BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY January 20, 2019 14
BronxNet presents Thurgood Marshall Junior Mock Trials
Judge Alan Chang, NY Yankees VP of Legal Affairs with Mock Trial students.
BronxNet will broadcast the 21st
Annual Thurgood Marshall Junior
Mock Trials and a Bronx Currents episode
featuring a Celebration of the Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. on Martin Luther
King Day, Monday, January 21.
In the mock trials held in the summer
0f 2018, Judge Alan Chang, who is also vice
president of Legal Affairs for the New York
Yankees, instructed and inspired teams
of middle school students as they participated
in the competition. Students from
over 20 middle schools in the Bronx, Manhattan,
Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island
and Westchester were well prepared as
they gathered at the Bronx County Courthouse
and presented their cases.
New York State Supreme Court Justice
Elizabeth A. Taylor founded the mock trial
program in 1997 to prepare public and private
middle school students for legal careers
and other challenges.
“The Thurgood Marshall Junior Mock
Trial Program, in recognition of its civic
responsibility, is proud to play a small
part in helping to shape our future leaders.
Without the unwavering commitment
of the school administrators, judges, attorney
coaches, coordinators and other
supporters, the program would not be
successful. We are grateful that BronxNet
is sharing the outstanding work of our
students and volunteers on their channels,”
said Bronx Supreme Court Justice
Taylor.
The Bronx Currents special provides
full coverage of the 2018 celebration of Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Trinity Baptist
Church, where Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr., Senior Pastor Naomi Tyler-
Lloyd and other elected offi cials, clergy
and community representatives gathered
for an interfaith service honoring the
memory and legacy of Dr. King.
“We are proud to present programs
that inspire learning, achievement
and togetherness on Martin Luther
King Day and every day. We thank
New York State Supreme Court Justice
Elizabeth A. Taylor and New York
State Justice Eddie J. McShan for
partnering with BronxNet to share
the mock cases presented by incredible
students from the New York City
area, supported by outstanding volunteers.
We invite you to view the mock
trials and to participate in BronxNet
programming, media education and
more,” said BronxNet executive director
Michael Max Knobbe.
The Thurgood Marshall Junior
Mock Trials will be broadcast on
BronxNet, Channel 67-Optimum and
33-Fios on Monday, January 21 at 8:30
p.m. and the Bronx Currents: Celebration
of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. will be broadcast at 1 p.m.
A schedule of additional broadcasts
is available at www.bronxnet.org.
BronxNet is the independent notfor
profi t organization serving the
people of the Bronx with media production
training, access to technology,
and television channels.
BronxNet programs six channels –
33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 on the Verizon
Fios system and six channels – 67, 68,
69, 70, 951 and 952 – on the Optimum
system in the Bronx. BronxNet’s ultra
local programming helps connect
the Bronx with the world while our
training programs and partnerships
are a part of community development
through media.
For more information visit: www.
bronxnet.org.
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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 vagrants
ulder during a confrontation
Continued on Page 67
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
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