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Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage
                                                                                                      

•  The Bronx Library Center hosts Latin Jazz with the Ray Mantilla Quintet, Jan. 26 at 2:30 p.m.; and Traditional Music and Dance from West Africa, Feb. 2 at 2:30 p.m. The Center is located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road. For a detailed schedule, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

•   Lehman College’s Center for the Performing Arts presents African Footprint, song and dance from South Africa, Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. Tickets are from $20 to $35 ($10 for children 12 and under). Also at the Center is Willie Rosario y Su Orquesta, and other performers, featuring salsa, Feb. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets are from $40 to $55. The college is located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. For more information, call (718) 960-8833.

                  
Exhibits

•  Beat the winter blues with Ornamental Instincts, installations that decorate interiors with shapes and patterns inspired by nature. It runs through Feb. 10 at the Wave Hill House, which is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue in Riverdale. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

•  The Bronx Museum of the Arts hosts Quisqueya Henríquez: Outside Traditional Art in the artist’s first major appearance in the United States, through Jan. 27. The exhibition is a selection of her work examining the sensory qualities of urban life, including a daily visual dispatch from Santo Domingo, where she currently lives. The museum, located at 1040 Grand Concourse at West 165th Street, is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., except for Friday, when it is open until 8 p.m. Suggested admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors and is free on Fridays for members and for children under 12. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

 

•  Material Culture is at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street, through Feb. 7. The artists in this exhibition present works in a selection of wood, clay, metal, glass, fiber works and mixed media art, rather than simply paint and canvas. For more information, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 21 or (718) 518-6728.

 

•  Beauty Is in the Street, the latest exhibition at the Bronx River Art Center, runs for the rest of January. A group of historic posters of the Argentinean revolutionary Che Guevara, along with specially commissioned works by contemporary artists and designers, explore the effects of design and reproduction on the socio-political messages Guevara’s image originally communicated. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 1087 E. Tremont Ave. For more information, call (718) 589-5819.

Events

•  JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center will host a tour, Gilded Lion and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel, at the American Folk Art Museum on Feb. 7. Meet at the Center, 3880 Sedgwick Ave., at 10:30 a.m. A $17 fee covers the bus, tour and lunch. For more information, call Sharon at (718) 549-4700 to reserve by Jan. 31.

•   The Bronx Culture Trolley, a replica of a 20th-century trolley, transports visitors to Bronx hot spots on the first Wednesday of every month. This month, on Feb. 6, includes stops at the Bronx Museum of the Arts for a Born in the Bronx Book Signing Party; the Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance for a presentation by Arthur Aviles and a screening of Dance Films; ICP at The Point for I Love the Bronx, a photographic exhibition by Bronx youth; ending at J. Maxson’s Bar and Grill for food, drink and jazz by the Ethereal Jazz Quartet. The trolley departs from Hostos Art Gallery, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street, at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The ride and events are free. For more information call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or visit www.bronxarts.org.

Learning

•  The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

For children, there’s a video on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. Also, for school-aged children, there’s Stories of Heroes, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m., and Pig Book Making, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m.
Young adults can Play Chess! in a workshop with Ramon A. Hernandez on Feb. 4 at 4 p.m.
The Center is located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road. For a detailed schedule, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

•  The Mosholu Library presents Toddler Time, for babies, toddlers, and children, Feb. 7 at 10:30 a.m. The library is located at 285 E. 205th St. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

 

•  The Jerome Park Library presents Perfectly Penguin, for school-aged children, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. The library is located at 118 Eames Place. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by Jan. 28 for the next publication date of Feb. 7.

Record-Breaking Star Humbly Leads Lehman

By Allison Grande

With veteran leadership, great depth, family-like chemistry and one of the best athletes to ever wear the blue and white, the Lehman College women’s basketball team is poised to defend their CUNY Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Championship this season.

“Once you’ve had a taste of it, you can’t visualize anything else,” said Lady Lightning Head Coach Eric Harrison, now in his 10th year at the Bedford Park area school. “We’re not giving up the title.”

The Lightning climaxed last season with a 52-51 upset victory over rival Baruch College to win the school’s first CUNYAC Championship before losing in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament. This season, Lehman (11-8 overall, 7-1 in conference) returns six players, including four starters.

“This year’s team has more talent and more depth than last year’s team,” said Ivelisse Rosario, a Lehman assistant coach and a former standout point guard at the school. “Once this team builds more confidence and starts to click a little more, they should be on the right track [to defend their Conference title].”

“We’re like a family,” freshman point guard Vanessa Navarro said. “We play as a team, and we win as a team. We want to win another title.”

The primary reason for Lehman’s success in recent seasons is junior power forward Sally Nnamani.

Although Lehman recruits players, the Warwick, New York native sought out Lehman because her aunt lives nearby.

As a freshman, Nnamani won CUNYAC Rookie of the Year and captured the Conference Player of the Year award as a sophomore. She began this season as the Preseason Conference Player of the Year and currently leads the league with averages of 20.5 points and 3.2 blocked shots per game.

“I try not to think about the awards too much,” Nnamani said. “Any award I receive is just a boost to my confidence.”

In a Jan. 8 loss to Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Conn., Nnamani became Lehman’s all-time points leader when she scored her 1,276th career point to eclipse Desirae Ross’ (’02) record. With a season and a half left to play at Lehman, Nnamani needs less than a thousand points to become the CUNYAC’s all-time scoring leader. (Former City College of New York player Lauren Cargill currently holds the conference record with 2,272 career points.)

Nnamani also holds the record for most blocked shots in Lehman history and is only 34 three pointers away from breaking Rosario’s career three point field goals record of 183. Lehman senior guard Tiara Carroll is close to breaking Rosario’s all-time career assists record.

“It’s great to see my records being broken,” Rosario said. “It means that the program is getting better and that it’s headed in the right direction.”

Harrison, a three time CUNYAC Coach of the Year and the winningest coach in Lehman College history, called Nnamani one of the best players he’s ever coached. He’s not the only one impressed.

“She’s a one-man wrecking crew,” Lehman College Athletic Director Martin Zwiren said.

“When I came to Lehman this season [as a junior transfer], I heard about how good this team was,” junior forward Whittney Barnes said. “When I saw Sally play, I could see why.”  

“She’s one of the humblest players I’ve ever seen,” Rosario said. “She doesn’t care if she scores zero points as long as her team wins the game.”

The team’s only conference loss came on Dec. 6 against conference leaders Baruch College on Baruch’s home court. The teams will meet again in the final game of the season, Senior Day, on Feb. 9 at Lehman’s consistently-packed APEX arena.

Bringing Hope at Chanukah

By Norwood News

For more than 20 years, the Bronx Jewish Community Council has partnered with B’nai B’rith’s Project HOPE to bring food packages to frail and elderly homebound Jewish adults at Chanukah and at Passover. During Chanukah last month, hundreds of BJCC volunteers delivered 500 packages to seniors, most who live alone, throughout the borough.

Volunteers also visit with those receiving the food. Volunteer Renee Brodie spent time with Norwood resident Lillian S., who did not want to give her last name.

“It was shocking to learn that Lillian is 99 1/2 years old,” Brodie said in an e-mail. “She is a spectacular, bright and cheery woman who is happy to have company.”

Lillian went to business school after high school, and worked for many years as a credit manager, Brodie said. She also traveled extensively in Europe and the Caribbean and is now busy at home doing needlepoint, reading and spending time chatting with her aide, Carol.

For more information on the Project HOPE and to volunteer, e-mail volunteers@bjcconline.org or call (718) 652-5500.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Naturalization Application Assistance
Council Member Oliver Koppell and the CUNY Citizenship and Immigration Project are hosting a Free Naturalization Application Assistance program on Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sister Annunciata Bethell Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St. For more information about naturalization requirements and what to bring to the event, call (718) 549-7300 or visit www.cuny.edu/citizenshipnow.  

Free Tax Prep
Signature Bank, Mosholu Preservation Corporation, West Bronx Housing and Ariva present a free tax preparation weekend for low-income Bronx residents on Saturday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3400 Reservoir Oval (between Putnam Place and Reservoir Place). Senior citizens, disabled and special needs residents, and those who have earned less than $40,000 are eligible. To make an appointment, call (718) 324-4461.

Jonas Bronck Academy Tours
Through Jan. 29, MS 228, the Jonas Bronck Academy, will offer school tours for those interested in applying to the school for September 2008. The academy is a small school of choice located on the Manhattan College Campus in Riverdale. They serve students in sixth through eighth grades who reside in District 10. Those interested in applying must attend a tour in order to do so.. Those interested should contact Mrs. Torres, parent coordinator, at (718) 884-6673 or (347) 563-4833.

Join Your Local Community Board
Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. is urging residents to join their local community boards to help make important decisions about their neighborhoods. Applications for membership are currently being accepted. The deadline for submission is Friday, Feb. 1. For more information, call the Borough President’s Community Boards Office at (718) 590-3914 or visit bronxboropres.nyc.gov.

College Workshop
The Educational Counseling Center of the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center offers a free workshop called, “It’s Never Too Early to Think of College,” on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the MMCC main office, 3450 DeKalb Ave. The workshop will explore the possibility of applying for college early. For more information, call (718) 652-0282.  

College Financial Aid Help
On Sunday, Feb. 10, New York’s College Goal Sunday will be offering a free program to help students who will be attending college in the fall of 2008. The program will help students file for financial aid using a FAFSA form online. Those interested should go to Herbert H. Lehman High School, 3000 East Tremont Ave., between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.  There will also be drawings for hundreds of dollars in scholarship awards, and refreshments will be served.  To register for the event, visit www.collegegoalsundayny.com.

BRIO Awards Info
Applications and guidelines for the 2008 Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Awards are currently available online. The BRIO awards support to artists creating work in literary, media, performing, and visual arts. This year, 25 grants of $3,000 each will be given out at the awards ceremony in June 2008. The application deadline is Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. For an online application, visit www.bronxarts.org. For more information, call (718) 931-9500.

Lehman Choruses Accepting New Members
The Lehman College Chorus and the Lehman College Community Chorus are both looking for new community members to join their groups. The first rehearsal for the Chorus, which meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m., will be held on Monday, Jan. 28. The Community Chorus, which meets Tuesdays from 7 to 9:30 p.m., will start rehearsals on Jan. 29. There is no course fee required to participate unless college credit is desired. Both choruses rehearse in Room 330 of the Music Building of Lehman College on Bedford Park Blvd. West and Goulden Ave., and will perform with the Lehman Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, May 4.  For more information, call (718) 960-7795.

