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A sense of concern and outrage
is brewing in Throggs
Neck about a possible conversion
of an offi ce building into
an unwanted use.
Commercial tenants at
2800 Bruckner Boulevard received
letters to vacate the
property, and community
leaders have formed a coalition
to fi ght a possible alcohol
Westchester Square reels over Continued on vagrants Page 67
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR UNE 21-27, 2019 53
Message from
Councilman Mark Gjonaj
COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ
WE’LL FETCH IT FOR YOU
...and deliver to your home
ulder during a confrontation
Continued on Page 67
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While Bronxites prepared
to take a ‘bite out of crime’
at the annual August 1 Night
Out Against Crime, one crook
turned that around and took
a bite out of a local merchant
who tried to interrupt his
thievery.
A.M.A.F. Fashion business
owner Abdul Sol felt more
than an impact to his quality
of life on the morning of Sunday,
July 9, when a shoplifter
tried to leave his store with
a bag of clothing and Sol sufered
a severe bite on his left
rearm and a dislocated right
with the man.
At his 25 Westchester
Square store, Sol recalled how
the shoplifter had on previous
customer.
occasions
been a paying “He spent money here,
it’s not like I never saw him
before,” Sol said. “He came
around two or three months
ago and bought a pair of
shoes.”
But the Sunday of the assault,
the suspect asked for a
shopping bag, grabbed stuff,
and tried to leave, according
to Sol.
“I told him, ‘No, you can’t
take my stuff.’”
A fi ght ensued and Sol said
he “went to the ground with
him. I hurt my shoulder. He
took a big bite in my arm. I was
at the hospital until 6 o’clock. I
still have pain in my shoulder.
I still can’t lift my left arm.”
Sol said he had seen the
shoplifter associate with patients
from the Bronx Psychiatric
Center, so he fi gured he
was a client.
As Bronx Psychiatric Center,
on Waters Place, continues
to release its patients on
the street during the day, they
interact with homeless people
and drug rehab program.
Complaints have been
fi led with the city about beds
being moved into the building
or illegally converting it
into a residential building,
with some folks planning to
take legal action against the
landlord because they have
leases, according to multiple
sources.
Homeowners and renters
are also circulating petitions
to protest what appears to be
“a substance-abuse rehabilitation
program recruiting
staff” to work in the building
and lack of community notice
or engagement on what
may be sited at 2800 Bruckner
Boulevard.
“The community is defi -
nitely mobilized,” said Steven
Kaufman, an attorney who
is leading the Throggs Neck
Strong coalition looking into
the matter, adding “I believe
with mobilization, we might
be able to stop what they want
to do.”
Tenants in the building
say they got letters over the
last two weeks telling them
to vacate the building by
September, said Bobby Jaen,
Throggs Neck Merchants Association
president and coalition
member.
So far, at least 20 complaints
have been logged with
the NYC Department of Buildings,
including those concerning
“commercial space that is
being turned into residential
space” and those saying tenants
see “beds, dressers, mirrors
and chairs,” being moved
in.
As of press time, a meeting
of the Throggs Neck Strong
coalition has been planned
for the Crosstown Diner on
Thursday, August 3, with Jaen
expecting around 125 people,
following a lot of community
organizing and petitioning
that led to a forceful showing
at an earlier impromptu meeting
on Friday, July 28.
Anthony Mameli, Charles
Ruttenberg Realty’s Bronx
commercial real estate manager,
said the company was
planning a grand opening for
its new offi ce at the building
Bronx Times Reporter
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Last Friday the City Council
reached an agreement with the mayor
on the city’s fi scal budget. I am proud
of the work of my staff and I to secure
funding for critical and much needed
programs for our district. As such, this
budget includes funding for several
initiatives that will help to strengthen
our community.
While I am proud of what we are
able to achieve in this spending plan,
it was my hope that more could have
been done to better fund the city’s fi scal
reserves as a buffer to any potential
economic downturn and provide
real reform to reduce the property tax
burden faced by struggling renters, homeowners
and small businesses. But I
am determined to keep up the fi ght on
these two fronts until we have a sensible
solution that works for New York.
Below are just a few budget highlights
that I believe will go a long way
to ensuring that the Bronx gets a fairer
share of city funding and services:
Youth/Adolescent Investments
· Expand the Comprehensive After
School System of New York City (COMPASS)
· Restore School’s Out New York
City (SONYC)
· Expand Summer Youth Employment
Program (SYEP)
· Expand Foster Care Programming
· Increase Social Workers in
Schools: Funding for 285 school social
workers which includes 85 social
workers.
· Restore Funding for Breakfast in
the Classroom
· Add Seven New Title IX Coordinators
Improvements To Quality Of Life
· Trash Pick-Up ($8.6 Million): This
allocation is for additional sanitation
services including extra litter baskets.
This more than doubles last year’s
commitment.
· Senior Meals ($10 Million): This is
for the cost increases for food service
workers and meals in senior centers.
· Tree Stumps Removals ($1 Million):
This allocation will provide additional
resources to remove tree stumps
throughout the fi ve boroughs.
· Translation Services at Poll Sites
($640,000): This allocation will provide
for interpretation services in languages
not covered by the Board of
Elections.
· Street Resurfacing: Funding to
resurface 1,100 lane miles