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Norwood Resident Robert Theiral Dies at 93
September 18, 2008
By Peter Mullin
Norwood resident and World War II veteran Robert A. Theiral passed away on Aug. 14 from a blood clot related to a hip injury. He was 93.
A first generation American and former employee of Peter A. Frasse & Co., Theiral was a mainstay in the Williamsbridge Oval, just across the street from where he had lived since 1968.
One of two sons born to Austro-Hungarian immigrants Maria Zeka and Rudolf Theiral, Theiral spent his formative years in the Bronx, including his 1938 marriage to Josephine M. Haddoc, and continued to reside in the borough until the start of the Second World War.
Drafted in 1942, Theiral served as a member of the 11th Armored Division of the United States Army. The “Thunderbolts,” as the division called themselves, saw action throughout France and took part in the liberation of both the Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps in Austria. In 1985, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the U.S. Army’s Center of Military History recognized their role with the division’s designation as a liberating unit.
After his discharge from the army in 1946, Theiral moved to Oregon and became a member of the Military Police at Camp Whitehead where one of his primary functions was to guard German POWs. After his divorce the following year, Theiral returned to his native Bronx and took up residence on Summit Avenue, within earshot of Yankee Stadium, where he lived until 1968 when he moved to the location on Reservoir Oval he would call home for the rest of his life.
Back in New York, Theiral married his second wife, Betty Eule, in 1949 and was employed as a manager at Safeway supermarkets. Later, he rose through the ranks at the steel manufacturer Peter A. Frasse & Co. to become an executive assistant. After his retirement, Theiral stayed busy working as a runner on Wall Street and even took part in several grand juries over the years.
In his spare time Theiral would often visit the New Jersey home of his stepson Kenneth Eule, as well as people-watch in various locations throughout Manhattan. As recalled by his son, Richard Theiral of Riddle, Oregon, his father was most definitely a people person. Accompanied by his wife, who died in 1989, the pair made these journeys simply because they “just enjoy people.”
Theiral’s passion for dogs was a large part of his life as well, well documented by the four “Ladies” that kept him company throughout the years. The latest addition, the German Shepherd mix “Lady 4” was, along with her owner, one of the many familiar faces that could be seen in the Oval on any given day.
Robert Theiral is survived by his son Richard, stepson Kenneth, five grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.
Neighborhood Notes
September 18, 2008
By None
MMCC Open House and Carnival
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, located at 3450 DeKalb Ave., at the corner of Gun Hill Road will be having an open house for program registration on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A free carnival will take place, rain or shine, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. including free food, face painting, raffles, activities and more. For more information, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0.
Karate Classes
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. offers a wide selection of karate classes for elementary school students, teens, and adults starting in the next few weeks. The classes are offered for all levels on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Classes are affordable and discounts are available. To register or for more information, call Luis Morales weekdays at (718) 944-3290 or MMCC at (718) 882-4000 ext. 0.
After School Child Care
Registration is now taking place for after school child care programs at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The Discovery Club, located at MMCC’s main building at 3450 DeKalb Ave. is offering staff escort from PS 94, PS 280, St. Ann’s, MS 80 and van service from PS 8, PS 94 Annex, PS 56 and 56 Annex, St. Brendan’s, St. Philip Neri, PS 41, Visitation, and PS 95. For complete information or to register, call Ruth Moore weekdays at (718) 944-3207.
Free GED and Business Courses
The State University of New York’s North Bronx Career Center located at 3950 Laconia Ave., at East 224th Street, is now accepting applications for the fall semester. Classes offered are GED Prep and basic to advanced MOS Certification Computer classes. Free training in Business Office Technology (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Job Readiness (Resume, Cover Letter, Interview Skills) and Pre-Certification Training in various careers (Child Care, Security, CNA and more). All students wishing to apply must meet state income and academic guidelines. This is an HRA approved program. Classes begin in September. To begin the application process or for more information, call (718) 547-1001.
Aphasia Clinic Accepting New Clients
The Lehman College Speech and Hearing Center, which provides therapy on a sliding scale payment schedule, is now accepting new clients in its recently expanded aphasia clinic. The clinic will provide individual and group therapy sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.; group therapy sessions also take place on Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. Diagnostic and therapeutic sessions will be supervised by faculty members who are licensed by the NYS Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and certified by the ASHA (American Speech Language Hearing Association). For more information on enrolling in the aphasia clinic, call Wanda Adams at (718) 960-8138.
Fall Sports at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. is beginning its fall sports programs and registration is under way. On Wednesdays, classes include a weightlifting and Healthy Youth Lose Weight Program (10- to 16-year-olds) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday activities include flag football at Oval Park (2nd to 4th graders/5th to 8th graders) followed by soccer for kindergarten to 4th grade. The program has a new Saturday basketball program beginning at 12:30 p.m. serving kindergarten to 10th grade. Returning activities include gymnastics and indoor floor hockey. Sundays include an instructional soccer program for co-ed groups from kindergarten to 7th grade. For more information or a brochure, call MMCC at (718) 882-4000 ext. 0.
Adult ESL and Computer Classes
PS 94 on Kings College Place (off Gun Hill Road) will offer ESL levels 1 and 2 and Computer Skills classes beginning in September through summer 2009. Both classes meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Computer classes will be taught in English and will include lessons on keyboarding, Microsoft Word and other programs. Registration is first come, first served. For more information, call Ms. Seminario, the parent coordinator, at (347) 563-4772 or (718) 405-6345.
English Classes
The New York Public Library will offer free classes in English for speakers of other languages beginning in September at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. (off Fordham Road). For more information on other locations, call the Library’s Office of Community Outreach Services at (212) 340-0918 or visit www.nypl.org/calendar.esol.html.
Housing Assistance Program
Community Board 7 and the West Bronx Housing and Neighborhood Resource Center are offering housing counseling services, every third Tuesday of the month, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., through September. For more information, call (718) 933-5650
Farmers Market
The North Central Bronx Hospital and Harvest Home Farmers Market, Inc. have opened a farmers market on the east side of the park below the Mosholu Parkway Station on the No. 4 line on Jerome Avenue. The market operates every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., through mid-November. Vendors will feature fresh produce from regional farmers, as well as baked goods and specialty items. For more information, call (718) 918-3826.
Out & About
September 18, 2008
By Judy Noy
Onstage
The Bronx Library Center hosts the Papo Pepin Salsa Ensemble, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m.; Latin Jazz Concert by Ivo Tirado, Jr. and the Latin Jazz Element Sextet, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m.; and Chamber Music by the Bronx Symphony Orchestra, Sept. 27 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.
The Mosholu Library, at 285 E. 205th St., hosts BombaBoricua, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. and From Italy With Love, featuring Dino Rosi “La Voce di Napoli,” Sept. 27 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.
Wave Hill presents a three-concert series, Blue Notes at Wave Hill, featuring Stefon Harris and Kenny Barron of the American Jazz scene, on vibes and piano, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Wave Hill House. Tickets are $15 for members, $24 for non-members, and $21 for students and seniors over age 65; advance purchase is recommended. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information or to reserve, call (718) 549-3200 ext. 385.
Events
JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center is taking a trip to Poe Park Farmers Market on Sept. 23. Meet at the Center at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. Call Maritiza at (718) 549-4700 to reserve, or for information on other events.
Wave Hill offers up two family art projects: Roll Up Some Surprises, to make sketches on a paper movie scroll, Sept. 20 and 21; and An Enchanted Circle, to hear fairy stories and make clay mushrooms for an outdoor fairy ring to take home, both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.
The New York Botanical Garden’s Tulip Tree Allee hosts its Farmers Market, Wednesdays through Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It offers seasonal produce, home-baked goods and natural products from New York State farmers and merchants. There will be free demonstrations and educational and fun programs from noon to 2 p.m. on the first and last Wednesday of each month. The Garden is located at Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.
The Bronx Culture Trolley transports visitors to Bronx hot spots on Wednesday, Oct. 1. Beginning with a reception at the Hostos Art Gallery, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street at 5 p.m., the trolley departs at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The trolley ride and all events are free. For more information or to confirm, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or log on to www.bronxarts.org.