Parole Department Jobs Available
The New York State Division of Parole is now recruiting for several open positions. The filing deadline is Feb. 4 and the written portion for each exam will be on March 8. Applications and information on qualifications and responsibilities of each position are available at www.cs.state.ny.us or by calling (518) 473-9919. For additional questions, call Assemblyman Michael Benjamin’s district office at (718) 589-6324.

Free English Classes
The Bronx Library Center is offering free English classes. Registration began on Jan. 9. Classes run from Jan. 16 to March 31 and meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The classes will be offered at beginning and low intermediate levels for adults ages 16 and over. English proficiency tests will be given at the time of registration to determine class placement. For more information, call (718) 579-4244.

MetroCard Van Coming
MTA MetroCard buses will make scheduled stops in the Bronx during January, including Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse on Jan. 25 from noon to 2 p.m.; Scott Tower (3400 Paul Ave., corner of East 205th Street) on Jan. 28 from 1 to 3 p.m.; and in Van Cortlandt Village at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. on Jan. 25 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may apply for the Reduced Fare MetroCard and obtain applications from the vans. Senior Citizens must present photo I.D. proving they are at least 65. For more information, call (212) METROCARD or visit MTA’s Web site, www.mta.info.

English, Civics and Computer Classes
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center offers free English as a Second Language classes (ESL), civics and computer classes Monday through Saturdays. To apply, visit the Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. (corner of Gun Hill Road). For more information, call (718) 882-4000, ext. 216.

Free Computer Tutoring
Mosholu Preservation Corporation, 3400 Reservoir Oval East, is hosting free computer tutoring from 2 to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.. Tutoring ranges from basic computer skills to navigating the Internet. All are welcome. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Jennifer Mitchell at (718) 324-4461.

Bronx Needs ‘Alienation’ Legislation

By None

Manhattan’s Community Board 6 has launched a dramatic initiative to enable the people of New York City to recapture control of their parks and reassert their community rights.

Angered by the sacking of a large portion of Van Cortlandt Park for the filtration plant and by the obliteration of Macomb’s Dam Park for the new Yankee Stadium; enraged by the boldness of self-serving financiers and unscrupulous  politicians touting their whims as “visions;” and infuriated by the contemptuous treatment of their fellow citizens, CB6 has proposed “alienation” legislation to make it impossible to take away parks without the knowledge and consent of the affected community.

Their resolution proposes that the affected community board must be given a 60-day review period before the City Council can consider suspending “home rule.”  (Before a park can be taken away from the community – an action needing state approval – the City Council must suspend “home rule.”  With the new stadium project, the City Council did this without even informing Bronx Community Board 4!)  Secondly, the resolution mandates that if a park is taken away, it must be replaced by a park with “the same general configuration and function” as the original and be geographically close to the original. In the stadium project, Macomb’s Dam Park will be replaced by several small parcels scattered around the southwest Bronx and none large enough to replace the defining features of the old Macomb’s Dam Park.

 CB6, which held its public hearing on Nov. 6, is appealing to community boards all over the city to hold public hearings on this issue and to either adopt their resolution or to draft one of their own. If many boards in the five boroughs do this, city politicians will take notice and sponsor a bill in the City Council. Strict legislation on the books is the only way to prevent developers and politicians from ever stealing or wrecking New York City parks again and the only way to vindicate the wrong done to the people who lost their parkland!

While portions of parks have been seized throughout the city, no borough has witnessed such a large-scale destruction as the Bronx.  Bronx elected officials have made dramatic promises as to the benefits of economic development which are highly unlikely to materialize. Instead, the projects have taken away the only natural place of recreation for many, wrecked the tranquility of both affected communities and caused considerable suffering. Bronx community boards must pick up the torch lit by their Manhattan counterpart and follow through with alienation legislation. The people of the Bronx deserve nothing less.

John Rozankowski

Bedford Park

Note from the Editor: Our 20th Year

By Editorial

The Norwood News celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Mosholu Preservation Corporation published the first issue in October 1988 for a simple reason: There was no local newspaper in the community and no way for local residents, organizations and institutions to communicate on a regular basis.

The first issue was only four pages. It featured a listing of events and an in-depth cover story about a massive sewer reconstruction project along Mosholu Parkway (that project eventually led to the disastrous massacre of the Norway maples along the parkway).

The paper grew steadily over the years from a monthly covering only Norwood to a bi-weekly covering all the neighborhoods of Community Board 7 with 10 special supplements a year.

Its success is remarkable because virtually most poor and working class communities in New York City do not have their own newspapers. The kind of vital local news and information that suburbs and more affluent city neighborhoods take for granted is mostly absent in neighborhoods like ours. Community newspapers grease a community’s civic wheels, by putting people and organizations in touch with each other and shining a spotlight on issues, projects, problems and the workings of government that would otherwise wither and worsen in the darkness. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said. And it is also the best fertilizer, nurturing the kind of civic action that is the hallmark of healthy communities.

We will find a suitable way to celebrate our 20th anniversary and honor our advertisers, readers and other supporters later this year (suggestions welcome). But in the meantime, the Norwood News is working to expand nonprofit neighborhood news in the borough. Last year, we launched the West Bronx News Network, a collaboration with the Highbridge Horizon and the Mount Hope Housing Company. The Network has three main projects: a new monthly newspaper for Community Board 5 called the Mount Hope Monitor; a youth journalism program for Bronx high school students that begins in February; and the West Bronx Blog, the first news and policy blog in the entire borough. We want to bring even more local news and information to even more Bronx neighborhoods in the coming months and years and serve as a model others in the city, state and country can replicate.

After 13 years at the helm of the Norwood News, I am taking a short leave from my duties as editor, in part to concentrate on strengthening and expanding the West Bronx News Network. My trusty deputy editor, Alex Kratz, whom many readers already know well, will be in charge of the paper during this time. So, if you see news, or better yet, are making it yourself, let him know.

As always, we’d love to hear from you.

Jordan Moss

Editor

P.S. Beginning in early February, I will be blogging at www.nonprofitjournalism.blogspot.com (in addition to occasional posts at www.westbronxnews.blogspot.com), which I hope will be a place where those interested can share their ideas and discuss nonprofit local media. I’m looking forward to your comments and suggestions.

New District Manager Sets Lofty Goals for CB7

By Alex Kratz

After struggling to release the padlock holding down the metal gate in front of the Community Board 7 offices in Bedford Park, Board Chair Greg Faulkner called down the block for the Board’s new district manager, Fernando Tirado, to help him .

This was last Tuesday after Tirado’s first monthly Board meeting, and sure enough, the 37-year-old former Health Department employee quickly strolled over and unlocked the gate, allowing CB7’s Executive Board to take care of some late night business. Faulkner looked on, smiling like a proud father.

Faulkner is hoping Tirado, who started Jan. 7, replacing veteran district manager Rita Kessler, will be the key to unlocking not just the Board offices, but also the Board’s potential to be an effective and productive community voice.

“This is something we haven’t had on the Board in years,” Faulkner said.

New York City is made up of 59 community districts. In each district, there is a community board made up of local residents who volunteer their time to advise the city on everything from sanitation services to new housing developments. It is the most local form of government. Although the Board can’t dictate policy, it is a place where residents can air grievances and gather community support. It’s like a megaphone for the smallest of community voices.

Each community board elects its own leadership and is staffed by a district manager who runs the board office, interacts with city agencies and makes sure their community’s voice is heard downtown.

Following a lengthy search over the summer and fall, Faulkner and the Board’s search committee decided to choose one of their own: Tirado, who had joined CB7 in June after moving to Bedford Park from Queens two years ago with his wife, Karen, and their three children, Israel, 13, Joshua, 11, and daughter Jailani, 9.

“We chose him because of his energy and enthusiasm,” Faulkner said. “He has a vision and a heart for the community.”

During the interview process, Faulkner said Tirado was the one candidate (out of about a dozen, many of whom were much more politically connected than Tirado) who brought his own ideas to the table as to how the Board could attack problems.

“Though we didn’t necessarily agree with all those ideas,” Faulkner said, “we were impressed and saw that as a good process.”

Tirado, who introduced himself to city agency representatives at his first district service cabinet meeting earlier this month, said he applied because he wanted “the chance to really help out on a community level” and be a “change agent” for local residents.

Born and raised in Washington Heights, Tirado graduated from Mt. St. Michael Academy in the Bronx. He eventually graduated from SUNY-Stonybrook and took his first real job as an inspector for the New York City Health Department, where he’s worked in various capacities for the past 12 years.

Growing up, he said, “I always had a mind for civil service.”

While Tirado is getting his feet wet in his new job, the Board members seem to like what they see so far.

“Oh my God,” said member Sandra Erickson. “He seems great. I believe we need to get up to date (with technology advances) like other boards and I think he’s a good person to help us do that.”

Longtime member Lowell Greene also said Tirado could help in the technology department and “swing this Board into the 21st century.”

In his first meeting, Tirado started his tenure off by setting some ambitious goals. He introduced the idea of creating an overall development plan (known as 197A) for the district and also said he would figure out exactly what the Board needed for its new Web site by the next general board meeting in February.

When asked about Tirado’s goal setting. Faulkner offered some tough love. “Hold him to it,” he said.

Public and Community Meetings

By None

•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7 pm, at the 52nd Precinct, 3016 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    The Bedford Mosholu Community Association will hold their monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 8 pm, at 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy. S., Apartment B1 (lobby floor).
•    Community Board 7 will meet on Monday, Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. To speak at the meeting, please arrive beforehand. For more information call (718) 933-5650.

Traffic Advisory for New York Road Runner

By None

The New York Road Runner Bronx Half Marathon Grand Prix will take place on February 10 from 6 am to noon. The following roads will be closed to vehicular traffic:
• Sedgwick Ave., between West 195th Street and Mosholu Parkway
• Goulden Ave., between West 195th Street and Mosholu Parkway
• Paul Ave., between West 205th Street and Mosholu Parkway
• West 195th Street, between Paul Ave. and Sedgwick Ave.
• West 205th Street, between Paul Ave. and Sedgwick Ave.
• Grand Concourse, between Mosholu Parkway and East 178th Street

CB7 Member on Real Estate Board

By Alex Kratz

Longtime Community Board 7 member Sandra Erickson, who was recently replaced as chair of the Board’s Land Use Committee, was picked to be one of the 11 members on the New York State Real Estate Board. Erickson has worked in the industry for the past 25 years, she said.

