Dear Neighbor,
Unfortunately, Boogie on the Boulevard, originally scheduled for tomorrow Saturday, July 15th, is canceled. The event will be rescheduled and we will share a new date soon.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.
In partnership,
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson
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“Last night, my Office, the Southern District of New York, authorized the arrest of Sophia Marks in connection with her distribution of fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl. At least one of Marks’s counterfeit pills was purchased and taken by a teenager who subsequently died of a suspected overdose. The arrest was critical because, as we allege, Marks knew the pills could kill, and she continued selling them anyway. The investigation is ongoing.
Fentanyl is now the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49. More than cancer, car accidents, or gun violence. It is a law enforcement crisis and a public health crisis. And we are doing everything we can to stop it.”
SOPHIA MARKS, 20, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and alprazolam, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, each of which also carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Girls Injured When They Came to Mother’s Aid; Ex-Girlfriend’s Son Witnessed the Attack on His Kindergarten Graduation Day
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that a Queens man has been indicted for Attempted Murder and other charges for stabbing his ex-girlfriend and their 9-year old daughter, as well as assaulting their 14-year-old daughter when the girls came to their mother’s aid, after a graduation celebration. The woman’s 6-year-old son watched as the defendant knifed his mother in the head.
District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant allegedly went to the Bronx home of his exgirlfriend with whom he shares three daughters and allegedly stabbed her. Two of his daughters tried to stop him and he allegedly struck one of them in the face and stabbed the other in her leg. When the victim’s six-year-old son came home, the defendant allegedly threatened everyone and continued to attack the mother. We will get justice for this family and help the children through their traumatization.”
District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Terrence Colson, 38, of Queens, NY, was arraigned today on Attempted Murder in the second degree, Attempted Assault in the first and second degree, three counts of second-degree Assault, three counts of third-degree Assault, three counts of second-degree Menacing, two counts of fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, three counts of second-degree Aggravated Harassment, four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, and Attempted Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Connie Morales. Bail was set at $150,000 cash, $350,000 bond, and $350,000 partially secured bond, and the defendant is due back in court on July 28, 2023.
According to the investigation, on June 26, 2023, at approximately 6:00 p.m., the defendant was at the Westchester Avenue apartment of Amelia Holmes, after celebrating the graduation of her son. The defendant allegedly cut Holmes in the chest with a kitchen knife. When two of their daughters, ages 14 and 9, attempted to stop him from stabbing their mother, the defendant allegedly struck the 14-year-old in the face with the knife handle and punched her in the face, leaving her with a bruised eye and bleeding lip. Colson allegedly stabbed the 9-year-old in her right leg, leaving her with a laceration that required seven stitches. He then allegedly slashed Holmes’ hands, each requiring multiple stitches, and punched her about the body. When the victim’s eldest daughter and six-year-old son arrived at the residence, the defendant pulled the boy into the home and slammed the door. The boy then watched as the defendant allegedly stabbed Holmes in the back of her head, leaving her with a laceration that required five staples to close.
District Attorney Clark thanked Assistant District Attorney John Longo of Trial Bureau 30, Assistant District Attorney Devin Horzempa of Trial Bureau 60, and Crime Victims Assistance Bureau Advocate Andreina Baez for their assistance in the case. District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Tomor Berisha and William Sanchez of the 43rd Precinct Detective Squad for their work in the investigation.
An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.
New Entrance Ramp from Eastbound Pelham Parkway to Northbound Bruckner Expressway (I-95) Will Be Open to Traffic
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the completion of a new entrance ramp from eastbound Pelham Parkway to northbound Bruckner Expressway I-95, marking a milestone for the New York State Department of Transportation's $30 million project which is enhancing safety and mobility on the northbound Bruckner Expressway I-95 and the northbound Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx. The new quarter-mile entrance ramp from eastbound Pelham Parkway to northbound Bruckner Expressway I-95 will be open to traffic today, replacing two entrance ramps from eastbound and westbound Pelham Parkway to northbound I-95, creating a better traffic merge for motorists entering the highway and reducing traffic delays.
"This project milestone along the Bruckner Expressway reaffirms our commitment to enhancing safety on highways across New York City,” Governor Hochul said. "Once completed, this project will provide a safe and seamless commute for motorists that for too long have had to contend with heavy traffic at this northeastern portion of the Bronx."
The overall project, located in the vicinity of the Bruckner Expressway/Pelham Parkway interchange and the northbound Hutchinson River Parkway between the Bruckner Expressway overpass and the Bartow Avenue underpass, is slated for completion in the fall of 2024.
The eastbound Pelham Parkway ramp to northbound I-95 has already been removed and the westbound Pelham Parkway ramp to northbound I-95 is scheduled to be removed by the end of this month. A third ramp (Exit 8C), from northbound I-95 to westbound Pelham Parkway, was also removed and replaced with a new traffic configuration allowing motorists to use the existing Shore Road exit to access westbound Pelham Parkway.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "The completion of this new entrance ramp to the Bruckner Expressway is a major step in our goal to improve connections and traffic flow between New York City highways, local roads, and residential areas. While this is one milestone in a large project, it's an important one, and we will continue to work every day to improve our transportation infrastructure - its resiliency and its sustainability - now and for the future."