Exhibits
The Bronx Library Center hosts an exhibit of photographs by Arlette Landestoy called Weekend Visitors to Inwood Park Hill (The Dominican People), presented by En Foco, through Oct. 31. The Center is located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.
Take a peek into the story of Freedomland – New York City’s Disneyland, through Oct. 19, at the Valentine-Varian House or Museum of Bronx History. The exhibition tells the story of the American History-themed amusement park opened in 1960 on the 205-acre site now home to Bay Plaza and Co-op City. The museum is located at 3266 Bainbridge Ave. at East 208th Street. For more information, call (718) 881-8900.
The New York Botanical Garden presents Moore in America, featuring approximately 20 pieces of installation pieces by Henry Moore, through Nov. 2, running concurrently with The Art of Henry Moore, documentary film Fridays to Sundays at noon and 2 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall. Children can create works of art, including a collage and clay sculptures, in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.
Wave Hill, in collaboration with Lehman College Art Gallery and the Bronx River Art Center, offers a photography exhibit, Surprisingly Natural: the Nature of the Bronx, through Nov. 30. Photographer Talks on Oct. 4 and 5 at 3:30 p.m. feature exhibiting photographers discussing their work; meet at the Glyndor Gallery. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.
Learning
There’s a History Walk on Oct. 4 and 5, to see historical houses in a behind-the-scenes tour and hear about people who once called Wave Hill home, including Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt and Arturo Toscanini. Registration is limited; meet at Perkins Visitor Center at 11 a.m. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.
The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:
For children and preschoolers, there are films on Sept. 24 and Oct. 1 at 4 p.m.; and Preschool Romp, Sept. 18, 25 and Oct. 2 at 11 a.m.
Also, for school-aged children, there is The BLCs, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m.; Read Aloud: The Remix, Sept. 23 at 5 p.m.; Turtle Paperweight Craft, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m.; Scavenger Hunt, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.; Toddler Two-Step, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m.; and Click on the Web, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m.
Young adults can attend B-Balling NBA 2K8 Tournament, Sept. 22 and 29 at 4 p.m.; Argh! Talk Like a Pirate Day!, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m.; Kawaii Klub, Sept. 24 at 4 p.m.; Yu-Gi-Yoh Play, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.; and Banned Books Podcast, Oct. 1 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, Oct. 2 at 10:30 a.m.; Preschool Story Time, Sept. 18 at 10:30 a.m.; and Stories and More if You Are Three and Four, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m., all for young children. The library is located at 285 E. 205th St. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.
The Jerome Park Library at 118 Eames Place, hosts Peter Pan, Sept. 24 at 3 p.m.; and Story Fun for the Very Young, Sept. 30 at 3:30 p.m., both for young children. Young adults can participate in Paint on Glass, Sept. 18 at 4 p.m. and Make Your Own Journal, Sept. 25 at 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.
A HAPPY AND HEALTHY ROSH HASHANA TO ALL OUR JEWISH READERS!
NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by Sept. 22 for the next publication date of Oct. 2.
Community Organizers Helped Save the Bronx
September 18, 2008
By Lois Harr
I was a community organizer from 1976 to 1983 in the northwest Bronx. It was my first job after college. Until recently you may never have even heard of that job, “community organizer.” But since the Republican National Convention, it’s gotten a lot of play, thanks to Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin’s dissing of Barack Obama’s tenure as a community organizer in Chicago.
Throughout the 1970s, the Bronx was burning down. Arson and housing abandonment reached epidemic proportions. Entire streets and neighborhoods emptied of people, stores, cars. The only living things you might encounter in some parts of the south Bronx were packs of feral dogs. By some estimates, the abandonment was moving north at the rate of 10 blocks a year. People in the northwest Bronx looked anxiously south at the flames moving north. Some of our neighborhoods began to have the same troubles: housing in crisis, serious fires, boarded up buildings and empty lots. (If you didn’t live here then or you’re too young to remember, just Google “Bronx fires 1970s” for disturbing pictures and stories of that time.)
But just what is the connection between those fires in the Bronx and community organizing? What does the kind of work done by one US senator and hundreds of people like me have to do with the burning of the Bronx?
Organizing people throughout the northwest Bronx is what stopped the fires and turned things around. It’s what got thousands and thousands of people together across the northwest Bronx to demand and get improvements to dilapidated housing, to live on safer and cleaner streets, to have a say in the quality of life in their neighborhoods.
In a recent New York Times article, the Center for Community Change says that organizing is about listening. And it’s about interpreting for people — sort of like translating a foreign language. We listened to people’s problems, their experiences of no heat and hot water and dirty streets and dangerous parks and low performing schools. And we helped them translate those problems into issues and demands for improvements from landlords, bankers, politicians, city commissioners and government regulators.
Organizers are the staff people, the support system that “regular” people wouldn’t have otherwise. Public officials and bankers and landlords have people who work for them to help with research and lobbying, fund-raising and policymaking. Community organizers work full time on issues, researching and investigating them to help people really understand what’s behind the problems they face. By working through problems together, organizers help people realize that their instincts about what’s right and wrong, what’s fair and just, are on target. They learn how neighbors they didn’t know or trust are similarly affected and willing to fight for better housing, good jobs, safer streets, better schools and neighborhoods. People learn how to hold meetings and get results, how to hold the right parties accountable for their part of the solution. People learn to speak for themselves and their community. They learn about power and how to use it for the common good.
So yes, because of community organizers, the Bronx stopped burning. The quality of life in our neighborhoods stabilized and people learned about real democracy at the grassroots level.
It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.
Lois Harr worked as an organizer for the Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition. She has lived and worked in the Bronx her whole life. She resides in Bedford Park with her husband, John Reilly, a former community organizer.
Housing Rights Meeting a Success
September 18, 2008
By None
On Aug. 7, the Housing Committee of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition held a “Know Your Rights” training session at Our Savior Church, 2317 Washington Ave. The training focused on educating community residents, including immigrants, of their rights as tenants.
Committee members gave presentations about the Rent Guidelines Board, the Vacancy Decontrol law, Major Capital Improvements, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and immigration and housing rights. The event was very successful, with about 80 people attending. Tenants had many questions on housing issues, including apartment repairs, painting, withholding rent and landlord harassment.
The Housing Committee accomplished its goal of educating tenants on their rights, and empowering them to fight for these rights. In the future, the committee plans to do more training sessions in neighborhood institutions.
The committee thanks Father David Guzman of Our Savior Church and his parishioners for their support. The committee would also like to thank Sistas and Brothers United for their help with community outreach. Kudos to the Housing Committee and the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) staff for a job well done!
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact NWBCCC Housing Organizer Erik Beach at (718) 584-0515 ext. 414.
Brenda Irizarry
The writer is a Norwood resident and member of the NWBCCC’s Housing Committee.
Term Limits Folly
September 18, 2008
By Editorial
As we report in this issue, Council Member Oliver Koppell, who represents Norwood and part of Bedford Park, in addition to his Riverdale base, has emerged as the prime mover behind an effort to extend term limits for city elected officials from two four-year terms to three.
We are open to this concept.
But since voters ratified term limits twice, any changes are for the voters to decide, not Koppell or his Council colleagues who obviously have a self-interest in this matter.
Our gripe here is not with Koppell’s record, who was also an effective assemblyman for more than two decades before his Council tenure.
What troubles us most is the last-minute nature of this effort. Koppell could have introduced this legislation last year or the year before. So, this strikes us as a bid to get it past voters with as little public input as possible.
It also threatens to extinguish a lively campaign already under way. For several months, candidates seeking to replace term-limited Council members have been firing up their campaigns, holding fund-raisers, launching Web sites, corralling supporters. (There are at least four announced candidates in Koppell’s district alone.) They made their decision to run knowing that the incumbent would be leaving.
Term limits opponents often cite democracy in their arguments; in essence, the reasoning goes,voters should be able to choose whomever they want to represent them. Fair enough.