Serrano: Close Gitmo

By Katie Rogers

On Jan. 11, the six-year anniversary of the internment of the first “enemy combatant” at Guantanamo Bay, Congressman Jose Serrano called for the prison’s closure.

“Holding people indefinitely without normal legal rights and protections at Guantanamo stains the honor of our proud nation,” Serrano said. “It is long past time to close the complex and transfer the prisoners there into the regular legal system, where they can be charged, tried and perhaps convicted. To do otherwise is shameful and a dishonor to our nation’s deeply held beliefs about liberty and the role of our government.”

Koppell, the Cable Guy

By Katie Rogers

This past week, at a public hearing on cable television conducted by the city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Councilman Oliver Koppell spoke about complaints he has received from constituents on cable television services. The councilman cited a lack of competition and high prices as two of the major issues.

“Currently, Cablevision holds the television franchise territory for my council district, as well as for the Bronx as a whole,” Koppell said in a statement. “Constituents have consistently expressed a desire to have more options and are also concerned about the constantly recurring price increases for Cablevision service, one as recently as this month.”

Constituents have also complained that fewer channels are being offered in the basic package as well, despite cost increases, Koppell said. Basically, he said, Bronx subscribers want more competition.

 

Street Vendors Want More Permits

By David Greene

On Jan. 15, the steps of City Hall were bombarded with angry street vendors in opposition of the new legislation, Intro. 665, the “Green Cart Legislation,” declaring it insufficient, unfair and claimed it disregards the dire necessities of thousands of street vendors.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Speaker Christine Quinn and Councilman Joel Rivera presented the legislation. If passed, it would increase the current cart permit cap by a mere 1,500 and would dictate the products vendors can sell to only fruits and vegetables. That’s not enough permits, said Rafael Samanez, the director of VAMOS Unidos, a street vendor organization that has many members who work on Fordham Road.

“We do not want crumbs! We want licenses for all, the freedom to sell what we want,” Samanez said in a statement.

The vendors feel that limiting the products they are able to sell will cause them to go bankrupt. The new legislation also undermines the voices of workers that have been shouting for almost two years to pass the more broad reaching legislation, Intro 324, which would increase permits and licenses accordingly, vendors say.

Pedro Soleno, a street peddler who sells nuts along East Fordham Road, said he fears losing his business.

“This is our only way to live,” Soleno said at the rally. “I have a personal license and I sell sometimes over 10 hours a day in the streets. We are humiliated on the streets and this is not fair. We ask that the more than 15,000 vendors without these permits are given the permits.”

CMs Scored on Pet Projects

By Alex Kratz

This past month, the League of Humane Voters of New York City released their 2007 City Council Humane Scorecard, which showed the Bronx City Council members in second place for the 2007 calendar year, with an average score of 60 percent (out of 100). The scorecard was based on the councilmembers’ records on animal welfare issues, such as pet-friendly housing, wildlife protection and humane education.

Scoring first place in the Bronx was Councilman Oliver Koppell with a score of 60 percent for the past two years. Behind Koppell was Councilman Joel Rivera with a score of 40 percent, up from 0 percent in 2006.

One councilwoman, however, failed to show her compassion for New York City pets. Maria Baez scored 0 percent for the past two years. Baez, along with nine other councilmembers received failing scores. The League said it’s because they worked to block numerous animal welfare bills.

Where to Vote on Feb. 5

By Norwood News

The New York City presidential primaries will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 5. To find out if you are registered to vote and where you can cast your vote, call (212) 487-5300 or visit www.vote.nyc.ny.us.

MS 80 Rings Bell for Parents

By Katie Rogers

Middle School 80 is asking their students’ parents to “show them some love” through volunteering, in an effort to educate children through a community of learning.

“Come one, come all,” said Miriam Alejandro, the Norwood school’s parent recruitment coordinator who is also a teacher there. “Children want their parents to be involved. Even if they say they don’t, I know they do.”

For as little as one hour per week, parents are being asked to help MS 80’s 700-plus students by mentoring, tutoring, coaching and more. This is the first time the school has recruited parents. Alejandro said the proactive effort is in response to the low parent involvement in Bronx schools in the past.

“There are a lot of single parents around here,” she said. “Some work two jobs, some don’t know how much time they are able to give to the school. We want to show them there is more that we can do here together in order to make changes to the school.”

She added that “the doors are always open for [parents] to come in and help make their kids successful.”

So far this year, Alejandro said there has been good parent turnout at school events such as Student Curriculum Night. Parents appear to be very concerned and involved with their children, she said.

Through mentoring and volunteering, parents are not only helping the school, they’re making their kids proud, Alejandro said. This type of effort helps children see their parents in a new role. The parents, Alejandro said, are probably very talented like their children.

“We have a ton of talented kids in here,” she said. “You would be surprised at how much talent we have. I know that talent has to come from somewhere, and I think it is coming from home.”

Ed. note: To volunteer at MS 80, call Miriam Alejandro at (718) 405-6300.

Helping Kids With More Than Just Homework

By Katie Rogers

Kids file into the auditorium of PS 8, free from classes for the day. They laugh and tease one another playfully before their afternoon snack, as Christopher Villafane registers them in his laptop.

“Hey Chris,” says each student as Villafane manages to answer them all by name.

“You’re in the fifth grade, right?” he asks one boy, putting his information in the computer system and taking the child’s picture.

“It amazes me that I can remember all their names, but I do,” Villafane says, smiling. “I love helping out these kids and working with them. A lot of kids don’t have mentors, but they know they can always come and talk to me about anything, even besides homework.”

Each day after school, children from PS 8 and surrounding neighborhood schools attend the Beacon Program, a free citywide community-based initiative to serve children after class ends. The program can be found at 80 different locations throughout New York City. The one at PS 8 (previously held at MS 80 across Mosholu Parkway until last year) is administered by the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.

At PS 8, after-school tutoring is offered from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and is available to any student. Starting at 6:30 p.m., classes are offered in different activities for all ages such as violin lessons, karate and open gym basketball games. All classes and programs are free. Anyone can sign up for the classes, even adults who can register for computer, ESL and drama classes, among other things. Villafane says those enrolled in the program range from ages 7 to 50.

In order for the program to be free, enrollment numbers must be met, which isn’t a problem in an area starved for free after-school activities.

“A lot of kids don’t have outlets,” Villafane says. “They can learn extra trades, and this provides childcare for parents. Some of them don’t have the money for anything like that.”

Beacon Program Director, Bernie Hernandez, said he feels the program is a safe haven for the almost 800 kids enrolled.

“We are keeping them off the streets,” Hernandez says. “The feedback has been really good and the parents are welcome to join the programs at night. It’s free and it provides the parents with relief.”

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, as Hernandez walks into the crowded auditorium, he exchanges high-fives with kids and asks how their days were.

“Everyone looks up to Bernie,” says Omari Toomer, assistant director for the program. “This helps their parents so they can go to work and not worry about their kids. Sixty to 70 percent of these kids wouldn’t have the opportunity to be involved in anything like this.”

College student Katherine Parra has been tutoring in the program’s “Homework Hall” for several months, helping students with math. Parra says her youth and student status helps her do this vital work successfully.

“We are fresh in this [work] every day because of our own studies,” Parra says. “They can relate to us because we’re young, too. Without us, who would help them?”

Stephanie Berrios, a sixth grader from St. Philip Neri, says the program is improving her grades in school and has allowed her to meet new friends.

“This helps me with my homework, so now I don’t have to wait for my mom,” Berrios says. “I get good grades and my parents are glad, and now when I finish my homework I can help other students.”

2007 Crime Even With ’06

By Alex Kratz

Ed. Note: See crime in 2007 broken down by neighborhood (or sector, in police speak) by clicking here. These maps* mark the first time the Norwood News has been able to provide this kind of a crime breakdown. Thanks to the leaders at the 52nd Precinct for helping us provide our readership with such valuable information.

Despite the fact overall crime in New York City dropped to record lows in 2007, crime numbers in the northwest Bronx’s 52nd Precinct stayed remarkably unchanged from the year before.

“Crime was flat for 2007,” 52nd Precinct Deputy Inspector James Alles told an audience at a local community board meeting last week.

The commander was not exaggerating. Overall, there were exactly 2,434 crimes in the Five-Two for both 2006 and 2007. There were exactly 13 murders in each of the past two years. In 2006, there were 458 assaults. In 2007, there were 460.

The most dramatic shifts came in auto thefts (down 12 percent) and grand larceny (up 6 percent). Every other crime, such as rapes, burglaries and robberies remained close to the same.

Still, Alles praised his operations director, Lieutenant Steve Phalen, for orchestrating “some significant busts” that caused crime statistics to drop considerably over the last three months of the year. These arrests, Alles said, allowed the precinct to recover after being hit hard by violent crime in September and early October.

Crime Maps 2007: Click here to find out how crime in the 52nd Precinct breaks down by neighborhood.

Minus all the gory details, these crime-specific maps tell most of the crime story in the 52nd Precinct for 2007. Each map is broken down by crime and into sectors, with the amount of crimes reported next to each each sector letter.

There are a few caveats:

Because there is little crime, police say, aside from the occasional grand larceny in sectors “P” and “Q,” which make up the Botanical Garden and Zoo, we’ve omitted them on the maps. There were 18 grand larcenies, one robbery, one car theft and one assault in “P” and “Q” combined last year.

We also didn’t give auto theft its own map. Sectors “C” experienced the most car thefts (73), while sectors “A” (34) and “M” (33) had the second and third most. Sectors “J” (27), “B” (26), “N” (23) and “G” (20) were the next most victimized. Sector “E,” which is mostly the Kingsbridge Armory, the Walton High School campus and Lehman College, had only seven auto thefts all year.

* Maps by Ibrahim Gonzalez and Janet Norquist. Source: New York City Police Department.

One Year Later, Health Clinic Still Healing

By Alex Kratz

For those who knew, loved and worked with the late Dr. Leandro Lozada, the pain from his abrupt and senseless death is still fresh, like a scab that has yet to harden.

