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Yanks in Training

By None

The Fordham Bedford little league season, featuring these excited young Yankees, started last Saturday morning with a parade down to the ball fields on Jerome Avenue near Walton High School.

Meanwhile, the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Little League can’t get its kids on fields at Harris Park and Indian Field. MMCC Director Don Bluestone says they’ve been forced to cancel half their games because of “deplorable” field conditions. Bluestone blames the Parks Department. Parks blames the rain.
 

City-Backed VC Park Group Undermines ‘Friends’

By None

By Karen Argenti

 

The city’s Parks Department announced last week that it was setting up a Central Park-like Conservancy in Van Cortlandt Park.

This is a bad idea.

Up until now, the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park have acted as independent caretakers of the park responding to community concerns, helping to organize upkeep, maintaining trails, advocating for park interests, fundraising, providing important programming and maintaining ongoing communication with the Parks Department.

So why does the city feel the need to add on a Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, right in the middle of the biggest economic downturn in a generation? One possible explanation is vengeance.

Mayor Bloomberg is mad at the Friends because they decided to oppose the siting of the Croton water filtration plant at Mosholu Golf Course. Unlike the mayor, they believe that the land use review process should be adhered to, that parks are not for sale, and that if land at Van Cortlandt Park can be alienated then it can happen elsewhere. 

The Friends were right! Within six months of City Council approval to take Van Cortlandt Park, they went after Macombs Dam Park to build the new Yankee Stadium. The last borough president, Adolfo Carrion, did not re-appoint community board members who voted against the project. He was punishing them for standing up for their community.

The Friends have already been punished. Soon after the filtration siting debacle, the Parks Department threw them out of their office space in the Golf House. The agency’s explanation that they needed to make way for renovations was clearly a lie because that area has been used for storage space for the past two years.   

We need the Friends, not a city-established conservancy. Recently, the Parks Department closed Shandler Recreation Area and Harris Park at the same time they removed Macombs Dam Park from use, putting a strain on Little Leagues and school teams. They flooded Sachkerah Woods and Classic Playground with incompetent contractors, which have resulted in the closing of facilities at the height of the season.

A public-private conservancy deciding to raise funds for city-owned projects at closed-door meetings ignores the principles of democracy and the transparency we voted to restore in last November’s election.  The Friends, precisely because of their independence, would be much more likely to advocate for the needs of the public in these cases than a rubber-stamp conservancy appointed and controlled by the city. 

At a time when funding for nonprofits is drying up, the city should support existing advocates, not establish more of them to compete for scarce resources. This proposal is a slap in the face to the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park board, its members, supporters and volunteers, and anyone in the public who uses Van Cortlandt Park.

Karen Argenti is a community and environmental activist and a former chair of Community Board 7. She has no affiliation with the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, but an admirer of their work and accomplishments.

 

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage
 

• ¡Viva La Raza!, a free Latino hip-hop showcase, will take place at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse (at 165th Street) in the North Building on the 2nd floor, May 1 from 6 to 10 p.m. This program is part of free first Fridays at the museum. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 ext. 120 or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

 

• The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents Ain’t Misbehavin, musical production featuring American Idol stars Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis, May 16 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $20 to $45), in the Concert Hall at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. For more information, call (718) 960-8833.

• The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance, located at 841 Barretto St., presents their Boogie Down Dance Series 2009, May 9 through June 3. This program celebrates the growth of professional dance in the Bronx. Concert tickets cost $15 to $20 with discounts available for Bronx Cultural Card holders. Two dance groups will perform on May 9 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $20). For more information or tickets, call (718) 842-5223.

• The Bronx Library Center, located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, hosts Latin Jazz, concert by Edy Martinez Sextet, May 2 at 2:30 p.m.; and Gospel sung by entertainer Steve Charles, May 9 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

• The Bronx Opera House presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute, May 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. For more information and tickets, call (718) 960-8833.

• Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana featuring tablao performances, will be held on May 9 at 8 p.m. at the Pregones Theatre, 575 Walton Ave. (tickets are $12). For more information and tickets, call (800) 838-3006.

• The Riverdale Choral Society presents Music of Spain and the Americas concert at Christ Church, located at West 252nd Street and Henry Hudson Parkway East, May 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15; $13 with Bronx Cultural Card. For more information, call (718) 543-2219.

• The Metropolitan Opera presents Rossini’s La Cenerentola, May 9 at 12:30 p.m., free, in Lehman College’s Studio Theatre located in the Speech and Theatre Building. For more information or tickets, call (718) 960-8025.