But there’s also an underlying message that’s undemocratic. And that’s the belief that no one can adequately replace the incumbent. Usually this belief is only held by the incumbent.
Following the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001, in the heat of an election campaign, outgoing Mayor Rudy Giuliani tried to engineer a mini term extension to April or May the following year. Who other than Rudy could help the city heal and get back on track? Well, as we fortunately were permitted to discover, a guy named Mike Bloomberg did just fine.
Now, egged on by some business-world big shots who also can’t imagine how the city will survive under anyone else, Mayor Bloomberg is flirting with extending term limits.
Koppell and Bloomberg would do well to listen to a mayor who understood his own role vis a vis the voters he was elected to represent.
“My friends, my friends, my brothers and my sisters, the people have spoken,” David Dinkins said on election night in 1993 as he conceded to Giuliani. “They have. They have. And I respect their judgment. And I respect their decision. And we all must respect their judgment and their decision.”
He added: “You see, you see, my friends, elections come and go, candidates come and go, mayors come and go, but the life of a city must endure.”
It must, it has, and it most certainly will even as Oliver Koppell and Michael Bloomberg move on to the next productive stages of their lives.
Rivera Faces Challenge as County Leader
September 18, 2008
By Jordan Moss
In defeating Maria Matos, Jose Rivera’s choice in the Democratic primary for Civil Court, Elizabeth Taylor scored a victory for a large faction of Bronx elected officials who seek to replace Jose Rivera as party boss. The so-called Rainbow Rebels, named for the diversity in their ranks, also defeated Rivera’s attempt to unseat several of the breakaway incumbent lawmakers.
This all comes as the Bronx County Democratic Committee prepares for a meeting on Sept. 28 at the Utopia Paradise Theater, where the Rebels will likely make their move to unseat Rivera.
“My conclusion is that Jose Rivera is in serious jeopardy of [losing his position] as county leader,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, a leader in the Rainbow Rebellion.“I think Jose has lost the confidence of many of the elected officials and district leaders in the Bronx.”
Rivera thinks he’ll prevail, but also sounded ready to move on if he doesn’t.
“I’m ready to carry on being county leader,” he said in an interview on Tuesday. “But at the end of the day, I’ll still be in the Assembly.
We asked him again if he thinks he’ll win. “I believe so, but if it doesn’t happen, I’m a big boy. I will put my best face forward,” he said.
Time will tell.
Bronx Primary Results
September 18, 2008
By Norwood News
There were a number of contested Democratic primaries in the Bronx. Here are the results:
State Assembly — District 79
Michael Benjamin, 2,301 votes, 61.64%
Sigfredo Gonzalez, 1,432 votes, 38.36%
State Assembly — District 83
Carl Heastie, 3,667 votes, 78.25%
Sherman Browne, 1,019 votes, 21.75%
State Assembly — District 85
Ruben Diaz, 3,157 votes, 85.58%
Israel Cruz, 532 votes, 14.42%
State Assembly — District 86
Nelson Castro, 1,513 votes, 62.62%
Mike Soto, 903 votes, 37.38%
State Senate — District 33
Pedro Espada, 4,615 votes, 59.60%
Efrain Gonzalez, 3,128 votes, 40.40%
Civil Court — Bronx
Elizabeth Taylor, 19,228 votes , 54.09%
Maria Matos, 10,406 votes, 29.27%
Verena Powell, 5,917 votes, 16.64%
Source: NY1
Public and Community Meetings
September 18, 2008
By Norwood News
• The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will meet on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. For more information as well as the location, call (718) 231-8470.
• Community Board 7’s Education Committee will meet Friday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. at the board office, 229-A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
• Community Board 7’s Parks and Recreation Committee will meet Monday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the board office, 229-A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
• Community Board 7’s Youth Services Committee will meet Thursday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. at the board office, 229-A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
• Community Board 7’s Land Use and Zoning Committee will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the board office, 229-A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
• The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the 52nd Precinct, 3016 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
Klein Releases His Dirty Restaurant List
September 18, 2008
By Rebecca Chao
State Senator Jeffrey Klein released his annual “Dirty Dozen” list of the city’s most unsanitary restaurants based on inspection reports from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
With it comes both good and bad news for the Bronx. Guacamole X on East 180th Street was third on the list with 126 violations and Popcorn Hof and Bar on East 204th in Bedford Park came in ninth with 93 violations. The Blimpie’s at 85 E. Gun Hill Rd., on the other hand, made Klein’s “Sparkling 12” list. The eatery currently holds a Golden Apple Award, given by the city for an exemplary inspection record.
In general, the Bronx fared well in comparison to other boroughs. According to Klein, only seven restaurants in the Bronx scored in the bottom 100 compared to 40 in Manhattan and 38 in Brooklyn.
To pass an inspection, restaurants need to score under 28 points. But passing doesn’t guarantee that the restaurant’s food is safe to eat, says Klein. He explains that many restaurants that pass may still be cited for critical violations such as the presence of live vermin, which is not a public health hazard warranting a restaurant’s closure.
“We are not doing enough to alert the consumer to potential health hazards with the current inspections process,” said Klein in his report, titled “Restaurants Enough to Make You Sick: New York City Restaurant Sanitation.”
Klein’s solution is pushing for publicly displayed A-to-F grades in every restaurant, reflecting most recent inspections. “If restaurants stand to lose business based on a poor letter grade, they may be more inclined to correct critical violations permanently,” Klein argues.
The system would be modeled after the Los Angeles A-to-C grading system established in 1998. So far it appears effective. Local food-related hospitalizations have decreased by 20 percent and A-grade restaurants have received a 5.7 percent increase in business. Klein writes: “A letter grading system is a huge step towards alerting the consumers to the potential of a public health threat.”
Gruesome Gun Hill Murder
September 18, 2008
By Rebecca Chao
Thirty-two-year-old Norwood resident Julio Flores has been charged with the gruesome murder of his ex-girlfriend, Jaritza Calderone, 28, who lived at 250 E. 176th St.
According to news reports, Flores told cops that Calderone came to his home at 236 E. Gun Hill Rd. last Saturday to pick up a cable-TV box. He then allegedly stabbed her to death after learning she had been dating other men.
Police say Flores cut up Calderone’s body, put the pieces in garbage bags, and then drove them to a construction site in Teaneck, New Jersey. He then deposited the bags in the basement of an unfinished home and covered them in fresh concrete.
The homeowner, suspicious of Flores’ activities, reported him to police on Sunday afternoon. When the police arrived, they discovered that Flores’ license plates matched those on an alert issued by the NYPD. Flores was arrested and confessed, police say.
A New School Celebrates
September 18, 2008
By None
Bronx Community Charter School celebrated the beginning of the school’s first year with a parade on Sept. 12. Students made hats and parents helped make noisemakers. A brand new elementary school option for District 10 parents, Bronx Community occupies the first floor of Jacob’s Place, an affordable housing development on Webster Avenue. The school, whose founders include Norwood residents Sasha Wilson and Kendra Sibley, opened with 100 students in kindergarten and first grade.
Koppell Wants 4 More Years
September 18, 2008
By Jordan Moss
Oliver Koppell served 23 years in the State Assembly, a short stint as the state’s attorney general, several years as president of Community School Board 10, and now eight years in the City Council representing the 11th District, which covers all of Norwood and parts of Bedford Park.
Despite the impressive resume, which includes his work as a private attorney, Koppell isn’t ready to complete his long run of public service when term limits will require him to step down after two Council terms on Dec. 31, 2009.
He wants four more years.
Koppell has requested that the Council draft legislation to extend term limits from two four-year terms to three.
“I don’t believe in term limits altogether,” Koppell said in an interview. “People should be able to elect whomever they want to elect. Furthermore, I think eight years is too short a time for people to become experienced, capable legislators.”
Critics argue that, regardless of the merits of that argument, the issue should go back before the voters, who, in two referenda, instituted them in 1993 and upheld them in 1996.