Just over a year ago, Lozada, the pediatrician who founded and ran Hispanic Pediatrics, a children’s health clinic across the street from Poe Cottage in a rough section of North Fordham, was brutally murdered in his Westchester County home.

The murder set off a brief period of chaos, but the clinic, its employees and family members have slowly plodded down the road to recovery, keeping his life and legacy in mind.

“We try to do things how he would have wanted them done,” says Johanny Escano, the clinic’s referral coordinator. “He always put his patients first. He didn’t mind if they couldn’t pay or they didn’t have insurance. He treated everyone.”

‘Planting a Seed’

Born and educated in the Dominican Republic, Lozada moved to New York City with his young family in the 1990s to become a pediatrician. In 1998, he opened up Hispanic Pediatrics in a small apartment on the corner of Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse. Though he could have opened it anywhere, he chose that particular area because it was a low-income Hispanic community that needed his services.

When his practice had outgrown the cramped Concourse space in 2003, he moved the clinic two blocks to its current location across from Poe Cottage. Through word of mouth, Lozada’s patient list grew to the point where he was seeing 80 to 90 kids a day. Escano says Hispanic Pediatrics has now treated nearly 10,000 different children, whether they had insurance or not.

Ruth Rivera took all four of her children, including one daughter with multiple handicaps, to Dr. Lozada when he first started out.

Rivera lives across the street from the doctor’s first Grand Concourse location and remembers seeing his light on late at night. He was seeing patients he couldn’t get to during the day. The doctor worked so hard, Rivera says she often worried about his well-being.  She would bring him oranges because she knew he wasn’t taking any breaks to eat.

“He was an excellent doctor, very passionate and caring,” she says in Spanish.

Rivera still brings her children to the clinic and the doctors are still good, she says, “but it’s not the same.” A picture of Lozada hangs near Rivera’s front door and she looks at it every day.

“I will always remember him for the rest of my life,” Rivera says. “He planted a seed and that plant will always grow and we will always water it.”  

Lozada wanted his office to be a professional environment and held himself and his dozen or so employees to high standards, Escano says. He was strict without being mean. During down time, Escano says Lozada would give his employees, many of them young ladies, personal advice and it always seemed to make sense.

Lozada’s niece, Emily Hernandez, credits her uncle with keeping her out of the war in Iraq. She had all but started Navy boot camp when Lozada told her she should put her honor roll smarts (she graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in three years) to better use.

“He was very good at counseling and guidance,” says Hernandez, who is now office manager at Hispanic Pediatrics and also getting her business degree at Baruch College.

But his first priority was his patients. He knew all of them by name. Between examinations, he would wander into the lobby to see who was waiting. Often, he would see a child, recognize their need for urgent care and take them into a room for immediate examination. He would give his jacket to a shivering child in the waiting room.

Chaos and Disbelief

When the always punctual Lozada didn’t show up to work on a Wednesday morning last January, Escano and the rest of the staff knew something was wrong. They called his cell phone and paged him repeatedly. No response.

“Even if he was just going to be a little late, he would always call us to let us know his plans,” Escano says.

Finally, with the office packed with patients and parents, word came that Lozada had fainted and died. That can’t be true, everyone thought.

The rumor swirled around the office and into the waiting room. “It was chaos,” Escano says, recalling the scene like it was yesterday. “Everyone was screaming and crying, people calling on their cell phones. They [the parents] all know each other, so more people kept showing up, asking what happened?”  

Everyone was in disbelief. “Tell me it’s not true!” Patients called the office pleading.

Later that day, Hernandez received a call from Nivea Chuan, Lozada’s ex-wife and the mother of his two children: Joel, now 22, and Kathleen, 17.  

“Me lo mataran, Me lo mataran,” Hernandez says Chuan kept repeating. They killed a piece of me, she was saying.

It turned out they, whoever they were, had shot Lozada several times in the head at close range, execution style, while he was bound to a chair in his Scarsdale home.

During the investigation, all of Lozada’s bank accounts were frozen. Bills began piling up and the staff needed to be paid. Lozada had made up a will, but hadn’t signed it, leading to questions about his estate and who would run the clinic.

‘One Day at a Time’

Lozada’s family stepped up and delivered. Chuan freed up money from one of her investments and took care of the payroll until Lozada’s estate was handed over to his son. Joel, blessed with his father’s strength, told the clinic’s staff that Hispanic Pediatrics would stay open, as its founder intended. Another doctor at the clinic, Dr. Jose Bordas, whose contract was about to expire last February, stayed until May while Hernandez, the new office manager, searched for a Spanish-speaking replacement. (They ended up leasing Dr. Aleska Pelaez from Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as a stop-gap measure.)

“We just took it one day at a time,” Hernandez says, sitting in Lozada’s old office, where the walls are still adorned with his medical degrees and a big picture of Gandhi. “I still can’t believe he’s gone. It’s like, he could walk through that door right now and I wouldn’t be surprised.”

It will never be the same, but Hispanic Pediatrics is on solid footing and continues to serve the community’s children. Some patients have left, but some are trickling back.

Chuan is finishing her pediatric residency at Lincoln Hospital and has plans to come work at the clinic next year. They are planning to do major renovations and upgrade the clinic’s technology and equipment in the next couple of years, Hernandez says.

In early January, Lozada’s family and friends held a memorial for him at St. Philip Neri Church on the one-year anniversary of his death.

Luis Gonzalez, the Salvadoran doctor who the clinic hired in December, was in attendance. Hernandez says they hired the 30-year-old because he shares some of the same traits as Lozada. He even looks like him, people say. “Are you Dr. Lozada’s son?” parents ask.

People tell him how much they loved his predecessor and he knows he has a lot to live up to.

“I never thought I’d be able to replace him,” he says. “Right now, I’m just admiring him from afar.”

Fire on Hull Ave.

By None

On Friday, Jan. 4 at 1:43 p.m., a fire broke out on the fourth floor of 3120 Hull Ave., a five-story brick apartment building. Fire Department officials said they had the blaze under control by 2:07 p.m. and that no one was injured. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.    
-Katie Rogers

3 Kings Visit NCB Kids

By None

Volunteers from The Bronx Lions Club celebrated Three Kings Day by visiting the Pediatric Outpatient Department at North Central Bronx Hospital in Norwood, on Jan. 4. Members of The Lions Club dressed up in costumes and presented some 350 toys and games to children at the hospital.

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage

• Wave Hill presents A Nat King Cole Songbook, performed by cabaret star Lumiri Tubo and Trio, Jan. 13; and A Century On the Piano: 1908-2008, performed by Steven Beck, Jan. 20; both from 2 to 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 for members, and for others, which includes admission to the grounds, are $24 for seniors 65 and over and $21 for students with ID. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue in Riverdale. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 ext. 385 or visit wavehill.org.

 

• The Bronx Library Center hosts A Musical Tribute to Sam Cooke, performed by NYC jazz/pop vocalist Cody Childs, Jan. 12; and Salsa Concert, performed by the Ibrahim Gonzalez Orchestra, Jan. 19; both at 2:30 p.m. The Center is located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road. For a detailed schedule, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

 

• Lehman College’s Center for the Performing Arts presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway musical hit, Evita, about the rise and fall of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentinean dictator Juan Peron, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets are from $20 to $45. Also scheduled at the Center is It’s All About Doo Wop, performed by leading singers and musical groups, Jan. 19 at 8 p.m. Tickets are from $25 to $45. The college is located at 250 Bedford Park BoulevardW. For more information, call (718) 960-8833.

 

• The Bronx Opera Company presents Jacques Offenbach’s operetta, Orpheus in the Underworld, presented in English, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre. The college is located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. For more information and for tickets, call (718) 960-8833.

 

• The Metropolitan Opera’s performance of Macbeth will be broadcast live via satellite in Lehman College’s Studio Theatre, Jan. 12 at 1:30 p.m. Lehman is located at 250 Bedford Park Blvd. W. Tickets are free and can be reserved by calling the Lehman Stages Box Office at (718) 960-8025.

 

• Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra performs a concert of classical music, Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. in the Robbins Auditorium of the Forchheimer Building at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave. Contributions are suggested. For more information, visit einsteinorch.tripod.com.

Exhibits

• Lehman College’s Art Gallery hosts Beatrice Coron: The Secret Life of Cities, through Jan. 11 in the Edith Altschul Lehman Wing. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard W. For more information, call (718) 960-8731.

 

• Ornamental Instincts, a show of seasonal, nature-inspired installations that bring into focus the ornamental genius of nature’s varied habitats, will be on exhibit through Feb. 10 at the Wave Hill House located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue in Riverdale. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

• The Bronx Museum of the Arts hosts Quisqueya Henríquez: Outside Traditional Art in the artist’s first major appearance in the United States, through Jan. 27. The exhibition is a selection of her work examining the sensory qualities of urban life, including a daily visual dispatch from Santo Domingo, where she currently lives. The museum, located at 1040 Grand Concourse at West 165th Street, is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., except for Friday, when it is open until 8 p.m. Suggested admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors and is free on Fridays for members and for children under 12. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

 

• The Longwood Arts Project, the contemporary art center of the Bronx Council on the Arts, presents Material Culture at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street, through Feb. 7. The artists in this exhibit present works in a selection of wood, clay, metal, glass, fiber works and mixed media art, rather than simply paint and canvas. For more information, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 21 or (718) 518-6728.

Events

• Thomas the Tank Engine visits the New York Botanical Garden, Jan. 5 through 13 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., featuring Thomas and Friends story time with driver Daniel. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

 

• The New York Botanical Garden presents its yearly Holiday Train Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, with city and suburban scenes all made of plant parts and large-gauge model railway trains and trolleys, through Jan. 13. In addition, children can have Gingerbread Adventures in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden where they can smell, touch, and taste the ingredients of a gingerbread recipe and decorate their own gingersnap cookies, followed by Winter Wonderland of Gingerbread Houses, a display of elaborate gingerbread creations by renowned bakers. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

Learning

• The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

For children, there’s a video on Jan. 16 and 23 at 4 p.m. For infants and toddlers, there’s Baby and Me Lapsit, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m. Also, for school-aged children, there’s Katcha and the Devil and Other Czechoslovak Tales, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m.; Why Read, Jan. 14 at 4 p.m.; Lion and Lamb Making, Jan. 17 at 4 p.m.; and Perfectly Penguin, Jan. 20 at 2 p.m.
Young adults can Play Chess! in a workshop with Ramon A. Hernandez on Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. and enjoy MOMA at the Library: Art Studio, Jan. 23 at 4 p.m.
The Center is located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road. For a detailed schedule, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

• The Mosholu Library presents two Gadgets and Gizmos events for children: Propeller, Jan. 15 and Tops and Spinning, Jan. 22, both at 4 p.m. The library is located at 285 E. 205th St. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

 

• The Jerome Park Library presents Tales for a Cold Winter Day, Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. for school-aged children. The library is located at 118 Eames Place. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by Jan. 14 for the next publication date of Jan. 24.