• The House That Ruthie Built, a Bronx baseball fairy tale about a girl who has always dreamed of becoming a Yankee, presented by the Bronx Arts Ensemble and performed by the Children’s Theatre Company from Lehman College, will take place May 10 at 1 and 3 p.m. at the New York Botanical Garden. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

 

• The Wave Hill House, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, presents Concert-New Perspectives: The Violin Parker String Quartet featuring classical music. Tickets are $15/members; $24/non members; $21/students and seniors 65 and over. Prices include admission to the grounds. Advance purchase is recommended. For more information or tickets, call (718) 549-3200 ext. 385 or visit www.wavehill.org.

Events

• Lehman College Professor William M. Hoffman will guest at the taping of his Conversations series to discuss his latest play, “Cornbury: The Queen’s Governor,” May 4 at 2 p.m. in room C-14 of Carman Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Lord Cornbury is Edward Hyde, the third Earl of Clarendon and cousin to Queen Anne of England. He was the colonial governor of what is now New York and New Jersey in the early 1700s and was reportedly a cross-dresser. For more information, call (718) 960-2558.

 

• Wave Hill offers two family art projects: Build a Neighborhood, to construct a model of your neighborhood using cardboard, colored tape, wood, and recycled and natural materials, May 2 and 3; and Blossoming Branches for Mom, to fashion jewelry and gifts using wire, beads, pipe cleaners and silk flowers, May 9. Mothers can be feted on May 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a special brunch in the Mark Twain Room of Wave Hill House (call ext. 395 by May 8 at 4 p.m. to reserve; $25 per person, not including grounds admission), as well as participate in a family art project. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

• So Much Spring, a variety of attractions and activities, including workshops, demonstrations and programs for the entire family, will take place at the New York Botanical Garden from April through June. Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale, featuring tours and lectures daily, will be held May 1 to 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Conservatory Tent, with a benefit preview party and collectors’ plant sale on April 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. Call for schedule (718) 817-8700.

 

• The Bronx Culture Trolley, a replica of a 20th-century trolley, transports visitors on the first Wednesday of every month (except January and September), to Bronx hot spots, ending at Sweetwaters Bar & Grill with jazz, and food and drink. A reception is held at the Hostos Art Gallery, 450 Grand Concourse (at 149th St.) at 5 p.m., followed by three trolley departures at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. New attractions are added monthly. Trolley ride is free. Riders can get on and off at any scheduled stop and spend as much time as they wish at any or all of the featured venues. Venues and activities vary each month. The next trip is on May 6. For more information or to confirm, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or log on to www.bronxarts.org.

 

• The Bronx Council on the Arts holds their 3rd annual Mott Haven Open Artist Studio Tour on May 2 from noon to 6 p.m. Visit Bronx artists’ private studios and BCA artists in residence on the Bronx Culture Trolley Saturdays. All events and rides are free and open to the public. Meet at noon at the Hostos Longwood Art Gallery, 450 Grand Concourse (149th Street). The 5 p.m. trolley run will collect artists and visitors and return them to the art gallery for a celebratory reception from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 401-7866 or (718) 931-9500.

Exhibits

• En Foco and Pregones Theatre present Mi Sangre, a free photo exhibition held at the theatre, located at 571-575 Walton Ave. (between 149th and 150th streets), through May 9, by Mexican-American photographer, Rojelio Reyes Rodriquez, currently living and working in New York City. For more information, visit www.pregones.org.

 

• The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, presents a three-part exhibition series commemorating the Grand Concourse’s centennial, starting with The Grand Concourse at 100, through July 20. Originally called the Grand Boulevard, the Grand Concourse celebrates its 100th year in 2009. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

• The Bronx Council on the Arts presents two exhibitions at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos, 450 Grand Concourse (149th Street), including Dream Sequence, free, through May 9, which explores a number of themes using drawings, paintings, photography, sculpture, and video. An artists talk will take place on May 9 at 2 p.m. at the show’s closing. Trolley and closing receptions will be held May 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. Also at the Gallery is Outsiders: Contemporary Works of Immigrant Artisans, an exhibition featuring work of local artists, through May 7. Closing reception is May 6. Gallery hours are Mondays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To confirm dates, and for more information, call (718) 931-9500 or (718) 518-6728.

 

• Several exhibits on display at the New York Botanical Garden include Georg Ehret: the Greatest Botanical Artist of the 1700s, appearing in the LoFaro Gallery of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, featuring prints and drawings, through July 19; Auricular Theatre displaying rare primroses in the Luce Herb Garden through May 10; and The Glory of Dutch Bulbs: A Legacy of 400 Years can be viewed May 1 through June 7. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

 

• The Young and the Restless, an exhibition of six emerging artists based in New York, featuring painting, sculpture, and photography, will be held at the Gordon Parks Gallery, 332 E. 149th St., through May 3. For more information, call (718) 665-1310 or (914) 654-5427.