“I think it’s a horrible idea to override the will of the voters. I think there’s a fair debate to be had about whether you extend terms,” said Tony Cassino, one of the four candidates who has already launched a bid to replace Koppell. “[But] I voted twice [in the referenda] and you should come back to me and ask me again.”
Three other candidates, including Koppell’s staff counsel Jamin Sewell, have already announced their candidacies and begun raising money.
Whether Koppell’s bill gets any traction in the Council will depend on where Mayor Bloomberg comes down on the issue. Bloomberg is said to be toying with the idea of supporting a third term as he is due to leave office the same day as Koppell and all the other city officials affected by the law.
If Koppell’s bid for the extension succeeds and Bloomberg runs again, it could well dampen the hopes of a number of officials seeking higher office — including Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, who is seeking to become the city’s next comptroller — a as those they wish to replace will probably decide stay put another four years.
A rival term limits bill supported by Queens Council Member Mark Weprin, would put the issue again before the voters.
Rebecca Chao contributed to this article.
Espada Defeats Gonzalez in Contentious Senate Race
September 18, 2008
By James Fergusson
In the Democratic primary on Sept. 9, Pedro Espada Jr., a Bronx businessman and a former state senator and councilman, defeated incumbent Efrain Gonzalez in the race for the 33rd State Senate District.
Espada pulled in 4,615 votes to Gonzalez’s 3,128, giving him 60 percent of the vote. The result was somewhat of a shock: Gonzalez has been in office since 1989, and he was backed by the Bronx Democratic machine and its chairman, Jose Rivera.
Espada will now face Conservative challenger William Sullivan in the November election. Assuming he wins —and it would be a miracle if he doesn’t in what is a heavily Democratic district — Espada will take office in the new year.
In a telephone interview, Gonzalez, 60, refused to blame his defeat on his ongoing legal issues. (In 2006 he was charged with stealing more than $400,000 in state funds. His much delayed trial is due to begin next May.) “I came up short because of a lack of resources,” he said. “It was not about my leadership and it’s not about the indictment.”
At press time, it was unclear exactly how much Gonzalez and Espada spent on their campaigns. But Espada, who owns a slew of Bronx health centers, has deep pockets, and told the Daily News he plowed in $100,000 of his own money.
“I call him the Puerto Rican Michael Bloomberg,” said Rivera of Espada. “He’s not as rich as Bloomberg but he’s a millionaire and we couldn’t compete with that.”
Rivera said there were other reasons why his man lost, namely the bad press that’s haunted Gonzalez for the past two years. “It’s hard with all the newspapers, including yours, that are calling him a crook,” Rivera said. “Unfortunately we were not able to overcome the negative press. It’s like he’s been found guilty before he’s gone to trial.”
According to news reports, the party neglected to print Gonzalez’s name on the palm cards (or fliers) staffers passed out to voters at polling stations. But Rivera angrily denied rumors that he had a hand in orchestrating Gonzalez’s downfall.
“I don’t know where people get that story,” Rivera said, adding that 20,000 palm cards were printed with Gonzalez’s name. “We were campaigning until the last minute; we did everything we possibly could.”
Rivera, who’s 72, said he and Gonzalez had been friends for nearly 40 years, and that there had been no falling out.
Gonzalez, it should be said, wasn’t the only candidate Rivera backed on Sept. 9 who lost. To say Rivera, whose leadership is being challenged by a group of Bronx politicians, had a bad night is an understatement.
“He has suffered the greatest loss in a primary of any [Bronx] Democratic Party leader in the last 30 years,” said Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, one of the so-called Rainbow Rebels. “There have been losses in the past, but not at this level, in one night, across the board, across the borough.”
“It’s a setback,” admitted Rivera. “[But] I don’t consider it a total defeat.” He said he found the competition “energizing.”
According to the New York Observer, Rivera’s fate as party boss will be decided at the party’s executive committee meeting at the Utopia Paradise Theater on Sept. 28.
Espada’s influence, on the other hand, is only growing. In the run up to the primary, his campaign sent out a mountain of literature to debunk claims he’s a closet Republican. “Pedro is a great Democrat. He has never been a Republican.” said one. In another, Barack Obama and Espada are placed side by side as if they’re in the same photo.
Since the primary, however, he became coy, telling the New York Times that he doesn’t know what party he’ll align himself with when he takes office. If he ultimately sides with the Republicans, the Democrats may struggle to retake the Senate. The Daily News called him “The Most Popular Man in New York.” (Espada was not available for comment by press time.)
And what of Gonzalez?
“I’m fine, I’m happy, I’m at peace,” he said. “I’ve nothing to be ashamed of, I’m proud of everything I’ve done.” Asked whether he’ll return to politics in the future, he said, “Never say never.”
Out & About
September 4, 2008
By Judy Noy
Onstage
The Bronx Library Center hosts the Tony Terrell Caribbean Jazz Quartet, Sept. 6 at 2:30 p.m.; and Exquisite Japanese Dance With Sachiyo Ito & Company, Sept. 13 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.
The Mosholu Library, at 285 E. 205th St., hosts BombaBoricua, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.
Events
JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center is taking several trips next month. Sept. 9 is Empire City Casino; Sept. 11 is Cross County Mall; and Sept. 23 is the Poe Park Farmers Market. Meet at the Center at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. Seniors are also invited to dance to the sounds of the ‘50s with saxophonist Libby Richman and keyboardist Bob Liggio on Sept. 14 ($3 includes lunch); and to listen to singer Phyllis Berk on Sept. 17 performing Yiddish, American and Spanish folk songs ($2 includes lunch). Both performances are at 1 p.m. preceded by lunch at noon. In addition, there will be a “Divided We Fail” presentation hosted by AARP about pensions and health care on Sept. 17 at 11 a.m. Call Maritiza at (718) 549-4700 to reserve, or for information on other events.
The Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture will show the film, “Memoirs of a Geisha,” Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Meeting House, 4450 Fieldston Rd., corner of Manhattan College Parkway. The movie will be followed by a discussion. A $3-$5 per person donation will be accepted at the door. For more information, call (718) 548-4445.
Wave Hill offers up two family art projects, Water Lily Wonders, to sketch and paint water lilies and other wonders, Sept. 6 and 7; and Be a Bee, to wear an outfit of bee wings and antennae, plus a kazoo to buzz with, and a pollen cup, Sept. 13 and 14, both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Also offered will be Honey Weekend: Sept. 13: Beekeeping Demonstrations at 11 a.m. at Wave Hill House, to see how bees make honey and how we collect and bottle it; also sample honey fresh from the hive; and Hives and Honey Information Station on the grounds from 2 to 4 p.m., to try on beekeeping gear, peer inside an empty hive, learn about honeybees, and taste various kinds of honey. Sept. 14: Cooking Demonstration at 11 a.m. on the grounds, to observe cooking with honey and sample recipes using honey from Wave Hill’s own beehives. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.
The New York Botanical Garden’s Tulip Tree Allee hosts its Farmers Market, Wednesdays through Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It offers seasonal produce, home-baked goods and natural products from New York State farmers and merchants. There will be free demonstrations and educational and fun programs from noon to 2 p.m. on the first and last Wednesday of each month. The Garden is located at Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.
Exhibits
The Bronx Museum of the Arts presents Street Art, Street Life: From the 1950s to Now, an exhibition of street photography, documentation of performances, events, and artwork, from Sept. 14 through Jan. 25. An Open House Street Fair will be held on Sept. 14 from noon to 6 p.m. on the sidewalk outside the museum which is located at 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street. Rain location is at the Bronx Museum South Building. For more information, call (718) 681-6000.
The Bronx Library Center hosts an exhibit of photographs by Arlette Landestoy called Weekend Visitors to Inwood Park Hill (The Dominican People), presented by En Foco, through Oct. 31. The Center is located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.
Darcy Dahl’s installation piece Insula has the gallery glowing in light and color, through Sept. 13 at the Bronx Museum’s Project Space. It takes drawings, paintings and projections and transforms the space, inspired by the insula, or part of the brain which translates objective physiological states into subjective emotional experiences. It’s at 11 Bruckner Blvd. at the corner of Lincoln Avenue, Saturdays 1 to 5 p.m. or by appointment at (718) 681-6000.
