The Manhattan Times

The Washington Bridge Station Post Office might have a new address this summer, but who will forward their mail?

”Yes, the lease is expiring,” said United States Postal Service spokesperson George Flood. The government had a 30-year lease on the ground floor space of 555 W. 180th Street, but it expires in June, and the rent in the new lease is too pricey for the postal service.

Flood couldn’t say what the rent is now, or how much the landlord increased the price in the new lease, and said the USPS is in negotiations with the landlord - but it is also looking for a new space.

“There’s no final decision made yet,” said Flood, adding that the outlook for a new address for the station is looking good. Flood wouldn’t say which locations the government is considering.

“They do have some sites in mind, and one looks very promising,” he said.

Patrick Desrosier, 33, pleaded guilty on April 7 to conspiring to distribute crack and powdered cocaine in New York City.

Desrosier was the alleged leader of the “HMOBB Crew,” a drug trafficking organization operating out of the Dyckman Houses clustered around 10^th Avenue and W. 207^th Street. According to the indictment, between Feb. 2006 and Dec. 2007 the HMOBB Crew, under Desrosier’s direction, distributed kilogram quantities of crack and powder cocaine in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn.

The HMOBB Crew received its cocaine hidden in shipments of television sets then resold or cooked it into crack and sold it on the streets, according to the indictment.

Desrosier pleaded guilty to the two narcotics conspiracy counts charged in the indictment and faces a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison on each charge.

The investigation and prosecution of the HMOBB Crew has resulted in the guilty pleas of seven other members of the gang, including: Goodie Imani Samuels, Abner “Bug” Alsaint, Dale “Black” Turner, Noel “Mario” Butler, Andre “Dre” Gibbs, Corey “Ree” Hill and Reinaldo “Neno” Mercado.

On April 6, Miguel Castanos, a former staffer of former Bronx State Senator Efrain Gonzalez Jr., pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to fraud in connection with taking a "no show" job with the Northern Manhattan-based Community Association of Progressive Dominicans (ACDP), a community organization that focuses on the needs of New York's Dominican immigrants.

According to the indictment, ACDP and Castanos both understood that he would be a "no show" employee of ACDP, meaning that he would be paid without having to report to work.

The courts found that from August 2004 to March 2006, Castanos defrauded ACDP of its right to his honest services by submitting false timesheets for work that he had not done. Based on these fraudulent timesheets, Castanos received payments in excess of $30,000.

Castanos pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison.

The wrongdoing occurred before current executive director Soledad Hiciano took over in April 2006.

According to an April 7 New York Daily News article, Gonzalez faces charges of allegedly stealing $400,000 in tax dollars.

In his weekly radio address on April 5, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a feature to the www.nyc.gov Web site called the Stimulus Tracker. It’s a page dedicated to providing details about how the city spends the money from the federal stimulus package.

CUNY in the Heights, located at 108 Cooper St., is offering a new two-hour singing workshop, "Sing Like a Star," on Saturdays from April 18 to June 13. The classes will include breathing exercises, vocal technique and performance opportunities, and help opera and pop singers alike. For more information call 212-942-8381 for information.

The April 19 Adult Health and Wellness Fair presented at the YM/YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood has been designed to address the overall spectrum of spiritual, mental and physical health. The fair, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., promises a variety of providers and demonstrations, such as nutritional workshops, yomenco (yoga and flamenco) and a drumming circle.

The fair will emphasize new ideas for physical activity, strategies for mental relaxation, socialization, creative expression and civic engagement to help keep the mind body and spirit healthy. The Y is located at 54 Nagle Ave. For more information call 212-569-6200.

Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation is offering free tax assistance until Tax Day, April 15. Many taxpayers are not aware that they are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which can be up to $6,122. To date, nearly 3,000 people have filed their taxes at NMIC, with an average refund of $1,920.

The Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union will be on site to open free bank accounts until April 15. If eligible, residents will also be able to apply for Food Stamps and Health Insurance. For more information and hours call 212-822-8300.