Learning
 
The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

• For children and preschoolers, there is Preschool Romp, April 30, May 7 and 14 at 11 a.m.; and Family Time, May 9 at 11 a.m.
• Also, for school-aged children, there is Chinese Ribbon Dance Workshop, May 3 at 2 p.m.; Mexican Legends and Songs, May 10 at 2 p.m.; and Arts & Crafts, May 14 at 4 p.m.
• For adults and young adults, there is Job/Career Expo, May 1 at 10 a.m.; and MoMA presents Around the World in 20 Artworks, May 11 at 6 p.m.
• For adults, there is How to Buy a Computer, May 6 at 6 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, located at 285 E. 205th St., presents Toddler Story Time, May 7 at 10:30 a.m.; African Folktales, May 12 at 4 p.m.; and Preschool Story Time, May 14 at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents programs for all ages. For children, there is Arts and Crafts, May 8 at 3:30 p.m.; and Toddler Story Time, May 8 at 10:30 a.m.; and for young adults, there is Glass Mosaics, crafts with Liana Acevedo, April 30 at 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL OUR MOM READERS!

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by May 4 for the next publication date of May 14.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Celebrating Parents Event
MS 80 and Community Board 7 are sponsoring a “Celebrating Parents Recognition Month” on Saturday, May 2. The rain date will be Saturday, May 16. This is to honor strong parent involvement in schools. It will take place from10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Indian Park in Van Cortlandt Park. There will be fun, food, games and raffles. For more information, call Ms. Alejandro at (718) 405-6300 ext. 1131. 

Fitness, Fun at Oval
On Saturday, May 2, the Williamsbridge Oval will host the Family Physical Fitness and Sports Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be games, music and refreshments. Entrances are at Reservoir Oval East and Bainbridge Avenue, and also Van Cortlandt Avenue East and 208th Street. For more information, call Tina Inman (718) 430-1847 or Thelma Mayo (718) 430-1824.

Plants for Mother’s Day
The Bainbridge Avenue Garden, on Bainbridge Avenue, between Bedford Park Boulevard and 201st Street, is having a Mother’s Day Plant Sale on May 2, 3, 9 and 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free Bags for Fordham Shoppers
The Fordham Road Business Improvement District is offering free tote bags, while supplies last, to anyone who makes a purchase of $20 or more through the end of May. Proof of purchase is required. Shoppers should contact the BID office, 2488 Grand Concourse, Room 411, at (718) 562-2104.

Free Job Search Expo
Learn resume writing and interview tips at a free job search expo at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd., on Friday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Job seekers will be able to meet with recruiters from the NYC Department of Corrections, the Census Bureau, Police Cadet Corps, Workforce1 Career Center, South Bronx Career Corps, and other companies. To register, call (718) 579-4257.

Bronx Youth Health Forum
The Community Advisory Board of Montefiore Medical Center is holding its yearly forum on Thursday, May 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. The topic this year is “Bronx Youth Health Forum: Recreation—Jobs—Health Information.” The symposium is open to the public and will be held in the Cherkasky Auditorium, located at MMC’s Gun Hill Road entrance at Rochambeau Avenue. Light refreshments will be available.

It’s My Parks Day!
Help take care of your park by volunteering on Saturday, May 16, It’s My Park Day! Meet outside of Williamsbridge Oval Park Rec Center, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you have any questions, call Jenn Beaugrand (718) 324-4461 or Tina Inman (646) 258-1716.

Readers Theatre in Norwood
If you love to read aloud, or are verbally expressive, the Readers Theatre in Norwood is available. There is no experience required, and all are welcome, ages 18 to 108. Participants must be able to read English proficiently, and all accents are welcome. The first meeting will be on May 7 at 7 p.m. at the American Diner, 291 E. 204th St. For more information, call Nara at (917) 692-9340 or email narani_o@yahoo.com.

March for Babies
The March of Dimes will hold its first-ever March for Babies in the Bronx. With the main sponsor being Montefiore Medical Center, the Bronx will join the other boroughs in the fund-raising event, which will support research advocacy, community programs and education. The event will take place on Sunday, May 3 at Orchard Beach-Stage Pavilion. Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and the walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. To register, or for more information, visit www.marchforbabies.org/ny.

‘Run and Walk for Cancer’
Bronx Community College will hold its 31st Annual Hall of Fame 10K/5K Run and 2-Mile Fitness Walk, on Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m. The races will begin and end at the college. Runners from ages 7 to 80 can participate. Check-in will be at BCC, 2155 University Ave. (at West 181st Street), from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Races start at 10 a.m. Free parking and baggage check-in is available. Proceeds from the event will benefit the American Cancer Society and BCC’s Steuerman Scholarship Fund. The entry fee is $15. Day-of-race entry fee is $20. All races are followed by a barbecue, raffle, and awards ceremony for race winners. For more information, call (718) 289-5989/5145 or visit www.bcc.cuny.edu/10krace.
 