Take a peek into the story of Freedomland – New York City’s Disneyland, through Oct. 19, at the Valentine-Varian House or Museum of Bronx History. The exhibition tells the story of the American History-themed amusement park opened in 1960 on the 205-acre site now home to Bay Plaza and Co-op City. The museum is located at 3266 Bainbridge Ave. at East 208th Street. For more information, call (718) 881-8900.
The New York Botanical Garden presents Moore in America, featuring approximately 20 pieces of installation pieces by Henry Moore, through Nov. 2, running concurrently with “The Art of Henry Moore,” documentary film Fridays to Sundays at noon and 2 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall. Children can create works of art, including a collage and clay sculptures, in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Tuesdays through Fridays from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.
Wave Hill, in collaboration with Lehman College Art Gallery and the Bronx River Art Center, offers a photography exhibit, Surprisingly Natural: the Nature of the Bronx, opening on Sept. 9. Receptions will be held Sept. 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Bronx River Art Center, 1087 E. Tremont Ave.; Sept. 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue; and Sept. 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. and Oct. 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lehman College Art Gallery, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.
Learning
The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:
For children and preschoolers, there are films, Sept. 10 and 17 at 4 p.m.; Preschool Romp, Sept. 4, 11 and 18 at 11 a.m.; and Family Time, Sept. 13 at 11 a.m.
Also, for school-aged children, there is Pencil Toppers Craft, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m.; and School Yard Yarns, Sept. 15 at 4 p.m.
Young adults can attend B-Balling NBA 2K8 Tournament, Sept. 8 and 15 at 4 p.m.
Adults can attend Citizenship Preparation Classes at 10 a.m.: Part 1 on Sept. 6; Part 2 on Sept. 13; and Connect With Employers, Sept. 13 at 10 a.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, Sept. 11 at 10:30 a.m.; and Preschool Story Time, Sept. 18 at 10:30 a.m., both for young children. The library is located at 285 E. 205th St. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.
The Jerome Park Library at 118 Eames Place, hosts Arts and Crafts, Sept. 5 at 3:30 p.m.; and Stories and More if You Are Three and Four, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m., both for young children. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.
NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by Sept. 8 for the next publication date of Sept. 18.
Vietnamese Food That Makes You Feel Right at Home
September 4, 2008
By Jennifer Mitchell
The friendly cackles of the Vietnamese women in the open kitchen belie the utilitarian setup of World of Taste Seafood Deli and Vietnamese Food, a restaurant just north of St. James Park, right underneath the 4 train.
Bright, airy and straightforward (the shiny steel kitchen and closed buffet of daily lunch specials are immediately to the left), there are definite touches of love and whimsy: the bright fuchsia orchid on top of the buffet, the swordfish hanging on display on the back wall and the dark leafy plants in the front window soaking up plenty of sun.
In some Asian dishes, such as my beloved pho, a rice noodle soup, there is a do-it-yourself quality that is part of the pleasure of truly experiencing food. For instance, when ordering a bowl of pho, not only do you get a steaming bowl of glistening beef broth full of rice noodles and thin pancake slices of beef, but you also get another bowl brimming with additions: mung beans, lemon or lime slices, mint or basil, hot sauce and sweet sauce, as some examples. This provides you with enough ingredients to make the perfect soup, which of course is different every time.
Today’s soup was clear and infused with cilantro and green onions, almost a shame to alter it in any way. However, I forged ahead, adding the crunchy texture of mung beans, stripping the mint leaves and watching the leaves darken and bruise, thus releasing their flavor. A shot of Sriracha hot chili sauce turns the pho bright orange, which is balanced by the dark sweet paste, a plum sauce, that thickens the broth and holds all the flavors together.
At World of Taste, you know that the soup is homemade as the broth is slightly different, more peppery one day, more rich with beef the next. Not to mention, you have a clear view of the gigantic pots on the stove and the several cooks as they prepare, today, chicken stock!
As I continue to slurp the noodles and the broth, I can’t help but add more of the condiments, until I am stuck to my chair and the women regard me with twinkling eyes and that wicked laugh. One of them brings me some hot tea. I can’t wait to go back!
Ed. note: World of Taste Seafood Deli/Vietnamese Food is located at 2614 Jerome Ave., between East 193rd Street and Kingsbridge Road. Open 7 days a week, the number is (718) 584-5228. Bronx Eats is an occasional series of reviews of local restaurants and other culinary offerings.
Navigating the Changing School System
September 4, 2008
By Norwood News
When Mayor Bloomberg took control of the schools and did away with the Board of Education and local school boards in 2002, the newly-formed Department of Education created 10 large regions and implemented a series of changes, including parent coordinators, regional superintendents and the establishment of Community Education Councils.
Two years ago, the schools went through another big restructuring. The 10 regions have been dissolved, and the system is again divided into 32 local district offices, with a community superintendent in charge of each.
Here’s an overview of some of the changes parents can expect:
Registration Centers
The Bronx has three registration centers that are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Sept. 12 to help new students with enrollment. Staff at each center will meet with students and their parents to complete registration. The Bronx centers are at PS/IS 194, 1304 Zerega Ave.; South Bronx Campus, 701 St. Ann’s Ave.; and the Theodore Roosevelt H.S. campus, 500 E, Fordham Rd.
New elementary and middle school students who have a zoned school can register at their zoned school. Parents can find their child’s zoned school by calling 311 or visiting the DOE’s website at http://schools. nyc.gov/ FindASchool/default.htm.
Community Superintendents and High School Superintendents
In 2007, Chancellor Joel Klein appointed 32 community superintendents and nine high school superintendents. The superintendents appoint principals and act as rating officers for principals and will also serve as liaisons to Community Education Councils. Many of the appointed superintendents were already serving as community superintendents, including the woman selected to oversee District 10, Sonia Menendez. She is based at the 1 Fordham Plaza office that has historically served as the District 10 headquarters and then, for a time, served as the Region 1 office.
Office of Parent Engagement
In March of 2007, after parents expressed outrage over the reorganization of the bus routes and lack of parent input in the restructuring of the schools, Brooklyn parent activist Martine Guerrier was appointed Chief Family Engagement Officer.
Now, each district operates an Office of Parent Engagement, staffed by a district family advocate. To reach the family advocate for District 10, call (718) 741-5835. High School families should call the borough director’s office at (718) 828-2578.
Parent Coordinators
In 2002, the chancellor and mayor created the position of “Parent Coordinator” to make sure there was someone in each school directly responsible for supporting families. The parent coordinator is the first person families should contact when they have any questions or concerns about their children’s schools. This group works closely with school administration, staff, teams, associations and councils to bring parental and school relations to a better level. Parents who wish to contact their school’s coordinator should call 311 or visit the DOE’s website at http://schools.nyc.gov/ FindASchool/default.htm.
Assessment
Schools now have access to new periodic assessment tools that give teachers information about student progress, including a detailed analysis of each skill tested. This allows teachers to quickly adjust their instruction to match students’ strengths and weaknesses, according to the Department of Education. Students will be assessed five times a year in grades 3-8 and four times a year in high school in both English language arts and math.
ARIS (Assessment, Review, and Instruction System), a fairly new computer system adopted by the schools, allows parents and teachers to track each student’s progress. Both parents and schools now have the ability to access the ARIS system online. In addition, parents will receive progress reports from the participating schools, grading the schools from A-F based on the school environment, student performance and student progress.
Former Principal Leads Network of Local Schools
September 4, 2008
By Emma Jacobs
In a new administrative system, Maria Quail is still a familiar face.
Quail, former principal of PS 8 Bedford Park, became a Network Leader last year as part of the Bloomberg administration’s new empowerment support system for New York City public schools.
Every day, she arrives at the Learning Support Center on Zerega Avenue by 6:30 a.m. She answers her e-mail, and is out the door after 8 a.m., headed to one of the 28 schools under her direction.
