Unless we had a Swami turban and crystal ball, we were frustratingly stuck with a Tuesday afternoon deadline keeping us from running the local winners in the election – and all the concurrent drama (and tragedy) that went with it.
But do check out the paper’s website at bxtimes.com for election coverage, especially from that special election to fill the northeast Bronx city council seat formerly held by soon-to-be prison-bound Councilman Larry Seabrook.
One interesting pre-vote theory had Dem Party-backed Andy King losing, thanks to three other male challengers diluting the vote and swinging it one of two fairly well-known female candidates.
We shall see….
Otherwise, we predict no big local surprise upsets.
BYE BYE SAN JUAN
A lotta electeds from across the borough and city (and a Bronx columnist) had their swim trunks and sunblock all packed and ready to head down to San Juan on Wednesday for the annual Somos El Futuro (We are the Future) winter conference of the State Senate/Assembly Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force.
As we wrote last week, and experienced last year, the annual jaunt involves some serious workshops and mucho political schmoozing at the pool and on the beach dayside and casinos nightside.
But, with SuperStorm Sandy, then the nor’easter skedded to blow in Wednesday, task force chair, Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz decided it wouldn’t look too good with photos of electeds enjoying San Juan sun while their constituents struggled in the freezing dark and on long gas lines back home.
West Bronx Councilman Fernando Cabrero was among the first to cancel out anyway, since he’s been immersed in putting together emergency relief supplies at the Kingsbridge Armory.
Ditto Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., busy working to get the borough back on its feet after the storm devastation to homes and businesses.
Dem Party boss and Assemblyman Carl Heastie also cancelled out after surveying the problems in his northeast Bronx district.
Meanwhile, Ortiz said the task force will schedule a conference in New York City next month “to address the devastation brought to our communities.”
PRESSING THE FLESH
The Bronx was in the house for Obama – in Florida last weekend.
BP Ruben Diaz Jr. answered the call from CANDIDATE Obama (and built some IOUs?), by hopping down to the Sunshine State last weekend to campaign on his behalf among the large Latino population down there.
Spokesman John DeSio said the BP pressed the flesh and spread the word for the prez by working voters in Kissimmee, Tampa, Winter Park and Orlando. Also joining him, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
THE REV
We HAVE to assume Diaz’ dad, state Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., was a good Democrat and voted for President Obama, but he put out a pre-election email blast touting his spending much dinero on different Hispanic radio stations and media outlets to air a commercial asking for the Hispanic community to cast their votes on the Conservative Party line.
Meanwhile, The Rev was on his lower-case conservative horse pre-election, firing off an email endorsing U.S. Senator Kirsten Gilliibrand’s longshot challenger Wendy Long.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given his views on same sex marriage, abortion and other traditional issues.
Long had a private meeting with The Rev Aug. 14 while he was recuperating from knee replacement surgery at the Rebekkah Rehabilitation Center.
SNOOKI
We had to pick ourselves up off the floor from laughing at this one.
Some jokester at Assembly candidate/likely winner Mark Gjonaj’s fundraiser Monday night at the F&J Pines said don’t count defeated and now jobless Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera out, with her REPORTEDLY thinking about running for her term-limited Council Majority Leader brother Joel’s 15th C.D. seat in E. Tremont/Belmont.
MOVING ON
John Doyle, after five years toiling for Senator Jeff Klein – “among the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life” – taking new employment starting Tuesday, Nov. 13 at the North Bronx Healthcare Network.
The City Island native also leaves with some high praise for Jeff , who “has set an impeccable standard as a public servant and is a statesmen whose future is indeed, very bright.”
EQUAL TIME
From Tony Roccamo, City Island via Wakefield, on last week’s column:
“I suppose a Bronx paper should have an edge to it, but why does Mr. Kappstatter have to use the word ‘beotch’, a corruption of ‘bitch’, to describe Hurricane Sandy? And ‘There ain’t nothing nowhere else like Bronx Attitude?’ That’s a triple negative.
“I was born, raised and still live in the Bronx and have been fighting ‘da Bronx’ moron stereotype all of my life. I still have to defend it to know-nothings all of the time. This kind of writing doesn’t help.”
BRONX BIRTHDAYS
Nov. 10: Comedian and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan.
Christopher Rios – aka “Big Punisher.”
Nov. 13: Garry Kent Masciarelli (Garry Marshall).
