BP Gibson boots six members from Bronx CB11 following chair and vice chair removal proceedings
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson removed six members from Bronx Community Board 11 last week in a heated conclusion to the dysfunction tarnishing the body for months.
Gibson removed former CB11 Vice Chair Al D’Angelo — who the board stripped of his leadership role last month — from the board on May 20. Gibson also didn’t reappoint five others the same day: board members Chun Chun, Christine Culpepper De Ruiz, Malcom Gray, Serena Muñiz and Keith Ramsey.
CB 11 serves the neighborhoods of Allerton, Indian Village, Morris Park, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway and Van Nest.
Gibson’s office didn’t answer specific Bronx Times questions about why she chose to remove the group of six, only saying that “reappointments are made at the discretion of the Bronx Borough President and in consultation with the Bronx City Council delegation.”
The BP’s office did confirm, however, that she didn’t have to provide written explanation to the board officers she booted last week.
T-Mobile looking to improve cell service in Pelham Bay Park
For nearly a decade poor cell service has plagued Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. After years of complaints, T-Mobile has finally stepped up to the plate and is ready to take action.
According to a 2016 report by U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, City Island Road in Pelham Bay Park is ranked ninth for the worst cell phone service in New York City. The report shows the cell tower located on Amtrak property near Pelham Bay Split Rock Golf Course is long overdue for an upgrade. Amtrak must approve any work at the site.
With inadequate lighting, public safety issues, poor roadway conditions within the park and or emergencies, not having cell service is an issue, said John Doyle, president of the nonprofit City Island Rising.
T-Mobile Spokesman Roni Singleton told the Bronx Times the company is working to address the cell service. Singleton said while there is no timeline to share, discussions with the vendor have been underway.
Bronx collision kills teenage girl, leaves man in critical condition
A teen girl died as a young man clung to life in the Bronx Tuesday following a horrific car collision, authorities confirmed.
Locals gathered in disbelief around the debris-covered scene on West 192nd Street and University Avenue Tuesday afternoon while police combed the site as part of the ongoing investigation. Others at the scene wept profusely, as officers examined heaps of twisted metal.
According to police sources, a 19-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were apparently riding on a gas-powered scooter northbound when they collided with a Honda Pilot, sending both passengers hurtling onto the sidewalk.
Police believe the 16-year-old was killed instantly; police have not yet released her identity. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old man was left hospitalized in grave condition at St. Barnabas Hospital.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as being a horrific bloody mess.
Bronx’s Multiplex Cinemas closure means there’s only one commercial theater in the borough left standing
The Bronx’s Concourse Plaza Multiplex Cinemas — one of the borough’s last standing movie theaters — had its final showing this week before closing its doors permanently.
According to Multiplex Cinemas, located on 214 East 161st St. just a few blocks east of Yankee Stadium, the establishment shuttered “due to a business decision” on May 28.
“We are sad to let you know that Concourse Plaza Multiplex Cinemas is closing. It has been our pleasure to serve the Bronx community with great movie-going for many years,” officials wrote on the Multiplex Cinemas website. “We truly thank you for your dedicated patronage and hope you’ve created special movie memories with us.”
The closure is significant, since Multiplex Cinemas is one out of just a handful of operating movie theaters left in the Bronx — and the second-to-last commercial theater. Now, the AMC Bay Plaza Theater 13 in the Baychester/Co-Op City area is the borough’s last commercial theater.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