Quail, a Brooklyn native, joined the school system in the early 1970s, straight out of college. She transferred to District 10 a little over a decade ago, attracted by a strong reputation for staff development and adult learning.
“I knew that was a place I wanted to be in,” Quail says. She has remained in the district since, becoming a vice principal and then a principal in 2002.
Expanding a Pilot Program
In 2006, Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein expanded a pilot administrative program, opening the empowerment support system to all principals as part of ongoing reforms.
“We allowed every school to choose a support organization that’s best for them,” says Andrew Jacob, a Department of Education spokesman.
Jacob explained that some schools affiliate with nonprofits or universities. Five hundred have joined Empowerment Support Organizations led by network teams like Quail’s.
The five-member “empowerment system” teams, instituted by the mayor in the summer of 2006 as part of the administrative centralization program, are intended to give principals and schools access to some of the most talented staff in the school system.
Quail’s Special Services Manager (SSM), Caterina DiTillio, who oversees services for special education and English Language Learners, was also her former assistant principal at PS 8. Her support staff also includes an achievement coach who oversees data analysis, a business services manager, and an attendance coordinator.
Quail says this five-person team now accomplishes the work once done by 30 people under the previous regional system.
The whole team creates a monthly agenda and sends a calendar to schools to let administrators know when they’ll be in the building and what they will focus on.
The group works well together, but DiTillio does note the conflicting demands on her own time.
She spends more time than she would like on compliance, she says, and consequently less on the questions of instruction that matter most to her. There have been challenges for which they have been able to bring in additional staff, such as making existing data inherited from previous systems usable.
Quail says her network came together fairly naturally with a number of school administrators who have worked together in the past.
Leading Bronx Schools
Empowerment networks were intended to replace the formerly geographically bound system of regions. The new networks can span all five boroughs. However, 26 of the 27 schools in Quail’s network this year will be in the Bronx. “We wanted to stay together,” says Quail. “I think people kind of gravitated together because we feel we work well together.”
The empowerment support team does not control funds, but provides support and coaching on a range of decisions facing school administrators.
DiTillio describes her responsibilities as partly supporting instruction but also primarily dealing with issues of compliance to ensure students get mandated services.
Quail says in the course of a normal day she can be consulted on anything from professional development to the placement of individual students.
“I may not be an expert on everything,” Quail explains, “but I need to know who to go to when I don’t know something.”
Quail sees herself as a supportive presence in the school, making connections between schools and organizations within the public school system.
In the past, she recalls, as a principal, the regional system felt like a source of more pressure. “I think it felt more judgmental,” Quail says. “I think it feels more supporting now.”
“When you’re in something you don’t always see the bigger picture,” Quail notes. Some schools call on her team less, but most often, “People will say, ‘I want feedback from you.’”
Beverly Miller, principal of PS 246, one of the schools in Quail’s network, joined the program this past year.
Teacher Mentoring Initiative
“It’s been a wonderful year with our empowerment leader and with the support of the superintendent,” Miller says, adding that all the team members have been through her school this year. Network support staff assisted with the school’s new teacher mentoring initiative.
“If I call, they’re here,” Miller says.
Jacob said he could not speak to the success of the program overall as the DOE had not completed an assessment, but the empowerment networks have undergone adaptations.
This year, Quail’s network will be part of a network cluster overseen by her fellow former District 10 principal, Jackie Young, which will coordinate its professional development efforts and presentations together.
The events the network teams hold are not mandatory, but Quail thinks they offer opportunities to meet and learn from each other that school administrators appreciate.
“What’s changing for me as a network leader is part of my focus is really on building that capacity within schools so if there is another shift, schools will have the ability to run themselves,” Quail says.
Neighborhood Notes
September 4, 2008
By None
Free GED and Business Courses
The State University of New York’s North Bronx Career Center located at 3950 Laconia Ave., at East 224th Street, is now accepting applications for the fall semester. Classes offered are GED Prep and basic to advanced MOS Certification Computer classes. Free training in Business Office Technology (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Job Readiness (Resume, Cover Letter, Interview Skills) and Pre-Certification Training in various careers (Child Care, Security, CNA and more). Students wishing to apply must meet state income and academic guidelines. This is an HRA approved program. Classes begin in September. To begin the application process or for more information, call (718) 547-1001.
Aphasia Clinic Accepting New Clients
The Lehman College Speech and Hearing Center, which provides therapy on a sliding scale payment schedule, is now accepting new clients in its recently expanded aphasia clinic. The clinic will provide individual and group therapy sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.; group therapy sessions also take place on Tuesdays from 1 to 2 p.m. Diagnostic and therapeutic sessions will be supervised by faculty members who are licensed by the NYS Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and certified by the ASHA (American Speech Language Hearing Association). For more information on enrolling in the aphasia clinic, call Wanda Adams at (718) 960-8138.
Pre-College Courses at Lehman
An open house will be held Saturday, Sept. 13, 10:30 to noon by the Office of Continuing Education of Lehman College for its fall semester pre-college (ages 4 to16) courses. The program coordinator will provide information about the courses offered which range from reading and writing to computers, art, and preparation for specialized tests (high school entrance exam, and SAT). For more information and a free catalog, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu/ce.
Free Career Information Seminars
The Office of Continuing Education of Lehman College will offer free career information seminars on Sept. 3 to10, 13 and 16. Experts will provide guidance and answer questions about careers and non-credit certificate programs. For more details or a free catalog, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu/ce.
Admissions Mid-Nighter at Monroe
Monroe College will be holding an admissions mid-nighter, which allows the opportunity for new, returning, and transfer students to register in time for the fall semester that begins Sept. 10. During this event, which starts on Sept. 4 at 9 a.m. and ends Sept. 5 at midnight, students can complete an entire admissions process and also participate in the food, fun, and entertainment offered. The admissions mid-nighter will take place in King Hall on Monroe’s Bronx campus, 2501 Jerome Ave. For more information call (800) 55-MONROE or visit www.monroecollege.edu.
Fall Sports Programs at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is beginning its fall sports programs and registration is under way. On Wednesdays, classes include a weightlifting and Healthy Youth Lose Weight Program (10- to 16-year-olds) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday activities include flag football at Oval Park (2nd to 4th graders/5th to 8th graders) followed by soccer for kindergarten to 4th grade. The program has a new Saturday basketball program beginning at 12:30 p.m. serving kindergarten to 10th grade. Returning activities include gymnastics and indoor floor hockey. Sundays include an instructional soccer program for co-ed groups from kindergarten to 7th grade. For more information or a brochure, call MMCC at (718) 882-4000 ext. 0.
Adult ESL and Computer Classes
PS 94 will offer ESL levels 1 and 2 and Computer Skills classes beginning in September through summer 2009. Both classes meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Computer classes will be taught in English and will include lessons on keyboarding, Microsoft Word and other programs. Registration is first come, first served. For more information, call Ms. Seminario, the parent coordinator, at (347) 563-4772 or (718) 405-6345.
English Classes
The New York Public Library will offer free classes in English for speakers of other languages beginning in September at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. (off Fordham Road). Registration begins Sept. 11. For more information on other locations, call the Library’s Office of Community Outreach Services at (212) 340-0918 or visit www.nypl.org/calendar.esol.html.
Housing Assistance Program
Community Board 7 and the West Bronx Housing and Neighborhood Resource Center are offering housing counseling services, every third Tuesday of the month, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., through September. For more information, call (718) 933-5650
Farmers Market
The North Central Bronx Hospital and Harvest Home Farmers Market, Inc. have opened a farmers market on the east side of the park below the Mosholu Parkway Station on the No. 4 line on Jerome Avenue. The market operates every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., through mid-November. Vendors will feature fresh produce from regional farmers, as well as baked goods and specialty items. For more information, call Mike Heller at (718) 918-3826.
Origins of ‘Bedford Park’
September 4, 2008
By None
In an otherwise informative news story about the Academy of Mount St. Ursula in your July 10-23 issue, the reporter seems a bit confused concerning the use of geographical terms in past centuries. He writes that in 1892, the Ursuline Sisters “acquired a plot of farmland in northwest Bronx County, an area now known as Bedford Park,” on which they built the Academy.