Summer Youth Employment
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is offering a Summer Youth Employment Program. Pick up applications at the center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. You can also apply online at www.application.NYCSYEP.com. Be sure to pick “MMCC” as your Project Sponsor. For more information, call (718) 882-4000.

52nd Precinct Council Fund-raiser: Trip to A.C.
The 52nd Precinct Council is sponsoring a bus trip to the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City on May 30. The cost is $35 per person, and the casino will give each person $18 back in chips. Participants will meet in front of the 52nd Precinct, located at 3014 Webster Ave., at 8 a.m. and return in the evening. Refreshments and games will be on the bus. If interested, contact Steven Bussell at (718) 364-0462, or call the precinct’s Community Affairs at (718) 220-5824 and leave a message.

Aid for Veterans and Their Families [corrected from previous issue]
The Warriors Family Assistance Program, launched by the American Legion Auxiliary, comes to the direct aid of veterans and their families in New York State. Veterans and their families can apply for up to $1,500 in aid in maintenance grants, medical grants and employment opportunities. Any veteran who has served honorably within the last four years, or is currently serving in one of the Armed Forces, and is a NYS resident, is eligible to apply. All grants are non-repayable. For an application or more information, call (800) 421-6348.

City Parks Foundation Helping Bronx Seniors
The City Parks Foundation is welcoming all New York City seniors, ages 60 and over, to sign up for the Spring 2009 program of “CityParks Seniors Fitness.” This free program offers tennis lessons, yoga instructions, and fitness walking in nine parks across the city. In the Bronx, it is being offered at Pelham Bay and Van Cortlandt parks. All equipment and instructions will be provided free of charge. The program starts May 4 and will run through June 26.  For more information, call (718) 760-6999 or visit www.cityparksfoundation.org.

Lehman College Summer Program
Lehman College, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., will hold an open house for its More Than a Camp Program on Saturdays, May 9 and 30 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Carman Hall room 129. The program offers academic, creative arts, and physical fitness classes for children aged 4 to 15. For more information, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu/ce.

Teen Trailways Day Camp
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is now accepting registration for its Teen Trailways Day Camp. The camp takes participating teens on exciting day trips to places such as sporting events, Broadway shows, and comedy clubs. The teens also go on three-day away trips to various places. For more information, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0, or visit online at www.mmcc.org.

JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center
JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center, 3880 Sedgwick Ave., is offering the following classes, trips, and cultural events: For more information, call (718) 549-4700.

- Fitness exercises will be on May 4, 11, and 18 at 10:30 a.m.; Movement on May 5 and 19 at 10 a.m.; Gentle Yoga on May 7, 14, and 21 at 10 a.m.; and Tone and Stretch on May 1, 8 and 15 at 10 a.m.

-Tai Chi will be on Thursdays, May 14 and 28 at 4:30 p.m., followed by a light supper at 5:30 p.m.
 
-There will be a Mother’s Day lunch at noon on Friday, May 8, followed by entertainment by Igor Sherbakov.

-The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale Community Choir will present a program of Hebrew and Yiddish music on Sunday, May 17 from 1 to 2 p.m., preceded by lunch at noon. Suggested contribution is $3.
 
-Janet Weinstein, of Light House International, will present a talk on Friday, May 22 at 1 p.m. on vision health and the wide varieties of services available.

-Trips are planned to South Street Seaport on May 14, and the Bronx Museum on May 29. Call to register in advance.

MMC’s Annual PRIDE Health Fair
Montefiore Medical Center’s AIDS Center, with The Bronx HIV CARE Network, are holding their 7th Annual PRIDE Health Fair on Saturday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, to promote Health Awareness in our communities. It will take place on Gun Hill Road, between Bainbridge and DeKalb avenues. There will be educational materials on HIV available, as well as free HIV testing/counseling and musical performances. For more information, call Shari German at (718) 231-3296 ext. 21.

Shoelace Park Master Plan
Help shape the future of Shoelace Park and Fort Knox, parklands along the Bronx River between Gun Hill Road and 233rd Street. There will be a community design workshop on Tuesday, June 9. For more information, call (718) 430-4665 or visit bronxriver.org.

Mt. St. Ursula Speech Center Summer Registration
The Mount Saint Ursula Speech Center is now accepting applications for its summer program. Children, from the ages of 2 to 16, in need of speech, language and literacy services may be eligible. The five-week program will run five days a week from June 26 to July 31. They accept Medicaid, and some insurance. There is also a sliding scale for private pay clients. For more information, call (718) 584-7679.