The $30 million project also includes the ongoing construction of two new signalized intersections on Pelham Parkway with dedicated left turn lanes, which, once completed, will allow motorists on westbound Pelham Parkway to access the new entrance ramp to northbound I-95 and allow eastbound Pelham Parkway traffic to access the existing entrance ramp to southbound I-95. A new exit ramp from northbound Hutchinson River Parkway to Bartow Avenue will also be added to provide better access to Co-op City, which is comprised of 15,372 residential units and is the largest single residential development in the United States.
Other improvements that will enhance safety and provide motorists/bicyclists/pedestrians with better visibility include realigned bicycle-pedestrian paths closer to Pelham Parkway, new signalized crossings compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and new LED lights where paths cross highway ramps.
In addition, the project will enhance landscaping and planting of vegetation in the vicinity of Bronx Victory Memorial and Memorial Grove (part of Bronx Pelham Bay Park), implement new sustainable stormwater management practices, install new catch basins, erect a new sign in the Bronx Victory Memorial Plaza that provides a brief history about the Victory Memorial, resurface pavement, install new pavement markings, drainage systems, LED highway lighting, a retaining wall along the new entrance ramp at the I-95/Pelham Parkway interchange, and new curbs and guiderails throughout the project limits.
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for the New York City Metro region for Saturday, July 15, 2023.
The pollutant of concern is: Ozone
The advisory will be in effect 11:00 a.m. through 11:00 p.m.
DEC and DOH issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern.
OZONE
Summer heat can lead to the formation of ground-level ozone, a major component of photochemical smog. Automobile exhaust and out-of-state emission sources are the primary sources of ground-level ozone and are the most serious air pollution problems in the northeast. This surface pollutant should not be confused with the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere.
Ozone is not a direct emission, and is produced indirectly when sunlight chemically reacts with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. High ozone isn't as visible as PM2.5 because it's a colorless gas, but it will produce hazy skies and reduce visibility in high concentrations.
People, especially young children, those who exercise outdoors, those involved in vigorous outdoor work and those who have respiratory disease (such as asthma) should consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity when ozone levels are the highest (generally afternoon to early evening). When outdoor levels of ozone are elevated, going indoors will usually reduce your exposure. Individuals experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing should consider consulting their doctor.
Ozone levels generally decrease at night and can be minimized during daylight hours by curtailment of automobile travel and the use of public transportation where available.
New Yorkers also are urged to take the following energy-saving and pollution-reducing steps:
Additional information on ozone and PM 2.5 is available on DEC's website and on DOH's website (PM 2.5) / DOH's website (ozone).To stay up-to-date with announcements from DEC, sign up to receive Air Quality Alerts through DEC Delivers: DEC's Premier Email Service.
The Saturday, July 15, Air Quality Health Advisory regions consists of: New York City Metro, which includes New York City, Rockland, and Westchester counties.
The affordable housing lottery has launched for The Willow, an eight-story mixed-use building at 750 East 134th Street in Port Morris, The Bronx. Designed by Newman Design Architects and developed by Altmark Group, the structure yields 133 residences and 9,456 square feet of commercial space. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 112 units for residents at 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $17,006 to $140,080.
Amenities include rooftop terrace, recreation room, shared laundry room, bike storage lockers, package lockers, elevator, and security cameras. Units feature designer vinyl tile, Quartz countertops, and steel appliances. Tenants are responsible for electricity.
At 30 percent of the AMI, there are two studios with a monthly rent of $410 for incomes ranging from $17,006 to $33,900; seven one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $521 for incomes ranging from $21,223 to $38,130; three two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $615 for incomes ranging from $25,509 to $45,750; and one three-bedroom with a monthly rent of $701 for incomes ranging from $29,555 to $52,530.
At 50 percent of the AMI, there are seven studios with a monthly rent of $768 for incomes ranging from $29,280 to $56,500; 21 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $969 for incomes ranging from $36,583 to $63,550; eight two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,152 for incomes ranging from $43,920 to $76,250; and four three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,322 for incomes ranging from $50,846 to $87,550.
At 70 percent of the AMI, there are five studios with a monthly rent of $1,126 for incomes ranging from $41,555 to $79,100; 14 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,416 for incomes ranging from $51,909 to $88,970; five two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,689 for incomes ranging from $62,332 to $106,750; and three three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,942 for incomes ranging from $72,103 to $122,570.
At 80 percent of the AMI, there are six studios with a monthly rent of $1,305 for incomes ranging from $47,692 to $90,400; 17 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,640 for incomes ranging from $59,589 to $101,680; five two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,958 for incomes ranging from $71,555 to $122,000; and four three-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,252 for incomes ranging from $82,732 to $140,080.
Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than September 12, 2023.