Actually, the name Bedford Park has been in continuous use since the 1870s. On the other hand, in 1892 there was no geographical area called “the Bronx” or “Bronx County”; the site of Mt St Ursula was in the City and County of New York. Between 1874 and 1898, the section of New York City lying north and east of the Harlem River was known as the “North Side” or the “Annexed District.” Before 1874, all of this area was part of Westchester County.
The concept of “the Bronx” as a geographical area was introduced in 1898, when Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island were added to New York City and the city was organized into five boroughs, not all of which were (or had previously been) separate counties. The Borough of the Bronx was presumably named after the Bronx River, although some historians may disagree about this. In any event, the Borough of the Bronx continued to be part of New York County until 1914, when it was designated Bronx County.
Roy Felshin
More Complaints About ‘Select Bus’
September 4, 2008
By None
I read your report on Select Bus Service with great distress. When I learned about this new service, on June 23rd, and when I started experiencing this “select” service (does not “select” imply a choice?), I started a petition to the MTA to reinstate the stops on Fordham/Sedgwick. This is where Fordham Hill Oval Co-op is located, and where I have an apartment. Eventually, we the residents had a meeting at which representatives from Community Board 7 and the MTA, as well as local politicians were present.
We who live there know how many people there are waiting for the Manhattan-bound bus every morning. And we know how many of us used to get off at the east-bound stop at Sedgwick when going home. Asking elderly and handicapped residents, and mothers with small children dragging those heavy backpacks, to walk down the two blocks on a potentially dangerous sidewalk to a bus stop that cannot be seen by westbound cars until they turn a corner is inconsiderate and downright unconscionable.
To require of us to walk almost three blocks east to University, and even worse coming from that corner at night, is ill advised.
I have written many letters to the MTA, in the last one suggesting a solution so that they can have their cake and eat it too: authorize east-bound drivers to let passengers off at Sedgwick when so requested. And, add a SBS stop on the west-bound side of Sedgwick. There is more than plenty of room to do so — much more, and much safer than at the new Cedar Avenue stop.
If MTA is seeing low figures in terms of ridership, no wonder: they introduced this service right after school ended, and when people started going away on vacation. How convenient for the MTA to be thus able to rebuff any numbers we would present to them. School starts in a week — will the MTA start/continue verifying their boarding passengers statistics?
We need those two stops back! And we need then before inclement weather starts.
Misha Harnick
The new Select Bus Service along Fordham Road seems to have produced lots of reaction almost from its inception at the end of June. This new “rapid” bus service on the Bx12 bus line continues to be written about. Case in point is another article which appeared in your Aug. 21-Sept. 3 issue that emphasizes residents’ anger over local service not going into Manhattan. The letter to the editor I wrote on this subject which appeared in the July 24-Aug. 20 issue was followed by another written by Joy Clark which was published in the Aug. 21-Sept. 3 issue. No doubt there are riders who may have lots to say but have not put their comments in writing.
Among other issues, I mentioned the fact that the local bus service along Fordham Road does not go into Manhattan, and that local riders would have to transfer to an express bus, then pay a second fare to board the subway in Manhattan. In part, Ms. Clark mentioned inconveniencing seniors and young children due to the elimination of a nearby bus stop [although the disabled and able-bodied can be inconvenienced as well], and of new stops on hilly streets which may make access dangerous in bad weather. She also writes that non-paying riders can board the bus through the rear door.
Passengers should know that those boarding buses without receipts are taking a chance. The new system of paying the fare before boarding the Bx12 buses leaves riders “on their honor,” but it’s inevitable that there will be those who will try to beat the system by not paying their fare. The paper receipts gotten from the machines at the express bus stops when paying are deemed to be required and must be held onto until exiting the bus in the event that an MTA employee riding on the express bus randomly selects a rider to show proof of payment. If a receipt isn’t produced, the rider is hit with a fine.
Since each express bus carries a ticket inspector, and there are many buses traveling east and west along Fordham Road daily, paying their salaries is an added expense for the MTA which may, in turn, be passed on to riders in the form of a future fare increase.
The powers that be would do well to iron out as many kinks as possible in this new “faster, more convenient” service. Meantime, the complaints keep coming….
Judy Noy
Popular Pizza Place Serves Its Last Slice
September 4, 2008
By Patrick Trotti
A pizza place that’s been a fixture on East 194th Street for almost three decades is closing on Sunday.
Silvio and Maria DiMeglio, owners of the aptly named Silvio and Maria’s Pizza, say that they would have stayed longer, but their landlord decided to sell the property to a developer.
Known for their hospitality and good food, the place has become a favorite of neighborhood residents and notable New Yorkers. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, singer Mario Vazquez and musician Judy Torres have all stopped in.
The couple has been married for 23 years and almost every customer knows them on a first-name basis.
Silvio grew up on 151st Street and Morris Avenue, and wanted to open up a pizza place in the Bronx. In 1985, he settled on the East 194th Street establishment.
“It was the only place I could afford back then and the location was ideal,” Silvio said, adding that Maria’s mother floated the couple a loan to help them get started.
His career path was clear to him at a young age.
“I’ve been making pizza since I was 14; that’s just what I do,” Silvio said.
Within a few years, after the store had established itself in the community, Silvio and Maria began catering larger events at Lehman College and Fordham University.
Nick Napolitano, a Norwood resident who became acquainted with Silvio and Maria’s when he worked at Fordham’s Community Service office, is a big fan.
“The couple is very well known in the area and very appreciated,” he said. “Their store is the best place for pizza for several blocks, probably from Webster to the Grand Concourse. We’re definitely going to miss them because the food is great, not to mention that they’re great people.”
The store’s landlord, Norman Mirsky, who also owns two other adjacent lots, recently decided to sell the property to a developer. The deal was hurried along by Mirsky and the developer, which left Silvio and Maria with a tough decision to make. “They told us that we could stay until our current lease expired in four years and then leave with no money or we could accept a buyout immediately,” Silvio said.
Faced with getting nothing for all of their hard work, the couple decided to take the buyout offer. Mirsky wouldn’t give out the name of the developer, but he did say that they’re based in Queens and they build affordable housing.
Maria and Silvio, who live in Stony Point in Rockland County, aren’t quite sure yet what the future holds.
“We’ve been so busy with the closing that we’re planning on taking some time off,” Silvio said.
They are considering opening another store in the Bronx and have spoken to Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, a local nonprofit landlord, about possibilities, but nothing is certain.
The couple has grown so close to the community that they invited several customers, including Napolitano, as well as their staff and their staffs’ families to a barbecue at their house.
Silvio looks back at his time in the Bronx fondly.
“Most of my customers are like family to me and Maria,” he said. “We’re going to miss everyone in the neighborhood.”
Ed. note: Silvio and Maria’s Pizza is located at 311 E. 194th St. between Bainbridge and Marion avenues. The restaurant’s last day is on Sept. 7.
Public and Community Meetings
September 4, 2008
By Alex Kratz
• Community Board 7 will have its general board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. The location is to be determined. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
• The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will meet on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. The location is to be determined. For more information, call (718) 231-8470.
• The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the precinct, 3016 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
• The Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition will hold its monthly meeting Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at St. James Church, 2500 Jerome Ave. For more information, call Erik at (718) 584-0515 ext. 414
Gonzalez Trial Still Set for Oct. 6
September 4, 2008
By Jordan Moss
State Senator Efrain Gonzalez’s bid to have his indictment dismissed has been denied by U.S. District Court Judge William H. Pauley III. Gonzalez’s co-defendant, Neil Berger, also failed in his effort to have his trial separated from that of Gonzalez and two other co-defendants, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. The trial will proceed as scheduled on Oct. 6. Gonzalez is charged with using $420,000 in government funds for his own personal expenses and the other co-defendants are charged with helping him. Gonzalez’s lawyers unsuccessfully argued that the feds didn’t have jurisdiction over the matter.