A Spirited Tradition

By None

For the 28th consecutive year, residents of 2965 Marion Ave. in Bedford Park went all out to decorate their building for the holiday season. The 80 tenants of the building use this occasion to join together, creating ornaments and decorating the halls and lobby. Residents said they hope their spirit helps bring smiles to the faces of children in the building.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Holiday Performance at JASA
Singer/arranger James Cannings will perform at the JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center on Jan. 17 at 11:30 a.m. in celebration of Martin Luther King Day. The center is located at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. For more information, call (718) 549-4700.

AmPark School Holds Tours
The AmPark Neighborhood School, a new public K-3 elementary school in Van Cortlandt Village, is holding tours for prospective families on Jan. 10, 17, and 24 – all Thursdays – from 9:30 to 11 a.m. AmPark is open to all families who live in the PS 95 zone, which includes Tracey Towers, the Knox-Gates section of Norwood, and those who live on the west side of the Grand Concourse and further west in Bedford Park. The school is located at 3990 Hillman Ave., a half block west of Sedgwick Avenue. For more information, call (718) 548-3451.

Jonas Bronck Academy Tours
Through Jan. 29, MS 228, the Jonas Bronck Academy, will offer school tours for those interested in applying to the academy for September 2008. The academy is a small school of choice located on the Manhattan College campus in Riverdale. It serves students in sixth through eighth grades who reside in District 10. Families should call ahead to sign up for tours. Those interested in applying must attend a tour in order to do so, and may contact Mrs. Torres, parent coordinator, at (718) 884-6673 or (347) 563-4833.

Free English Classes
The Bronx Library Center is offering free English classes. Registration began on Jan. 9. Classes run from Jan. 16 to March 31 and meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The classes will be offered at beginning and low intermediate levels for adults ages 16 and over. English proficiency tests will be given at the time of registration to determine class placement. For more information, call (718) 579-4244.

English, Civics and Computer Classes
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center offers free English as a Second Language classes (ESL), and civics and computer classes Mondays through Saturdays. To apply, visit the center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. (corner of Gun Hill Road). For more information, call (718) 882-4000, ext. 216.

College Workshop
The Educational Counseling Center of the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center offers a free workshop entitled “It’s Never Too Early to Think of College,” on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the MMCC annex, 3412 DeKalb Ave. The workshop will explore the possibility of applying for college early. For more information, call (718) 652-0282.  

Lehman Career Seminars
The Lehman College Office of Continuing Education is holding free career seminars for their non-credit career training certificate programs. Experts will provide information on the positions of alcoholism and substance abuse counselor; medical coder; biller; and office assistant on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lehman campus at Bedford Park Boulevard and Goulden Avenue. On Thursday, Jan. 17 there will be seminars for CISCO Certified Network Associate and A+ Computer Technician at CUNY on the Concourse, 2501 Grand Concourse (at Fordham Road). For more information on the seminars or a catalog of spring semester non-credit courses for adults and kids, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.ed/ce.

Free Computer Tutoring
Mosholu Preservation Corporation, 3400 Reservoir Oval E., is hosting free computer tutoring from 2 to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Tutoring ranges from basic computer skills to navigating the Internet. All are welcome. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Jennifer Mitchell at (718) 324-4461.

ESL and GED Classes
Fordham Manor Reformed Church is offering free ESL and GED classes at its building at 2705 Reservoir Ave. The ESL classes will be held on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the GED classes are on Monday and Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The ESL class requires a 15-minute test for enrollment. A longer three-hour test is necessary to take part in the GED class. For more information, call (718) 796-4980 ext. 16.

MetroCard Van Coming
MTA MetroCard buses will make scheduled stops in the Bronx during January, including Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse on Jan. 11 and 25, from noon to 2 p.m.; Scott Tower (3400 Paul Ave., corner of West 205th Street) on Jan. 28 from 1 to 3 p.m.; and in Van Cortlandt Village at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. on Jan. 11 and 25 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may apply for the Reduced Fare MetroCard and obtain applications from the vans. Senior citizens must present photo ID proving they are at least 65. For more information, call (212) METROCARD or visit MTA’s Web site, www.mta.info.

BRIO Awards Info
Applications and guidelines for the 2008 Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Awards are currently available on-line. The BRIO awards support artists creating work in literary, media, performing, and visual arts. This year, 25 grants of $3,000 each will be given out at the awards ceremony in June. The application deadline is Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. For an on-line application, visit www.bronxarts.org. For more information, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 35.

Citizenship Test Prep
Two Bronx High School of Science seniors and a student in the Macaulay Honors Program at Lehman College are offering a free Citizenship Test preparation course. The course will be held in Room 131 of the Bronx High School of Science, 75 W. 205th St. on Thursday nights at 6:30 p.m. For more information or to sign up, call Andrew Levin at (917) 532-7727.

Adult ESL and Computer Classes
Now through June, PS 94 at 3530 Kings College Place is offering beginning and intermediate ESL classes as well as beginner computer classes. All classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more information or to sign up, go to room 105 or call the parent coordinator, Ms. Seminario, at (347) 563-4772, (718) 405-6345 ext. 1050 or (718) 863-4057.  

Free Assistance
National Student Partnerships provides no-cost help with job searches, housing searches, education, job training, resume-writing, childcare, legal services and much more.  There are no eligibility requirements, and all services are completely free.  NSP is located at 2715 Bainbridge Ave. at East 196th Street. Please call (718) 733-3897 to set up an appointment. You do not need to be a student to obtain services. Se habla español.

Little League Registration
The Fordham Bedford Little League is currently accepting applications for interested boys and girls from ages 5 to 18. For more information, call Pete at (917) 645-9514 or visit www.fbllnet.org.

Energy Assistance
Older New Yorkers can apply for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) grant to help meet the challenges of paying for heating and utility costs during the cold winter months. This federally-funded program provides financial assistance to limited-income households to offset costs of heating and energy bills. Applicants must meet income guidelines and be 60 or older. To receive a HEAP application, call 311 or visit DFTA at www.nyc.gov/aging. For more information about the HEAP program, seniors can log on to ACCESS NYC at www.nyc.gov, call the Human Resources Administration’s Info Line at 1-877-HRA-8411 or visit HRA’s Web site at www.nyc.gov/hra.

Foster Parents Needed
The Foster Care Network currently has an urgent need for adults who want to become foster parents for the hundreds of area children who need a home. For more information, call (800) 454-3727 ext. 110.

Free Programs for Cancer Patients
The Albert Einstein Cancer Center is offering two free research programs for patients with cancer. The Yoga-Based Cancer Rehabilitation Program includes 12 weeks of yoga classes as part of a research study to see if yoga can help patients with breast, lung and colorectal cancer. Classes are taught in both English and Spanish by a certified yoga instructor. The Mind-Body Cancer Program includes eight weeks of mind-body groups as a part of a research study for patients with most types of cancer. The groups are specifically designed by a psychologist and oncologist for patients. Some restrictions may apply and both programs are taking place in the Bronx. For more information or to find out if you are eligible, call (718) 430-2380.

College Financial Aid Help
On Sunday, Feb. 10, the New York’s College Goal Sunday will be offering a free program to help students who will be attending college in the fall of 2008. The program will help students file for financial aid using a FAFSA form online. Those interested should go to Herbert H. Lehman High School, located at 3000 E. Tremont Ave., between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. To register for the event go to www.collegegoalsundayny.com.

Native Gets Rochester TV Gig

By None

Evan Axelbank, son of television talk show host Gary Axelbank, began working as a television news anchor for WROC, an affiliate of CBS, in Rochester on Jan. 7.

Raised in Van Cortlandt Village, Evan graduated from Ithaca College in 2005. After graduation he began work for News 10, a Time Warner Station located in Syracuse. In Ithaca, Evan served as the bureau chief, and then a general assignment reporter in Syracuse.

Gary Axelbank said he is proud of his son’s accomplishments.

“He’s way ahead of where I was at his age,” he said. “He’s a superb TV journalist.”

MSU Wordsmith Finishes Top 10

By None

Danielle Flores, a junior at the Academy of Mount St. Ursula, placed in the top 10 in New York City in the National Vocabulary Championship. Some13,000 students participated.

On Dec. 10, Flores competed against 100 other finalists at the Bayard Rustin Education Complex in Manhattan.

“Being in the citywide championship was both an exhilarating and enlightening experience,” Flores said in a statement. “Spending time with people of wide vocabularies showed me I have so much more to learn about the English language. Competing with them was as intense as being in the playoffs!”

Housing Group Honors John Reilly

By None

John Reilly, executive director of Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, was honored last month at the Gotham City Gala, a fundraising event for housing nonprofit Enterprise, at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.

Reilly has headed FBHC, which owns and manages more than 90 apartment buildings, since its founding in 1980. Reilly has also overseen the opening of Concourse House, a shelter for homeless women and their children, and Fordham Bedford Children’s Services, which provides program to local kids and families.

In 2007, FBHC opened Jacob’s Place, a 63-unit green building and acquired six buildings and 300 affordable apartments, marking the first preservation project using the New York City Acquisition Fund

Reilly a Bedford Park resident was a community organizer in Bedford Park with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition before taking the helm of the Housing Corporation.

Two Generations Celebrate Wedding Milestones

By Norwood News

Northwest Bronx residents Ismael and Gloria Lopez celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Sept. 16, 2007 at Visitation Church in Kingsbridge. They were married on the same date in 1967 at Our Lady of Victory Church in the Bronx.

The couple also wants to congratulate their son, Jason Lopez, and his wife, Nydia on their 10th wedding anniversary, which they celebrated on June 27, 2007. The younger Lopez’s were residents of Riverdale for many years but now live in Orange County.

The elder Lopez’s had this message for the younger Lopez’s: “We wish them happiness, health, and love for many years to come.”