Introduction to E-Mail
The Mosholu Library, located at 285 E. 205th St., will hold a session to help create a free e-mail account, and teach how to send and receive e-mail on Wednesday, May 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

Free Prescription $aver Card
The NY State Health Department is accepting applications for the free New York Prescription $aver Card. The program offers discounts on thousands of prescription medications. It will serve low-income New Yorkers who are disabled or between the ages of 50 and 64. To be eligible, income for single individuals must be $35,000 or less, and $50,000 or less for married individuals. Medicaid and EPIC recipients are not eligible for the Prescription $aver Card. To learn more or apply, visit www.nyprescriptionsaver.fhsc.com or call (800) 788-6917. (TTY users should call (800) 290-9138.) Applications are also available at pharmacies.

Summer and School Programs
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., is now accepting registration for its pre-school summer camps and child care programs. There is also registration for Universal Pre-Kindergarten and Day Care for 2, 3 and 4 year olds. The Rochambeau Early Childhood Center is also accepting registration for these programs.  For more information, call (718) 654-0563 and ask to speak with Patty.

School Salon Reopens
The School of Professional Beauty Care at Grace Dodge Career and Technical High School, 2474 Crotona Ave., has reopened The New Image Salon to the public. It’s open every Thursday afternoon from 2:45 to 5:30 p.m., offering a wide variety of salon services at reasonable prices. Prices range from $5 to $25. Graduating seniors in the school’s cosmetology program staff the salon, with a licensed cosmetologist on duty. For more information, call (718) 584-2700 ext. 5084.

Foster Care Network
The Foster Care Network is reaching out to potential foster parents in the Bronx. Hundreds of foster children in the area need loving and caring families to make a difference in their lives. Foster parents receive tax-free financial assistance for the expenses of each child, free training, and Foster Parent certification. For more information, call (800) 454-3727 or visit www.fostercarenetwork.org.

Job Training for Women
Grace Institute, 1233 Second Ave., has started a new season of Open Houses for their day and evening program, which begins this September. The open house will be on May 13 at noon and 4 p.m. The evening program is exclusively for women who are already working, but need to upgrade their office and computer skills. For more information, visit www.graceinstitute.org or call (212) 832-7605.

English, Citizenship and Computer Classes
-MS 80 at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy N., is offering English as a Second Language (ESL) and General Equivalency Diploma (GED) classes. For those interested, or if you have any questions, call Mrs. Alejandro at (718) 405-6300 ext. 1131.

-Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., is offering free English as a Second Language (ESL) and Citizenship Classes.  Ongoing classes run through June 30. For more information, call (718) 882-4000.

-Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, 3101 Kingsbridge Terrace, is enrolling students for free English as a Second Language (ESL) and Citizenship classes. Ongoing classes run through June 30. For more information, call Aisha Abdul-Wahhab, program director, at (718) 884-0700 ext. 191 or 132.

-PS 94 at 3530 Kings College Pl,. offers ESL levels 1 and 2 and Computer Skills classes 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.

-St. James Recreation Center at 2530 Jerome Ave. offers free classes in Microsoft Office, Resume/Cover Letter Writing, Computer Basics, and much more. For more information, call Justin Young at (718) 367-3659.

-Fordham University, 557 E. Fordham Rd., is currently holding free computer and English Language classes for parents, Mondays through Thursdays and on Saturdays. Classes can either stand alone or as an 8- to 12-week series. For more information or to register, call (718) 817-3503.

Senior Employment
The American Association of Retired Person (AARP) and the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) are assisting low-income Bronx residents, 55 and older, to receive employment through their outreach, training, and internship programs. For more information, call AARP located at 384 E. 149th St., Ste. 608 at (718) 585-2500.

Free Breathing Workshops at Montefiore
The Care Management Company of Montefiore Medical Center is sponsoring free breathing workshops at Montefiore Medical Group East at 2300 Westchester Ave. on May 7, from 3 to 4 p.m., and on June 4, from 10 to 11 a.m. Workshops will also take place at Montefiore Medical Group Grand Concourse, 2532 Grand Concourse, on May 12, from 3 to 4 p.m., and on June 16, from 10 to 11 a.m. To register call (800) 636-6683.

Help Transform Bronx Parks
The Bronx River Alliance and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation are holding public workshops to develop a master plan for Shoelace Park and Fort Knox, which stretches from Magenta Street to 233rd Street along the Bronx River. Workshops will take place on June 9 at Community Board 12, 4101 White Plains Road, near 229th Street, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, call (718) 430-4635.

Local Craft Club Needs Location
Little Debbie’s Craft Club is looking for a free space to host its knitting club. The group is looking for a space near the Fordham and Jerome area to meet twice a month. Please contact Debbie at (646) 670-9518.