Civil Court Race Brings Out Pols
September 4, 2008
By Patrick Trotti
As we reported in our last issue, a race for the Civil Court is doubling as a proxy between two factions of the Bronx Democratic Party. The faction of six Assembly members and three senators who are challenging the leadership of Party Chair Jose Rivera took the unusual step of holding a rally for their candidate Elizabeth Taylor on the steps of Borough Hall on Aug. 22. Those present were Assembly Members Aurelia Greene, Michael Benjamin, Michael Benedetto, Ruben Diaz Jr., Jeffrey Dinowitz and Carl Heastie as well as Senators Rev. Ruben Diaz, Eric Schneiderman and Ruth H. Thompson.
The level of political interest is unusual for this low profile position.
While Taylor is feeling the love from her political backers (which Diaz, Jr. referred to as the “Rainbow Coalition”), Bronx Civil Court candidate Maria Matos hasn’t received the same sort of support from party leaders. The Norwood News couldn’t get Rivera or anyone at the Bronx Democratic Party headquarters to speak on her behalf despite several attempts.
Seeking comment from those on Rivera’s side, we reached Assemblyman Peter Rivera (no relation) who also supports Matos, by phone. In an interview, he said he’s backing her because she was the only candidate that he’s met with personally.
And he acknowledged that there was a split in the party.
“It depends on who you ask, but there have been multiple issues that went unaddressed that have culminated to the point we’re at now,” Rivera said. “Some of the issues are about disagreements over how the water filtration system was handled as well as certain promises that were made regarding appointing judges to the bench that went unfulfilled.”
A Civil Court judge serves a term of 10 years. The Court has jurisdiction over civil cases that involve amounts of up to $25,000 as well as any other civil matter referred by the state Supreme Court.
Candidates Make Case for Senate
September 4, 2008
By Graham Kates
The race for the 33rd District State Senate seat has had its fair share of twists and turns, but perhaps the most surprising thing is how each candidate for the position explains why he is right for the job. The incumbent, Senator Efrain Gonzalez Jr., who has represented the 33rd since 1989, speaks of what he believes he can do for the community, while the challenger, Pedro Espada, talks about what he has done.
In an election that has been defined by negative press for both candidates (Gonzalez is awaiting trial on fraud charges and Espada has faced accusations that his actual city of residence is Mamaroneck), Espada argues that his past accomplishments as a state senator and city councilman warrant a nomination from Democratic voters in the 33rd District. However, Gonzalez says his “constituents know what [he has] done for them,” so he prefers to focus on what he wants to get done.
Espada says he keeps the legislation he was most proud of on his wall, including a 2002 amendment to the state education law ensuring children of immigrants are not charged out-of-state tuition by state and city universities.
He is also proud of a losing vote which he cast while in the City Council in 2003. Espada says that he and “Oliver Koppell were the only two (Council members) who had the courage to vote against the Croton Filtration Plant” resolution. At the time, Espada says he and Koppell wanted assurances that the plant would be built and staffed by residents of the Bronx. “We’ve been vindicated,” says Espada, “(the Bronx) didn’t get those jobs.”
While a shower of recent mailings from the New York State Democratic Committee have sought to paint Espada as a Republican operative (during his final years in the Senate he caucused with Republicans), he says such attacks are without merit. Espada says the party’s powerful are afraid of the shakeup he would represent. “I’m in lockstep with [Democratic Presidential nominee Barack] Obama, in terms of the need to change,” Espada says.
Gonzalez says that the diversity of the 33rd District “means that you have to bring everyone together.”
He added: “I’m accessible and all of my constituents have direct access to me.” In his next term, Gonzalez says he “wants to open youth centers to get kids career orientated,” and eventually “wants to see every Bronx resident have access to quality health care.”
Gonzalez is also keen on pointing out the advantages that his seniority in the state Senate will provide the district if the Democratic Party becomes the majority. “I have personal relationships with the other senators,” Gonzalez says. “I can get things done.”
Dispatches From Denver
September 4, 2008
By James Fergusson
Last week, myself and nine other reporters from various ethnic and community newspapers in New York, flew out to Denver to cover the Democratic National Convention.
I stayed in a house on the outskirts of Denver, and travelled into the city center every morning, to take in the sights and sounds. In the evenings I blogged about my experiences on the West Bronx Blog, at www.westbronxnews.blogspot.com.
Never having been to a convention before, I was taken aback by the sheer size, scope, and energy of the event. Beyond the well publicized speeches — each one carefully designed to build unequivocal support for nominee Barack Obama — there were hundreds of panel discussions, lunches, parties, and protests. Last Friday, I followed a pro-immigration rally which called for an end to the deportation of illegal immigrants. Other demonstrations criticized the Iraq War; still others demanded that abortion be outlawed, and taxes be cut. The world’s media watching, everyone — regardless of political affiliation — wanted to be heard.
With so much going on, it was sometimes hard to know where to begin – like covering the Olympics, I imagine. In the end I spent much of the time stalking our Bronx elected officials. Many were delegates, meaning they got to cast a vote for either Obama or Hillary Clinton. Mainly, I wanted to see if there was any truth to the rumors that some New York delegates — those close to Clinton — were reluctant to throw their weight behind Obama, and whether this in turn was creating tension in the party.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, for one, stuck with Clinton until the very end. But he didn’t see his decision as a threat to party unity, or as an embarrassment to Obama. “I was elected by the voters to vote for Hillary so that’s what I’m going to do, no regrets,” Dinowitz told me as he waited to vote. “I’m voting for Hillary, but I will support Obama.”
Later that day, I tracked down Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, a staunch Obama fan. Benjamin, not surprisingly, had a different read on the situation. “There are those like myself who believe we should support unanimously for Obama,” he said. “I think people [Clinton delegates] are making a point. I don’t know if I’d call it stubbornness, but I think they want to make a point and support her and make sure it’s reported in history that she acquired delegates and came close to getting the nomination. She conceded, she’s supporting Barack Obama. What’s the point in having your home delegation pass votes for you that really don’t help you?”
Benjamin estimated that nearly half of the 281 delegates voted for Clinton. In the end, however, these numbers were never made public because Clinton put a halt to the roll call vote, thus confirming Obama as the nominee. But if Benjamin is correct, it hints at the real sadness and disappointment felt in much of the New York camp that their beloved senator came up short.
In the end, I never did get to see Obama give his nomination speech, as we had to catch our flight back home. All the same, it was fun to be part of a momentous few days. A big thank you to the New York Community Media Alliance for putting the trip together — and in the process giving small newspapers like the Norwood News a chance to cover such a historical event.
Ed. note: In addition to James Fergusson’s coverage of the convention on the West Bronx Blog, you can find the coverage of other New York City journalists, most from the ethnic media, at www.feetin2worlds.wordpress.com.
DEP Drops Blasting Plan But Still Due in Court
September 4, 2008
By Jordan Moss
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has decided not to blast at the Jerome Park Reservoir, but they were still due in court on Wednesday along with community organizations that brought a lawsuit to fight the plan.
“The impacts of hoe-ramming or blasting at the two small shafts at Jerome Park Reservoir would be equal to or below the thresholds disclosed in the 2004 FSEIS [final supplemental environmental impact statement] conducted for the project,” the DEP said in a statement. “In order to avoid substantial fines and to ensure this critical project is not stalled by ongoing litigation, the agency has decided that the rock excavation necessary will be performed with hoe-rams.”
Local activist Karen Argenti responded that the FSEIS doesn’t allow for hoe-ramming either.
“The final SEIS in 2004 said very clearly that there would be no surface drilling or blasting at the reservoir,” she said on Tuesday. “Hoe-ramming was never mentioned. It is surface drilling and it will be discussed in court tomorrow. “
Argenti added that she believes the noise level on hoe ramming is similar to that of blasting.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilman Oliver Koppell and the Bronx Council on Environmental Quality brought suit against the DEP, which was planning to blast near Goulden Avenue in order to build a connector shaft at the reservoir, which will re-direct water to the filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park.
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