Mount Eden News: Picking Up the Pieces

Mount Eden News: Picking Up the Pieces: Picking Up the Pieces Fire destroys 2 buildings in Morrisania By David Greene BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- A long struggling com...

Picking Up the Pieces

Picking Up the Pieces

Fire destroys 2 buildings in Morrisania

By David Greene

BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- A long struggling community must once again pick up the pieces after a devastating fire destroyed two buildings and has closed two popular businesses and left several families homeless.

Fire officials were first called to the three-alarm blaze at the Pamela Deli, located at 781 E. 163 Street at 3:30 p.m. on March 6. Fire officials and witnesses at the scene reported flames and smoke pouring out from all three floors of the wood-frame structure, before an adjacent building also caught fire.

A third building suffered multiple broken windows, as well as smoke and water damage, as firefighters vented the building. The thick, black smoke could be seen billowing high above Tinton Avenue for several miles.

Kevin Hudson, who works at an adjacent SRO had just left work and was several blocks away when he saw the speeding fire trucks, when he raced back to his building to assist with the evacuation of the 51 residents.

As firefighters were just bringing the fire under control, Hudson said of his residents, "Everyone is fine, but there's a lot of smoke in the hallways." He concluded, "Everyone evacuated quickly, there use to it. We do drills every week."

Two firefighters suffered minor burns and were transported to local hospitals. Nearly 150 firefighters from 33 units, including one unit from as far away as New Jersey battled the flames for several hours. Firemen remained at the scene the rest of the night as fire flared-up several times.

The Department of Buildings would later deem the structure unsafe and the building would be torn down.

The building's owner Pamela Baez, who has run the popular deli for the better part of three-decades, has vowed to rebuild.

Tags: Fire, building

Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness

Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness: Bronx Ready for March Madness Manhattan, Fordham, Advance to NCAA Tourney By Howard Goldin BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- Representati...

Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness

Mount Eden News: Bronx Ready for March Madness: Bronx Ready for March Madness Manhattan, Fordham, Advance to NCAA Tourney By Howard Goldin BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- Representati...

Bronx Ready for March Madness

Bronx Ready for March Madness

Manhattan, Fordham, Advance to NCAA Tourney

By Howard Goldin

BRONX NEWS, MARCH 12- Representatives of the Bronx will be participants in March Madness of 2014 as the Manhattan Jaspers men and the Fordham Rams women automatically qualified for the NCAA National Tournament by virtue of winning their conference tournaments. 

The Manhattan Jaspers (25-7) reversed last year’s MAAC Tournament final result by defeating the 1^st seeded Iona Gaels by three points, 71-68, on Monday night, to advance to the NCAA National Tournament. The second seeded Jaspers advanced to the final contest by a win over Saint Peter’s and Quinnipiac in earlier rounds of the tourney.

The victory over Iona advanced the Jaspers into the true March Madness for the fourth time. They last were in the nationals a decade ago, 2004. Prior to that year, they were in the NCAA’s in 2003 and 1993. Interestingly, their current head coach, Steve Masiello was an assistant coach in the successes of 2003 and 2004. 

MAAC Tournament MVP George Beamon led Manhattan with 16 points and eight boards. Rhamel Brown scored 15. Shane Richards, with four from beyond the arc, scored 14. Emmy Andujar netted 12.

One day earlier the women hoopsters of Fordham University (25-7) captured the Atlantic-10 Tournament with a 63-51 victory over the 1^st seeded Dayton Flyers. This tournament title was the first for the Rams in the respected athletic conference. The Rams advanced to the National Tournament for the second time. Their last appearance was 20 years ago, 1994.

At 16:09, Dayton was up by 8-2. A jumper by senior Abigail Corning at 3:05 gave the Rams their first lead of the game. The Flyers, as they had for most of the first half, led at the half, 30-29.

The game was competitive throughput the early minutes of the second half. After a tie at 43 was broken by two free throws by Emily Tapio at 13:07, the Rams never again lost the lead. Stephanie Gaitley, the Fordham head coach, remarked, “They were very focused. Confidence grew as we came down the stretch.”