Couples Needed for Research Study
Doctors at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center are looking for healthy couples between the ages of 22 and 50, and in a monogamous relationship for at least six months, to participate in a research study. The study will test a vaginal gel and the couple will be screened for sexually transmitted infections. Females will have a gynecologic exam and vaginal fluid collected and males will have a genital exam. Female volunteers will have four visits and be reimbursed $60 per visit, and males volunteers will have three visits and will be reimbursed $40 per visit.  Females must be using hormonal contraception. All visits will take place at the Albert Einstein General Clinical Research Center. For more information, call Julie at (718) 430-3253 or email microbicide@aecom.yu.edu.

Financial Literacy Classes
Credit Inc. and the Financial Empowerment Center are teaming up to provide Bronx residents with four free sessions on financial literacy. These classes will help teach residents how to empower themselves with key financial skills to manage money wisely and gain financial independence. Classes will be held on May 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. To register, call Miriam Johnson at (718) 732-7540 or Rebecca Stich at (347) 329-3929. Seating is limited.

Free Medicine Programs for Cancer Patients
The Complimentary Medicine Program at 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 to see if yoga can help patients with breast, lung, and colorectal cancer. A certified yoga instructor teaches classes in both English and Spanish. The Mind-Body Cancer Program includes 8 weeks of Mind-Body groups (The Stress Management Education Group and the Spiritual Support Group) for patients with most types of cancer. Some restrictions apply to these groups, which have been specifically designed by a psychologist and an oncologist. For more information and to find out eligibility, call (718) 430-2380.

MS 80 Needs Love
MS 80 is asking parents and community members to show some love and volunteer for just an hour each week. The school needs mentors, math and reading tutors, part-time coaches and volunteers to help with cafeteria duty. For more information, call Ms. Alejandro (718) 405-6300 ext. 111.

Free Kids’ Summer Vacations
The Fresh Air Fund is currently registering boys and girls, ages six through 12, for free summer vacations in the homes of volunteer host families throughout the northeast or at one of five Fresh Air Fund summer camps in upstate New York. To find out how to register, call (800) 367-0003 or go to www.freshair.org.

MMCC Grade School & Teen Programs at Tracey Towers
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is accepting registration for their free after school program at Tracey Towers, 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy. The program meets Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and is open to children in the third through sixth grades. From 6:30 to 9 p.m., the free Teen Center is open for youth ages 12 to 18. Programs include homework help, computers, arts and crafts, sports, acting, and quiet games. To register, stop by the Youth Community Room on the second floor of Tracey Towers and speak to Antoine Fields, or call him at (917) 482-5039.

Self Defense Classes
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center still has space in its boxing, karate, and self-defense classes for children, teens, and adults. To register or find out class times, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0, or stop by the center at 3450 DeKalb Ave.

Free Meditation for Breast Cancer Survivors
The Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center is offering a free 20-week course on meditation and stress management for breast cancer survivors. The course is part of a research study. To register or learn more, call Kimala Harris at (718) 430-2380 or e-mail kah2019@med.cornell.edu.

Place for Teens With Issues
The Power Project is a free program for teens ages 12 to 18 who are dealing with substance abuse and other problems. Located at 3464 Webster Ave., Power Project provides case management, individual and group counseling, trips, and is just a place to get away from it all. For more information, call (718) 515-7971.

Wii Games for Adults and Seniors
On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m., adults and seniors can enjoy free Wii video games at the Mosholu Library, 285 E. 205th St. To sign up, go to the Adult Information Desk. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

Free Parking Calendars
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is offering free New York City Parking Calendars to community residents. To receive one, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to his office at 3107 Kingsbridge Ave., Bronx, NY 10463, or stop by the office in person.

Free Career Workshops
The State University of New York, located at 3950 Laconia Ave., is offering free career workshops, including job readiness training, resume and cover letter preparation, help with job searches and computer skills, job placement assistance, an Office Skills Certificate Program, college prep and more. For more information, call (718) 547-1001 or visit www.NBX.SUNYEOC.org.

After School Care
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., provides after school care for children in elementary school. Children are transported from their schools in Norwood, Bedford Park, Williamsbridge and Van Cortlandt Village. The center provides a snack, help with homework, and an array of activities to keep children busy. Financial aid is available. For more information, call Ruth Moore, program registrar, at (718) 882-4000.
      
Schizophrenia Study Seeks Participants
A research study seeking new treatments for schizophrenia is looking for patients in the Bronx. Candidates must be 18 to 65 years old, diagnosed with schizophrenia at or before age 35 and currently on certain medications for schizophrenia. Patients can enroll through the first half of 2009. For more information, call (888) 988-6736 or go to www.cognitivestudy.com.

