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Volume XX • Number 11 • March 14 - 20, 2013 •
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Another key endorsement for Council hopeful Cohen
Andrew Cohen and Assemblyman Maark Gjonaj meet voters and brave the snow.
Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj last week joined the growing cadre of elected officials who have endorsed Andrew Cohen in his bid for City Council. Mr. Cohen, a local attorney, assistant adjunct professor and community board member is seeking to succeed current term-limited Councilmember Oliver Koppell as the member for the 11th Council District in the Bronx. The endorsement was held at the Mosholu Parkway #4 train stop in the Norwood section of the Bronx. “Andrew Cohen is the clear choice for city council and I fully support his candidacy,” Gjonaj said. “Andrew’s ability to understand the needs of the people of the community is outstanding. I look forward to partnering with Andrew so we can make a difference together. I know I will be able to count on Andrew to provide the type of leadership that will strengthen our communities and make our neighborhoods even better.” Gjonaj is the latest in a long list of endorsers for Cohen, including several high profile citywide figures and
almost every representative that shares a piece of the 11th Council District. To date, Mr. Cohen has been endorsed by three mayoral candidates, including Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, and former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson. Also supporting Cohen is current Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, The United Federation of Teachers, Congressman Eliot Engel, State Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilmembers Oliver Koppell and James Vacca, and former Councilmember June Eisland. “Knowing how dedicated Mark is to the people he represents and how much he cares about this area, this endorsement means a lot to me” Cohen said. “Mark and I recently worked together on a quality of life issue in the district, and I found him to be a strong advocate and a tireless voice for his constituents. In his short time as an Assemblyman, Mark has already done some remarkable things for his constituency and I am honored to have his endorsement in this race.”
Three points away, Manhattan College team won’t advance to NCAA
By CHRISTOPHER CIRILLO Manhattan College’s basketball team failed in its bid to win a coveted spot in the national NCAA tournament Monday night, effectively ending their season. Rhamel Brown’s dunk in the first half fired up his teammates and the Manhattan College community. It was arguably his best dunk of the season. That was the only sign of life from Brown. The Iona Gaels defeated the Manhattan Jaspers in the MACC Championship 60-57, winning their eighth MACC title and punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. Iona’s tournament MVP Lamont Jones, the second leading scorer in the country at 23.3 points per game, struggled for most of the game and was held to just 14 points on 4-13 shooting. Manhattan’s Rhamel Brown finished with eight points, four rebounds, one block, and was held without a field goal in the second half. Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello was charged with a technical foul after two warnings for coming out onto the court with 9:03 left in the second
half, extending the Iona lead to eight, their largest of the game at the time. The Jaspers cut an eight point deficit to five with 7:04 left in the second half on a Rashawn Stores three-pointer, however the Gaels answered and the Jaspers would never catch up. Brown’s counterpart David Laury of Iona finished 10 points and six rebounds. He scored six consecutive points with 5:58 in the second half to hold off a potential Jasper rally. Iona, who entered the game second in the country in points per game, was held to 21 points below their average. Sean Armand, who averages 16.9 points per game, was held to just seven points, his second lowest scoring total of the season. Manhattan stuck to their guns as they did all year and slowed the tempo while playing tight defense, however they gave up 36 points in the second half after a 26-24 Jasper lead in the first. While Jones and Armand, the highest scoring tandem in the nation, struggled, Iona’s Tre Bowman played the unlikely hero, finishing with 20 points, his second highest point total of the season. Bowman entered the game
Manhattan College junior Mike Alvarado feels the agony of defeat as the Jaspers failed to advance. scoring only 8.1 points per game, the charity strike and freshman but two players – Mohamed Koita but was the beneficiary of a strug- Shane Richards finished with 9 and Roberto Colonette. gling Jones and Armand. points, hitting all threes without The Gaels will enter their tenth NCAA Tournament where Manhattan junior guard a miss. Mike Alvarado finished with The Jaspers look forward to a they have only escaped the first 14 points on a perfect 7-7 from 2014 season that will return all round once in 1980.