Congressman
Serrano, ailing,
will retire
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Congressman Jose E. Serrano
has developed Parkinson’s disease
and will not seek re-election
in 2020, he announced on Monday,
March 25.
The Puerto Rican native has
held a seat in the south Bronx’s
15th Congressional District
since winning a special election
in 1990 after spending the prior
15 years in the NYS Assembly.
“After my diagnosis, I initially
planned to continue my work representing
the people of the south
Bronx far into the future,” Serrano
said through a statement.
“Although this disease has not
affected my work in Congress,
over the last few months I’ve
come to the realization that Parkinson’s
will eventually take a
toll, and that I cannot predict its
rate of advancement,” he continued,
explaining this rationale for
a congressional retirement.
Serrano also said that he intends
to spend the rest of his
term fi ghting for the progressive
values that the south Bronx had
taught the Lehman College graduate.
“I will use my role as chairman
of the Commerce, Justice,
Science Subcommittee to fi ght
for climate change research, a
fairer justice system, and an accurate
2020 Census count,” Serrano
said.
For almost a year now, Serrano
has joined forces with Borough
President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
in advocating against the mayor’s
plan to construct a jail at 320
Concord Avenue in Mott Haven.
Doing so through ‘Justice for
the Bronx,’ a community led coalition
to stop the Mott Haven
jail. During a town hall regarding
the jail, he assured his Mott
Haven constituency that even
though he can’t control the city’s
actions he could still “make it
TRASH TRUCK
HITS 15 AUTOS
Driver fl ees after totaling 8
vehicles, damaging others
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
A trash hauler turned
over a dozen cars into
junk yard waste on a Morris
Park street early Saturday
morning, March
23.
Cops are looking for
the drivers of possibly two
different privately-owned
sanitation truck that
were traveling on Hone
Avenue when one of the
trucks rammed 15 parked
vehicles, according to the
NYPD, knocking some of
them up on the sidewalk.
The incident occurred
around 12:34 a.m. beginning
in front of 1811 Hone
Avenue and continuing
along most of the length
of the block between Morris
Park and Rhinelander
avenues.
Area homes with video
surveillance captured the
incident, which helped
the police identify one
driver, Manuel Matias,
who fi rst walked calmly
from his 2005 vehicle, but
then took off, according to
video footage supplied by
neighbors.
As of press time, Matias
in still on the lamb in
the reckless driving incident
.M
atias drives for Hunts
Point-based Falso Carting
Diaz, others protests Mott
Haven jail on City Hall steps
BY ALEX MITCHELL
It was a very clear morning
on the steps of City Hall
on Sunday, March 26. But
even clearer were the intentions
of Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr., Bronxites,
and fellow New Yorkers that
were assembled there to protest
Mayor de Blasio’s community
based jail plan.
The rally-goers dismissal
of the plan was confi rmed
in the chants of “Hell no de
Blasio!” and “No new jails!”
which drowned out the car
noise from vehicles exiting
the Brooklyn Bridge on that
Sunday morning.
The rally’s intent was to
drum up public opposition to
the citywide jail plan’s Uniform
Land Use Review Procedure,
which began on Monday,
Continued on Page 4
March 25.
In the case of the Bronx,
the ULURP entails a 26-fl oor
jail for 320 Concord Avenue
in Mott Haven, which is currently
used as an NYPD tow
pound.
Diaz and others say the
correct site for a new Bronx
jail is adjacent to the Bronx
County Hall of Justice on
Your Neighborhood — Your News® April 1, 2019
LOCAL
CL ASSIFIEDS
PA GE 14
Continued on Page 4
Success Stories
Mount St. Michael Academy hosted eight grade author
Denar Ralph for a book signing of his second
self-published literary offering, ‘The Daily Climb:
31 Days of Inspiration To Help You Climb Your Ladder
To Success’ on Friday, March 22. Author Denar
Ralph was eager to sign copies of his book for the
students.
Continued on Page 10
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