A Room of Their Own

By Norwood News

Members of the Tracey Towers Seniors on the Move group gathered with some 50 guests on the second floor of 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy S. on Nov. 30 to open a new activity room for the building’s over-50 residents.

The Seniors on the Move group has been pushing for a meeting room where they could hold events and activities. Now, thanks to renovations to a former storage room by Tracey management, they have their own room.

“Everyone likes it,” said Dorothy Vitalis, the president of Move. “Now we can meet every day and play different games like pinochle and have different activities like our daily exercise classes.”

Many community leaders were also present at the event to assist in the ribbon cutting, including Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera (who is providing funding for operating costs), Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Executive Director Don Bluestone (whose organization has long helped seniors at Tracey), property manager Jeffrey Horn and Seniors on the Move member Rosemary Brown. Seniors on the Move will operate the room and provide programming there.

The room is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays. It is closed on weekends.

Showing Off Their New School Colors

By Allison Grande

Four months ago, the walls of DeWitt Clinton High School in Bedford Park were a dull shade of blue. With the help of local dentist Jay Fensterstock, the organization Publicolor, and 87 determined Clinton students, the walls of the school’s second floor and cafeteria now sport vibrant shades of 13 different colors.

“It’s so great to be doing a positive thing for the school,” Clinton junior Maria Shaikh said.

With the project nearly completed for the semester, seven students worked diligently on a recent Friday afternoon to improve the walls of their school while singing along to R & B music blaring from a nearby radio. In addition to touching up their own work, they also spent time repainting a graffiti-vandalized wall and a door that students had peeled the paint off of.

The project was born six months ago when Fensterstock, a Norwood dentist who has practiced in the Bronx for 30 years, went to a charity event for Publicolor, a New York City organization founded in 1996 that encourages creativity and collaboration in public schools throughout the five boroughs. Since 1999, Publicolor has helped to repaint 26 school buildings and 18 community sites in the Bronx.

After learning about Publicolor, Fensterstock thought about the high school down the street from his practice that he described as “drab, institutional, boring [and] in need of a lift.” Fensterstock agreed to fund the project, and in September, Clinton began recruiting interested students to help after school.

“The program allows kids to see the project from beginning to end,” Fensterstock said.

 “It keeps them out of trouble and gives them a sense of being, belonging and accomplishment.”

Painting the school has inspired junior Ellissia Dyer, who wants to become a carpenter. Before joining Publicolor, she had been in disciplinary trouble throughout her time at Clinton. Now she is one of seven Clinton students chosen from the basic Paint Club program to participate in the three-day-a-week paid apprenticeship program, Community of Leaders Organizing Revitalization (COLOR), which offers tutoring sessions and Life Skills/Career Exposure workshops next semester.

The basic Paint Club, a Publicolor program where students learn painting skills and transform schools into “energized environments that feel safe and special,” began at Clinton in early September.  A school-wide vote determined the colors for the walls.

Publicolor site leaders Dave Sokoloff and Adriano Vazquez were sent in to supervise the project. Both agree the students at Clinton are great and do “a high quality job.”

The program is run every day after school and on Saturdays. Students enjoy participating for a variety of reasons. Sophomore Nazim Kharodia said she loved transforming the walls from “a really dull color” into one “that now looks nice.” Junior Ruth Vincent calls her time painting the school “a stress reliever,” while junior Kwame White thinks it’s a great opportunity to meet new people in a school of 4,422 students.

The project concluded on Dec. 15 for the first semester, but students say they’re excited to get back to work in January painting the walls of another floor. In just one afternoon, three teachers walked by, complimented the student workers and thanked them for their hard work.

“Studies have shown that these upgraded schools get better attendance, and teachers are happier as well,” Fensterstock said. “Happy teachers and happy students make a great school.”

Raising Awareness Of ‘Therapeutic Switching’

By None

As president of Women in Progress, Inc., I have a strong interest in educating low-income women at an increased risk of developing HIV/AIDS. Many of these women in the Bronx have recently been released from prison and need someone to look out for them and their health.

Increasingly, I am concerned about an issue commonly called “therapeutic switching,” in which medicines that have been prescribed for a patient are switched with a less-expensive substitute. The problem lies in the switch, because the drug that the patient is switched to is not always an exact formulation of the original. Many times, the patient is not even alerted of the switch, and the doctor has not given permission.

This can have adverse effects on health, as some drugs may require different dosages to be taken more or less frequently. Some may cause different side effects or other complications. Remember – just because two drugs may treat one illness, doesn’t mean the drugs are interchangeable!

Sadly, this practice affects low-income and minority communities like African-Americans, because low-income patients cannot afford more expensive health plans. It is unfair that therapeutic switching disproportionately affects minorities, but that is the reality.

Let’s work to stop this practice, and demand that only a doctor can make the decisions for their patient.

Charlotte Sapp

Women in Progress

Looking Back on ’08

By Editorial

Last issue, we reviewed the top stories of 2007. Here, we review the stories of 2008, written from the imaginary vantage point of January 2009. Yes, it is mostly wishful thinking, but it is all in the realm of the possible if citizens, residents and elected officials act in concert in the best interests of our neighborhoods and the Bronx as a whole.

Armory

2008 was the year the Armory got on track toward redevelopment. After months of unexplained delays, the city’s Economic Development Corporation chose a firm – the Related Companies – in late March to transform the giant landmarked facility into a retail complex with space for community organizations and recreation.

In announcing the project, newly minted deputy mayor for economic development Robert Lieber said: “Projects like this may not be as big as the Freedom Tower or Penn Station, but they are no less important to the livelihood of the city’s neighborhoods and the citizens who live there.”

Related Companies returned with an Environmental Impact Statement at the end of September, kicking off the city’s 6-month Universal Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) which will wrap up by early April.

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), a coalition of community organizations, got one seat at the negotiating table where elected officials are hammering out a community benefits agreement with the Related Companies.

KARA is making a long-shot bid to get Related to agree to only recruit retailers who will pay their employees a living wage, an unprecedented provision that would set the Armory up as an example for similar community benefit agreements around the country.

After mounting pressure — from KARA, northwest Bronx elected officials and a newly invigorated Community Board 7 —the Department of Education finally relented and put into the new capital plan two 500-seat schools behind the Armory where two National Guard buildings now stand. The only stumbling block is that the city and state still have not identified a suitable location to move the Guard units to.

Rezoning

In 2008, Community Board 7 — with many new members and its first new district manager in 18 years — pushed along a rezoning initiative on Webster Avenue and on Grand Avenue that should be coming before the City Planning Commission in the first half of 2009. On Webster Avenue, Board 7 seeks to make the area more friendly to small-scale commercial development while preventing unwanted large developments like the controversial Comfort Inn now under construction next to PS/MS 20. CB7 opposed the hotel, but its opinion was only advisory.. Also in the rezoning pipeline is Grand Avenue, the once stately street of attractive large homes that has now been defiled by ugly cookie-cutter multi-family dwellings which obliterate front lawns and trees. The new zoning, if approved, would only allow one- or two-family detached dwellings in the area, which also includes Davidson Avenue.

If the city approves the new zoning, it will be perhaps the Board’s most significant achievement in its history.

Citizen Participation

Maybe it was the activism of a rejuvenated community board, or the inspiration of President-elect Obama, or the just a fortuitous coming together of these and other developments in the public sphere, but 2008 was a year to behold in terms of community involvement. You could see it even on the letters page of this paper, where more readers than ever wrote letters to the editor. (And only one person asked us to withhold their name!) New park groups sprouted to care for newly renovated Devoe and St. James parks. Local high school students held meetings to address issues of violence among them, and adults from their neighborhoods offered their support. This harvest of new community leaders may be the greatest local accomplishment of 2008. It will ensure that 2009 will be even better.

4-Train Service Changes

By Norwood News

On the weekends of Jan. 12 and 13, and Jan. 19 and 20, service between the Woodlawn and Bedford Park Boulevard stations will be suspended from 4 a.m. Saturday through 10 p.m. Sunday and replaced by shuttle bus service between the two stations.

The service will be available at three spots – the corner of Jerome and Bainbridge avenues; the corner of Jerome Avenue and East 208th Street; and at Bedford Park Boulevard and Jerome Avenue. The changes are due to track repair work.

Free Tax Prep

By Norwood News

Signature Bank, Mosholu Preservation Corporation and Ariva present a free tax preparation weekend for low-income Bronx residents on Saturday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 3400 Reservoir Oval E. (between Putnam Place and Reservoir Place).

Senior citizens, disabled and special needs residents, and those who have earned less than $40,000 are eligible. Bring proof of ID, Social Security cards and all tax information. To make an appointment, call (718) 324-4461.

New Deli Already Has Regulars

By Allison Grande

Juan Carlos Villamar came to the United States from Peru four years ago. His wife, Clara Pichardo, emigrated from the Dominican Republic six years ago. Neither of them arrived in America with any experience owning a business. But two months ago, the couple decided to pursue a lifelong dream by opening their own deli in Bedford Park.

Villamar and Pichardo say Tambo Deli prides itself on making “homemade, traditionally-made products.” Their specialties include empanadas, which are available in six different flavors, as well as flan, homemade potato salad, and an array of freshly made smoothies.

The store features cheap combos, such as a bagel and coffee for only one dollar. Lunch specials are around six dollars. Villamar also stressed that he has discount wraps and other food items for cash-strapped nearby Lehman College students.

Tambo gets especially busy around 7 a.m. when customers stop in for bagels and coffee before work, Villamar and Pichardo said.

The atmosphere in the store is friendly and welcoming. Even though the husband and wife co-owners do not speak much English, the customers are not exclusively Spanish-speaking or bilingual, and the store already boasts some regular customers.

George, one of those newly-minted regulars and a retired local resident, said he likes Tambo because “it’s something different in the area.”

Villamar and Pichardo are pleased with the early success of their fledgling business, saying they like the neighborhood because it is a high-traffic area between two subways and near three major thoroughfares – the Grand Concourse, Jerome Avenue and Bedford Park (where the deli is).

Their short-term goals are modest. The couple simply wants the deli “to be a better place and continue to produce high quality products.”

In the future, however, the co-owners hope to expand their business by adding more items to their menu and opening more delis in the area. They also hope to equip their deli with a wireless internet connection.

For now, though, they are content with their new business endeavor and continue to “pray for everything to go well.”