Job Opportunities
On Dec. 1, Mayor Bloomberg announced the expansion of free job placement services through New York City’s Workforce1 Career Centers. The centers provide personalized career counseling, interview training, resume/cover letter assistance, workshops and ESL classes. For more information, call the Bronx Workforce1 Center, 358 E. 149th St., (718) 960-7099.

Quality of Life Screening
The Psychosocial Oncology Program of the Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center is conducting a survey study in order to learn about the physical and emotional stresses faced by cancer survivors. Participants will have to fill out questionnaires and have the opportunity to participate in free/low-cost programs and support services within the program. For more information, call (718) 430-2380.

Breast Oncology Program
The Breast Oncology Living Daily Program also known as BOLD living offers a variety of free educational, support, and mind-body workshops. They are designed to empower and nurture breast cancer patients, survivors, and loved ones, but are open to all. For more information or to register, call (718) 430-3613 or email outreach@aecom.yu.edu.

Alzheimer’s Support Group
The Alzheimer’s Association’s New York City chapter provides a support group in Norwood for Spanish and English speaking caregivers who have relatives with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia. The support group meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 5 to 6:15 p.m. For the location or more information, call Mark Goodwin at (718) 920-7377.

Free Respite Program
Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (KHCC) is offering free after-school services to families with mentally retarded or developmentally disabled children ages 5 to 21 from 3 to 6 p.m. KHCC is also offering a Saturday Respite Program for ages 15 to 25, and on Sundays another Respite Program is provided for ages 18 to 65. Weekend Respite Program hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are held at the KHCC, 3101 Kingsbridge Terrace (near Sedgwick Avenue) at West 230th Street. To register or for more information, call Hanna Gabris at (718) 884-0700 ext. 202.

Speech Program at Ursula 
The Mt. St. Ursula Speech Center, 2885 Marion Ave., is now accepting applications for its fall program. The center has openings for children ages 2 to 5 who are in need of speech and language services. Medicaid and other insurances accepted. For more information, call (718) 584-7679.

Aphasia Clinic Accepting 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 ASHA (American Speech Language Hearing Association). For more information, call Wanda Adams at (718) 960-8138.

 

The Magnificent 7:

By None

The winners of the annual Tiger Day reading challenge at PS 94 ("The Magnificent 7" pictured, from left to right,Caius Gillett, Kayla LaTorres, Anna Williams, Mahrukh Jaura,Maisha Haque, Melanie Carrasco, JImmy De La Cruz) read at least 10 nonfiction books, including five biographies, and completed a project to showcase their favorite book. The children read a wide variety of books about famous figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller and President Obama.

Seeking Jobs, Parents Head Back to School

By Ivonne Salazar

The current economic downturn inspired Miriam Seminario, the parent coordinator at PS 94 in Norwood, to create a job readiness program to help her unemployed parents.

“The economy is not very good and some of these parents can’t find jobs,” said Seminario. “I decided my parents need some kind of training.”

Seminario partnered with Dress for Success, a national organization that provides low-income women with professional attire, and Ridgewood Savings Bank in Norwood, to present afternoon workshops that started in February. Almost all of the 45 participants who started the program completed it last week. The workshops covered resume writing, interview techniques and job hunting.

Last Thursday afternoon, in the school’s sun-drenched library, parents attended their sixth and final session of the program. Recruiters from the Bronx division of Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), a national organization that works with children from low-income and urban communities, facilitated the session and provided tips for a successful interview.

During the final session, Afruza Shah, 44, who has a son in the fourth grade, practiced walking into an office and greeting the receptionist. After Shah’s long introduction, BELL recruiter Timothy Coleman gave Shah tips on how to improve her interaction. “It was very helpful,” said Shah afterwards. “I did big mistake. … Now I could do it. I feel comfortable.”

The program helped Rahala Yasmin, 33, who has two daughters at PS 94, prepare for an interview. “They speak very clearly about everything,” she said. “We wish every year [they will have] this program.”

Victor Schotte, an educational consultant who facilitated several workshops, said now the women are ready to look for employment. “They want to work,” he said. “There is this frustration because they are teachers in their countries,” he said, referring to many of the mothers from Bangladesh. Schotte tells them to “be patient.”

On May 2, Seminario is organizing a career fair for the parents who completed the job readiness program. Grace Institute, BELL Recruiting, and Lehman College will be some of the companies recruiting potential employees.

Shah hopes she’s one of them. “Everyone wants and needs a job,” she said. 

Will New School Lessen Local Crowding?

By Ivonne Salazar

As the city continues to review the  possibility of building a new elementary school on Webster Avenue, parents and activists wanted to know how it will affect other schools and if it will alleviate the chronic overcrowding problems in the area.

The proposed school, slated to open in the fall of 2010, at 3177 Webster Ave., between East 204th and 205th streets, is currently a 45,000-square-foot parking lot. Design plans have not been finalized, as the School Construction Authority (SCA) is still in the siting phase of the project, but officials told residents at a public hearing last Wednesday that the school will be five stories high and accommodate 612 students.

