG, Mariah Turner of Tulsa and Temi Fagbenle of Harvard. 

The women of Fordham next see action on the evening of January 2 in the Bronx versus Saint Louis. It will be Fordham’s first Atlantic-10 conference game of the season. 

Rams Victorious in Fordham Holiday Classic

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 31- Aficionados of college women’s basketball in the Bronx had an opportunity to attend two doubleheaders shortly before the close of 2013 as the 7^th annual Fordham Holiday Classic was held on the afternoons of December 29 and December 30 at the Rose Hill Gym. As in the previous six years, the invitees included teams from a wide area of the nation and from several conferences. 

In the opening contest on Sunday afternoon, the Fordham Rams easily triumphed over the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Spartans, 79-48. The Rams began aggressively by scoring the first eight points. At 11:35, Fordham reached its first double digit lead of the contest, 15-5. They increased their lead at the half to 39-20. 

Mid-way through the second half, Fordham increased its advantage to an insurmountable 67-34. Fordham’s experienced and classy coach, Stephanie Gaitley, gave all the reserves on its bench an opportunity to see action and to ensure that the visiting team from the South was not treated to an even more embarrassing defeat.

Erin Rooney paced the Rams, nearly achieving a triple double with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in only 27 minutes on court. 

The closing game of day #1 was the first meeting between the Harvard Crimson and the Tulsa Hurricanes. The two teams battled competitively on a court foreign to both. Control of the boards, 44 rebounds to 32, and six additional points from the charity stripe gave the 61-57 victory to Harvard.

The consolation contest between Tulsa and UNCG opened the second day of the tourney. The game was hard fought and evenly played by two teams that never previously faced one another. Tulsa led throughout most of the first half, but the Spartans took a 27-26 lead with four minutes left in the half. The Hurricanes followed with 10 unanswered points, and led at the half, 36-32.

After knotting the score at 38 early in the second half, the Spartans remained behind for the remainder of the game. They cut the Tulsa advantage to a single point on four occasions, but could not again equal the Tulsa point total. The Hurricanes won, 76-71.

The title contest of the two-day tourney was between Fordham and Harvard. Interestingly, the two men’s teams of the same universities met in the same Bronx venue two nights earlier. The Rams’ ability from beyond the arc furnished them an advantage during the opening half. Five of Fordham’s first six baskets were from downtown and allowed the Rams to lead, 20-12 at 7:47. A basket and a free throw by Emily Tapio brought Fordham its first double figure advantage of the game, 25-14, at 5:56. 

Fordham never lost the double figure advantage again during the contest. During the final two minutes of the game, Fordham, in the person of Abigail Corning, outscored the Crimson, 6-1, to raise its final score lead to a game high 20 points, 64-44. The win was the 10^th straight for the Rams, equaling a mark last accomplished in the 1978-79 season. They are undefeated at home, 7-0.

Corning had an impressive game for the Rams, grabbing 12 boards, scoring 9 and dishing 6 assists. Rooney led all scorers in the contest with 19.

Corning and Rooney were named to the All-Tournament team along with Janaé Stevenson of UNCG, Mariah Turner of Tulsa and Temi Fagbenle of Harvard. 

The women of Fordham next see action on the evening of January 2 in the Bronx versus Saint Louis. It will be Fordham’s first Atlantic-10 conference game of the season. 

Pinstripe Bowl is Final College Game for Notre Dame Wide Receiver TJ Jones

By Howard Goldin

The final phase of the 2013 college football season has begun, which is the playing of the annual Bowl games. For the student-athlete that is a senior, he will be appearing in his final college game. The story of each of these young men’s past, present and future is unique, yet each, like every college graduate, will be entering a new stage of life with its own opportunities and challenges.

This story is about TJ Jones, a Notre Dame senior who plays wide receiver on its renowned football team. Jones was born in Winnipeg, Canada, but moved with his family to Georgia as a young child. He was a highly regarded football player in high school, but chose to enroll at Notre Dame for very personal reasons, “My father [Andre] went here [1987-91]. My father met my mother here when she was in graduate school and he was an undergraduate. In my visit to the school, I saw the closeness of my father with the other students after 20 years.” An example of the closeness of the students is that Jones’ godfather, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, was a teammate of his father on the football team at Notre Dame.

TJ, like his father, has been a success on the football field. Both were contributors to highly successful teams that compiled winning records and competed in a Bowl game at the end of each of the four seasons they played. During the current season, Jones surpassed his previous seasons’ statistics with 65 receptions accounting for 1,042 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns one by rushing.

The last four years have not been all smooth or good times as Jones’ father died in 2011, his sophomore year. It affected him greatly, “I believe I grew into the man I am today at a young age after my father died.”

At this stage in his life, the articulate young man voiced his thoughts regarding his years at Notre Dame, “It’s been a roller coaster, a lot of highs and a lot of lows. Today was my last practice. Saturday will be my last game. It’s hard to believe; I feel like I just got here. I feel young.” It’s bittersweet; I’m sad to leave these guys but it’s exciting. The possibilities [for the future] are endless.”

He also expressed his hopes for future endeavors. Like his father, who was drafted by Pittsburgh in 1991, Jones hopes to play in the NFL. Of being invited to the NFL Combine, he admitted, “That’s the goal.”

Jones also has longer-term goals for the more distant future after his football days have ended. The Radio, Television and Theater major projected his desires, “As I get older, I’d like to get small acting roles. I’d also like to be able to work with killer whales at Sea World.”

Regardless of what his future holds, the memories of his college years will always remain with him, “It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life, being part of the tradition of Notre Dame and playing at Yankee Stadium [in 2010 and 2013].”

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Cops Fatally Shoot Alleged Bank Robber

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Cops Fatally Shoot Alleged Bank Robber: By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 27- A suspect wanted in an armed robbery at a Chase Bank ATM was shot and killed  as he fought wit...

Cops Fatally Shoot Alleged Bank Robber

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, DECEMBER 27- A suspect wanted in an armed robbery at a Chase Bank ATM was shot and killed  as he fought with police on Davidson Avenue in Morris Heights.

Cops say James Torres, 44, was hit two-times in the chest at just after 4 a.m. on Thursday, December 26 after the confronted officers. Torres was shot during the scuffle with a pair of uniformed officers from the 46th Precinct. Torres later died at St. Barnabas Hospital. 

A loaded .380 caliber handgun was recovered at the scene. Police say Torres had an extensive criminal background with three felony convictions and 22 misdemeanor convictions for a host of crimes including assault, robbery, weapons possession and an assault of a police officer.