Ed. note: Tambo Deli, located at 34 Bedford Park Blvd. E., is currently open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Soon, the owners hope to begin staying open until 11 p.m. For more information, call Tambo Deli at (347) 531-7864.

CB7 Shuffles Leadership Posts

By Alex Kratz

Citing conflict of interest concerns, the leadership at Community Board 7 shuffled around its committee chairs. Board Chair Greg Faulkner, in continuing what he calls his reformist agenda, said the Board wanted to avoid any appearance of impropriety and, at the same time, inject fresh blood into the committees.

Because of their expertise and knowledge, it was a tough decision to remove or reassign certain committee chairs, Faulkner said, adding that the restructuring did not stem from any specific allegations.

“There were no members who had done anything questionable, no issue that flagged us,” Faulkner said.

The New York City Charter states that community board members cannot chair a committee in which they have a direct interest, either private or professional.

Though this had never been an issue before, Faulkner and others said the Board wanted to avoid any questions of integrity as it delved into some high profile issues in the upcoming year, including the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory and the controversial Croton Water Filtration Plant being built in Van Cortlandt Park.

Faulkner said he began thinking about revamping the committees after a reporter questioned whether he had a conflict of interest in his role as Chairman of the Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee, which he heads because of his position at CB7.

The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which oversees the Croton project, awarded a CUNY (City University of New York) school, Bronx Community College (BCC), a million dollar job training contract. Faulkner works for LaGuardia Community College, a CUNY school in Queens.

While both BCC and LaGuardia are CUNY schools, Faulkner, the head of student life at LaGuardia, said he works for a separate entity at LaGuardia and is not paid by the city. Also, he said, the monitoring committee never voted on the job training program, and would recuse himself if there ever was a vote.

The CB7 committees will have a new look in 2008. There will be 12 committees instead of 10 this year and two of the Board’s more active chairs will step down from their current positions.

Sandra Erickson, the Land Use committee chair for the past four years, will not return in that capacity because of her real estate dealings in CB7. Erickson manages a couple of “soft investments” in the district, she said.  

“I understand the [conflict of interest] concept,” Erickson said. “But to do away with the people with the most expertise, it doesn’t make too much sense. But the rules are the rules. I don’t have a problem with it.”

Erickson will be replaced by Ozzie Brown, who does construction work, but doesn’t own or manage any property in the area.

“The members are just fabulous,” Erickson said. “My replacement, Ozzie Brown, I can’t say enough about him. He’s a great guy and he’s going to do a great job.”

In addition, Don Bluestone, executive director of Norwood’s Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC), will move from heading the Youth Committee (formerly Education, Youth and Libraries) to lead the Seniors Committee. Though MMCC services both youth and seniors, Faulkner said the center does more work with youth and has lost out on senior funding over the past couple of years. Bluestone was on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

Mike Murphy, press secretary for the borough president’s office, which oversees Bronx community boards, said the office supported CB7’s decision to shuffle the committee heads for the sake of maintaining the Board’s integrity.  

Board member John Harris, a public school teacher in Harlem who was originally slated to take over the Education Committee, is now taking over the Youth Committee to avoid any conflict of interest questions.

He praised Bluestone’s efforts over the past several years and said it would serve the next generation of leaders well. “They’ve laid the foundation,” Harris said about Bluestone and other longtime Board stalwarts. “They did great stuff and we’re going to build on it.”

Public and Community Meetings

By None

•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m., at the 52nd Precinct, 3016 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    Community Education Council 10 will meet on Thursday, Jan. 17 at PS 3, 2100 LaFontaine Ave. at 6:15 p.m. for the business meeting and 7:15 p.m. for the calendar meeting. Topics will be the Gifted and Talented programs and the new Welcome Center. For more information, call (718) 741-5836.
•    Community Board 7 will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at the Bedford Park Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
•    Community Board 7 Open House will take place Saturday, Jan. 26 at the Board office, 229-A E. 204th St. at 1 p.m. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
•    Community Board 7’s Parks Committee will meet Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the Board office, 229-A E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
•    Community Board 7 Traffic, Transportation and Public Safety Committees will meet Thursday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Board office, 229-A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.

Voter Registration Deadline Jan. 11

By Norwood News

The deadline to register to vote if you want to vote in the Feb. 5 presidential primary is Jan. 11. For more information click here, the link will take you to the New York City Web page for voter registration.

 

Koppell’s New Staffer

By Katie Rogers

Councilman Oliver Koppell recently hired Adam Dubin as Coordinator of Special Projects and Community Development to serve in his Riverdale district office and in his Norwood satellite office at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.

“I have known Adam for a long time and I have confidence in his ability to provide quality service to my constituents and the community at large,” Koppell said in a statement.

A resident of Riverdale, Dubin has a master’s degree in public policy management and is fluent in both Spanish and English. In addition to handling special projects and issues that affect the community at large, he will be available to assist constituents with problems related to housing, healthcare, transportation, entitlement programs and other city services.

Measure Prevents Water Hike

By Katie Rogers

Council Member Oliver Koppell recently co-sponsored City Council legislation that enables the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to sell liens on the residential and commercial property of unscrupulous owners who have exploited the system by refusing to pay their water bills. The bill also protects those customers who do follow the rules, Koppell said, and prevented a massive water rate increase.

“The legislation empowers DEP to vigorously go after ‘deadbeat’ customers, as I have long suggested, while also offering a helping hand to single family homeowners, seniors and low-income individuals,” Koppell said in a statement.

The proposed customer protections will include exempting single family residences, low-income seniors and people with disabilities, offering a one-time payment incentive plan for all residential account holders and prohibiting DEP from collecting on adjusted estimated bills older than two years if the customer has kept current on their bill payments. It will also complete the installation of citywide automated meter reading systems by December of 2010.

 

Engel: Child Health Bill Lacking

By Katie Rogers

This past December, the House of Representatives passed a bill that will extend the State Children’s Health Program, called Child Health Plus in New York, through March 31, 2009. The bill will provide additional funding to ensure no child currently enrolled with the program will be dropped from coverage.

Congressman Eliot Engel said he is glad to see the bill passed. However he wishes to do more for uninsured children.

“While I am pleased that we are able to halt a pending Medicare reimbursement cut for our doctors, I am saddened that this bill does not accomplish what we could have for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program,” Engel said in a statement. “While we cover the shortfall in funding, this bill will not make headway in covering more uninsured children — and the President is squarely to blame for that.”

The bill will impose a six-month moratorium on the implementation of the Bush Administration’s proposed Medicaid regulations on rehabilitation services and school-based services. If these regulations were to go into effect, nearly $6 billion would be cut from Medicaid services for vulnerable children and people with disabilities, according to Engel.

This fall, Bush threatened to veto a stronger, more inclusive, children’s health bill passed by Congress, saying it helped insure too many middle-class kids.

Dinowitz, Rivera Campaign for Clinton in N.H.

By Jordan Moss

Leading up to Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, two prominent Bronx pols campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Manchester. Assemblymen Jeffrey Dinowitz and Jose Rivera were in the Granite State last weekend.

And despite polls on Tuesday that predicted an Obama win in New Hampshire and additional bad news for Clinton in South Carolina and nationally, Dinowitz said he was standing by his candidate.

“I’m with Hillary. I believe in her,” he said.

“I’d rather support someone who’s actually talking about issues,” Dinowitz added, comparing Clinton’s policy prowess with what he described as Obama’s soaring, yet vague, rhetoric of hope and unity.

Dinowitz didn’t want to criticize Obama harshly (he admitted he’d be a supporter if the Illinois senator prevails), but he did offer a gentle gibe. “Where’s the beef?” he said, echoing Walter Mondale’s famous quip criticizing Gary Hart in the 1984 race for the Democratic nomination.  

Dinowitz also offered a critique of the nominating process, particularly Iowa’s and New Hampshire’s outsized role in the selection of nominees. “To have a couple of states have such huge influence on the process is just crazy,” he said. “A voter in New Hampshire has 100 times the weight, than a voter in New York. People in the Bronx almost never see the presidential candidate. We’re just as good and just as important as people who live in Iowa and New Hampshire.”

Dinowitz also pointed out that in Iowa, just as many independents voted for Obama as Democrats. The same might prove true in New Hampshire. “The people who should pick a party nominee should be members of the party.”

 

 

Community Mourns Loss of Beloved Lunch Lady

By Alex Kratz

Three days after Bedford Park resident Kathie Fidis died on Dec. 19, her wake at the John Fox funeral home was packed, standing room only, with family, friends and a gaggle of regulars from Rose’s Luncheonette, the tiny coffee shop Kathie and her husband, Michael, turned into a neighborhood institution.

By all accounts, Kathie Fidis, who died suddenly after falling into a coma at the age of 68, will be missed tremendously.

Though she’s gone, Kathie’s memory will live on at Rose’s, where Michael still mans the worn grill and Anna Bondzolakis continues to serve coffee and toasted bagels with cream cheese and jelly to loyal customers, many students from PS 8 and MS 80.

Leila Glitterman, a longtime friend and customer, says, “It’s impossible to describe how wonderful she was. Whatever words for great there are in the dictionary, put those words down.”

Tony Dubois, who moved to Bedford Park from Georgia, drinks coffee at Rose’s all the time. “A warm, wonderful person, she would always make the best of every situation,” he says.

“She gave good advice,” says Eddie Victorio, 13. He and his friend Mohammed Hussain, 13, attend MS 80. They both said they would miss Kathie, whose smiling picture sits high on the wall in Rose’s.  

Born in Cypress on June 11, 1939, Kathie Kyriakou moved to New York City at the age of 12. She eventually would attend and graduate from Roosevelt High School in the Bronx.

By 16, young Kathie was speaking flawless English, Michael says, and managing a dry cleaning shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

That’s where the two met. One day, on a break from her job at the cleaners, Kathie walked into the nearby coffee shop where Michael, a young Greek immigrant, worked as a short order cook. She ordered a knish, but Michael told her, “No, you should get something else, it would be better for your stomach.” So, he made her an egg sandwich and the two began to hit it off, eventually dating.

They would get married on Nov. 17, 1957 at a Greek church in Chelsea. Two months before she died, Kathie and Michael celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

In 1958, the couple had their first child, Christos, and settled in a house on Briggs Avenue in Bedford Park.