Three of the starters for Fordham achieved double-doubles. Erin Rooney scored 13 and grabbed 13 boards. Emily Tapio accomplished her fifth double-double in the past eight contests with 10 points and 12 rebounds. The A-10 Tournament MVP, Corning, scored 12 with 10 rebounds.

The seeding and location of play for Manhattan will br announced on Sunday and for Fordham will be announced Monday.

Tags: March Madness, NCAA National Tournament, Fordham Rams, Manhattan Jaspers 

Mount Eden News: Home is sweet for Monroe

Mount Eden News: Home is sweet for Monroe: Home is sweet for Monroe Mustangs make the most as Nationals host By Gary Axelbank BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 10- The Monroe Mus...

Home is sweet for Monroe

Home is sweet for Monroe

Mustangs make the most as Nationals host

By Gary Axelbank

BRONX, NEW YORK, MARCH 10- The Monroe Mustangs men's and women's teams were at the forefront of history as they hosted the 2014 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships at the New Balance Track and Field Center at the Armory in Manhattan this past weekend. It was the first time the NJCAA has held the track and field championships not only in the city, but on the east coast.  

Though many of the more than 600 athletes from 74 teams representing 14 states said they had never competed in the world's most famous indoor track facility, much less visited NY, there were comfortable smiles on the faces of Mustangs athletes as they entered the very-familiar Armory on Friday.

"This is our home, this is where we practice every day," said assistant coach Shirvon Greene. "We are proud hosts and came ready to do our best."

Numerous Mustangs achieved All-American status and one of Monroe's best performances came right away. The meet touched off with the distance medley relay on Friday afternoon and the Monroe men (Ronaldo Ball, Walter Penate,Alexshandro Rodriguez, and Katleho Dyoyi) set a school record, finishing third in a time of 10:08:17.

On Saturday South African freshman Sabelo Ndlovu finished third in the triple jump, launching 15.29m (50.02'). 

Also, the women's 4x400 team of Shanice Cameron, Ashley Mandat, Sarah Atcho and Jessica Barrera turned in another of the Monroe inspirational performances of the weekend, finishing sixth.  Their 3:51:61 set a new Monroe school record. 

"This was a full weekend of Mustang pride," said head coach Mark Goodman. "It was kind of amazing to bring an event of this magnitude to New York. But I have to give our athletes credit. Despite the potential for distraction, for the large part, they stayed focused and performed well. This was a wonderful weekend for the college and for all the coaches and athletes who came to New York City to compete."

In the much anticipated men's 1000m, the so-called 'Legion of Doom' (so-named by Coach Greene) featuring top ranked Ronaldo Ball and Dyoyi, the Monroe duo ran neck-and-neck finishing fourth (Ball – 2:27:92) and fifth (Dyoyi – 2:27:98).  Remarkably only .06 of a second separated the two Mustangs.  

Dyoyi also ran the mile finishing seventh overall with a time of 4:15:72.

Monroe's Christopher Belcher placed eighth in the 200m dash, breaking the school record in the prelims with his 21.42. In the men's 600m Joel Johnson finished sixth with school record time of 1:21.01.

Teammate Tresean Goodwin took sixth-place in the 400m, running in 48.76. 

The men's 4x800m Relay consisting of Alexshandro Rodriguez,  Lashley Winter, Shea Coltrain and Javaun Grant placed fifth with a time of 7:54:75 which is a new school record.  

In the women's 200m, Monroe's Sarah Atcho ran a wonderful 24:39, good for second place in Friday's prelims. In the finals on Saturday, she was a notch better, running a new school record in 24:30, which was good for fourth place. 

Another piece of Monroe history was set at this year's Nationals as freshman Rashema Briscoe became Monroe's first-ever pentathalete.  She placed 10th.

Also, Damon Daniels ran his first ever 600m in 1:21.45 and finished tenth and Rashad Ramsey also ran a personal best (1.22.02).

In the women's 400m run, Jessica Barrera finished ninth overall in her fastest time of the season, 57.67

"We knew that it would be a really special thing to have all the teams from around the country come to New York City," said Coach Goodman, "and the people here will have a very wonderful perspective of what the college is about and what we do here."