Both would open successful businesses in the area; Michael, an electronics repair shop, and Kathie, a clothing store. In 1960, they would have their second child, a daughter, Marina, who died of diabetes seven or eight years ago, Michael says.

In 1991, when his electronic repair shop started losing business, Michael and Kathie decided to buy an old coffee shop, called Rose’s Luncheonette on 204th Street, just off Mosholu Parkway South. The shop was run down and only open for a couple of hours in the morning before the Fidises took it over.

They hired an old friend, Anna Bondzolakis, and turned it into the undisputable neighborhood coffee and lunch spot, famous for its charm and Michael’s grilled cheese sandwiches, which they serve on paper plates.

Now, with the passing of Kathie, there is sadness and bills to pay. Michael, now 73, says he wants to keep the shop open. “We made it what it is,” he says.

Mostly, like all of Rose’s regulars, he will miss his wife.

“I’ll miss a lot of things about her,” Michael says. “Her laughter, her ingenuity. I always stood by her and she always stood by me.” He paused and thought for a while. “It was a challenge, but a good challenge. She was a good mother and a wife. I loved her. She did everything she could for people.”

Bedford Park Schoolkids Dance into Ballroom Finals

By Katie Rogers

Nidia Torres said her daughter, Alexis, a 5th grader at PS 86 in Kingsbridge, cannot stop dancing.

“She’s always moving and shaking all over the house,” Torres said. “She loves every bit of it. She just dances all the time.”

In that case, it’s a good thing Torres’ daughter is one of 25,000 children in New York City this year participating in the American Ballroom Theater Company’s Dancing Classrooms Program. A smaller number of dancing couples from the program recently competed in the quarterfinals of the citywide Mad Hot Ballroom Competition at the Bronx New School in Bedford Park.

Dancing Classrooms worked with 250 city schools this year, teaching students from fourth, fifth and eighth grades. Each participant was given about 20 lessons. At the end of the semester, six couples from seven local schools were picked to compete in the quarterfinals.

Fourth and fifth graders from the Bronx New School, led by team captains Andrew Jackson and Lindsay Gonzalez, performed well enough to move on. They went on to compete in the semifinals in Manhattan, Dec. 14, and then the fall semester finals on Dec. 17, achieving gold medal status in both events.

They are now headed to the Grand Finals at the World Financial Center Winter Garden this June.

At the quarterfinals, held in the crammed cafeteria of the space-starved New School, ballroom partners representing each of the seven schools sported different colored sashes. Those representing the host New School wore orange.

At the start of the competition, the dancers, led by American Ballroom instructor “Mr. Sid,” practiced their moves.

Gathering in two circles, they went through the meringue, rumba, tango and even a swing routine to the song “Hit the Road Jack.” Audience members cheered as couples then fox trotted to the smooth hit, “Fever.”

After their warmup, one at a time, girls in party dresses and young men in button-down shirts and ties concentrated through several rounds of competition. They were cheered on by family, friends and proud schoolteachers, wearing big smiles and sometimes nervous expressions.

In the first round, couples performed an assigned dance they had practiced all semester. In the rounds to follow, students were surprised with a randomly chosen style of dance to perform.

The Dancing Classrooms program was founded 14 years ago by World Champion dancers Pierre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceaux. Just as pictured in the documentary film “Mad Hot Ballroom,” Dancing Classrooms is open in participating schools for every child, regardless of their background or prior dance experience. Instructors strive to bring civility and etiquette to students by emphasizing manners, social interaction and most importantly, teamwork.

“This is introducing into their lives something they would never have experienced otherwise,” said Daniela Delgiorno, an instructor with the program. “We are trying to teach them how to be ladies and gentlemen by looking at their classmates in a different way.”

Torres said the children have worked hard. They were given free lessons, but the practice schedule was rough.

“It’s great, but it definitely demands a lot from the kids,” she said.

Amy Carman, a fifth grade teacher from the Osborn School in Westchester, said this is her second year with American Ballroom’s program.

“It’s such a great experience for these kids,” she said, proudly wearing green to represent her school’s couples. “In the beginning, they’re definitely a little iffy, but by the end of the semester they just love it.”

One of Carman’s students, Andrea Holguin, said, “I got to meet so many new people. This is so much different than dancing by yourself.”

Residents Push For New Dog Run

By Katie Rogers

Norwood residents are urging the Parks Department to renovate the dog run in Williamsbridge Oval Park, which they feel is inadequate and causing harm to their pets.

Preliminary designs called for a new dog run, but residents fear funding for the $13 million park renovation project now under way may run out before that happens.

Every night, Herbert Godoy brings his boxer, Leela, to the Oval’s dog run, where a group of dog owners meet. Godoy and others say the dog run does not have proper fencing, flooring or lighting and no water source.

“There’s wooden chips on the ground and they cut our dog’s paws,” he said. “One owner’s dog even got ringworm from it.”

This past October, Friends of the Oval, a group of local residents, began to address the issue, creating a dog run committee and collecting 150 petition signatures.

“We live in apartments and don’t have the privilege of having backyards,” Godoy said. “Our dogs need to run around and socialize. That’s what dogs do.”

Five years ago, the Parks Department made renovations to the dog run on the terms that community members who use the run would maintain it. However, Godoy said, the former group of dog owners disbanded and allowed it to fall into disrepair.

The newly-formed dog run committee recently approached local Parks officials about possible renovations. During informal meetings between the Parks Department and the committee, Godoy said, it seemed the agency was more inclined to renovate the current dog run, as opposed to relocating it, a decision the committee does not support.

“It’s useless to fix the current dog run,” he said. “It would cost more time and money and the main problem would still remain, the wood chips.”

Just this week, renovations were made to the current dog run’s fencing. A metal wire has been run through the fence in order to make it stand more upright.

The dog run committee is asking the city to allow them to use Oval Park’s abandoned bocce ball court, where the Parks Department originally put it in a schematic master plan dated September 2006. The court is concrete and about 85 percent fenced in, the committee says. If allowed the space, they promise to properly care for the dog run, which members say they will use every day.

Phil Abramson, a Parks Department spokesman, said the agency is considering fixing the dog run, but is currently developing plans for other areas in the park.

“Right now we are focusing on developing a master plan for the entire park, including updating recreational facilities for children,” Abramson said. “We have met with the committee in the past and are always willing to meet with community members.” He would not elaborate or address any specific suggestions.

Kenny Garcia, who owns a Rotweiler, said the committee is willing to help build the new dog run, if given permission and funds.

“This needs to be renovated because we currently have no place for our dogs to play,” Garcia said. “No one plays bocce. If they give us the court, they don’t even have to do it, we’ll work for it.”

He said the committee is currently looking into having the bocce ball court priced for fencing and other renovations.

Garcia said two months ago his dog lost his nail jumping over the fence, which he feels is too low and unsafe.

“[An immediate relocation] is better for everyone,” Godoy said. “Many people won’t use the current dog run, and walk their dogs in [other parts of] the park and don’t clean up. There are a lot of kids running around here, and it’s not safe. But if we had a proper dog run, this wouldn’t happen.”

Impact Patrols Expand to University Heights

By Alex Kratz

In an effort to beef up policing of the city’s most dangerous neighborhoods, the New York Police Department is sending reinforcements to the 52nd Police Precinct’s southern areas.  

As part of a buoyed Operation Impact program, a popular anticrime initiative that floods troubled neighborhoods with foot-patrolling rookie cops, the Five-Two received 47 recent police academy graduates on Monday and expanded its current Impact Zone, a limited section of North Fordham.

The new zone will include areas directly to the south and southwest of St. James Park, sections of the command that have seen a recent spike in violent crime, quality of life complaints and reports of prostitution.

Historically, when a precinct receives a new batch of Impact rookies, the previous Impact officers, who have been walking their beats for about six months, are reassigned to different commands or different patrols. But this time, Impact officers, including the 45 in the Five-Two, will remain part of the program for at least another six months.

That means, even with three Impact officers heading to Iraq in the coming weeks, the 52nd Precinct will have 89 Impact officers patrolling the zones at various times of day.

“On any given night, we’ll have about 60 [Impact] cops on patrol,” said Captain Derrick Corrado, the precinct’s executive officer, who has been coordinating Operation Impact in the 52nd Precinct since last summer.

It also means that the greenest rookies will have a chance to partner up with those who have been working the streets of the Five-Two for the past six months.

“We’ll probably mix and match,” Corrado said.  

The city’s murder total for 2007 dropped below 500 (494) for the first time since the city began keeping reliable records in 1963. But the murder rate, as well as the overall crime rate, remained virtually the same in the Five-Two as it did last year.

“We got killed in September and October last year, but we’ve done much better in the last three months,” said 52nd Precinct Commander James Alles, who took over the northwest Bronx command in February.

But in the previous (and current) Impact Zone – which stretched, east to west, along the north side of Fordham Road (the south side is 46th Precinct territory) from Decatur to Creston avenues, and, south to north, from Fordham to 194th Street – crime dropped 32 percent over the past six months, Corrado said.

Alles and Corrado are hoping the same will be the case in the new Impact areas just south and southwest of St. James Park, where they said 15 percent of the precinct’s crime occurs.

“We’d like to have Impact on every block,” Alles said. “But we get a lot of crime [in the new Impact zones].”

Last summer, after four young men were shot outside of Tracey Towers, some older residents and community leaders wanted the area around Tracey and nearby Knox-Gates turned into an Impact zone. But Alles said downtown brass wouldn’t go for it because statistics didn’t back up the need. That’s still the case, Alles said, “It’s not even close.”

While most agree that Impact is effective in reducing crime while it’s in place, critics say that crime often returns when the initiative leaves for another area. That’s why it’s important to leave some sort of foot-patrol presence when Impact moves on, Alles said.

Alles also said it’s crucial to keep an eye on the borders of an Impact zone because sometimes the patrols just push crime just outside of the zone. He has set up additional patrols north of the current Impact zone that stops at 194th Street, an area in the news this fall because of rampant drug dealing and a string of immigrant robberies.

All 914 recent police academy graduates will be thrown into Impact zones throughout the city. Most of them will go to Brooklyn, while others will be spread out in tough neighborhoods in the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. The three precincts in the Bronx that will gain Impact cops will be the 52nd, 46th and 44th.

Ed. note: A map detailing the new and current Impact zones will be available in the next issue of the Norwood News on Jan. 24.

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