With $50 million allocated for the project, William Havemann, a Department spokesperson, said the school will have a library and a gymnatorium (a gym and auditorium combination), and will be set up for Internet use. The SCA plans to use only half of the space for the school, and the other half as a playground. (Two current building projects in the area, at PS 94 and 95, are being built on former playground space.) 

Some parents say one new school isn’t enough.

“Unfortunately, we have the most overcrowding in all of the Bronx,” said Mary Corsey, 54, a leader with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. Corsey has two grandchildren attending PS 86 in Kingsbridge Heights. “School construction has taken care of other areas in the Bronx and not this area.”

Fernando Tirado, district manager for Community Board 7, asked if the new school would alleviate overcrowding at nearby PS 56 and allow them to remove trailers that house additional students.

Kenrick Ou, SCA’s director of real estate services, said the DOE would look into the issue. Ou and other officials at the public meeting did not say if the new school will alleviate overcrowding at nearby schools, if the new school will be zoned or if more new schools were coming to District 10.

In 2006, the DOE cut 1,700 seats from the 2005-2009 capital plan, claiming that the district did not need the seats. In 2008, a report by the city comptroller said District 10 was the third most overcrowded district in the entire city. This past fall, the DOE acknowledged that the district could benefit from more schools, but only added 400 new seats.

Though a welcome development to many parents, not everyone cared to see a school built in the area.

Ralph, who declined to give his last name and works at the auto shop directly across from the parking lot, said his shop uses the lot to store cars. “I don’t know where people are gonna park,” he said. “They’re gonna have to start parking cars in people’s living rooms.”

Ed. note: The DOE is taking written comments regarding the new school until May 11. Residents can send letters to the School Construction Authority, 30-30 Thompson Ave., Long Island City, New York 11101.

Open Meetings = Better Decisions

By Editorial

Last week, we tried to cover a meeting of the Kingsbridge Armory Task Force, held at the office of Community Board 7. We were told that the state Open Meetings Law did not apply because the task force only makes recommendations and is not an official government body.

This is technically correct and we also understand that people sometimes feel more comfortable offering unvarnished opinions if they can do so without the press in the room.

The problem is that, too often, decisions get made in advance at these kinds of things without public scrutiny or even awareness. Then the formal “public review process” becomes a sham, a lesson in theater or both.

We hesitate to bring up disagreeable memories, but are compelled to do so by an overwhelming desire not to see history repeated. The deal to put the Croton Water Filtration Plant in the Bronx was made, literally, in the back room of a political organization. The deal to put Yankee Stadium in a park was made somewhere before any public process began, including a middle-of-the-night vote of the state legislature to alienate the parkland.

The Gateway Mall development was sealed by the transfer of an existing lease of city property from one private party to another. We could go on.

We are not naïve. There is always some amount of preliminary discussion and parameter-setting on public decisions by stakeholders. But the public review process has to mean something.

We urge all those involved in the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project to let the public know what their thinking is before the ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Process) begins. And we’d like the stakeholders involved in the negotiations to remember that erring on the side of providing more sunshine to the public via open meetings, even where it is not legally required, goes a long way toward preventing major civic headaches down the road.

(Disclosure: Mosholu Preservation Corporation, the publisher of the Norwood News, is working on a project to clean the streets on Kingsbridge Road. MPC thinks funding should come from the armory development to provide supplemental sanitation and other services to existing businesses in the area.)

New Playground Closed for Repairs

By Alex Kratz

With their playground padlocked shut, two kids ran around benches and trees, playing with sticks.

That was the scene last Thursday at Sachkerah Woods, in the southeastern section of Van Cortlandt Park (at the corner of Gun Hill Road and Jerome Avenue), where the city has shut down a relatively new playground facility while the Parks Department works to fix a leaking underground water pipe. 

Sachkerah Woods Playground opened to great fanfare less than two years ago, in the summer of 2007. It was a $2.9 million piece of the $240 million in parks improvements provided by the city in exchange for using part of Van Cortlandt Park to build the Croton Water Filtration Plant.

Though some local park activists have their suspicions, the Parks Department says the leaking pipes have nothing to do with the filtration plant, which is being built in a nine-story hole in the ground adjacent to Sachkerah Woods.

The leaking pipe is attached to the playground’s spray shower. The Parks Department is also repairing the color concrete at the playground, which workers were forced to break through to get at the leaking pipe.

Closed since the beginning of April, Parks Department spokesperson Jesslyn Moser said in an email, “We expect to complete work and reopen the playground in approximately four weeks, depending on the weather.”

Christina Taylor, executive director of the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, doesn’t understand why it’s taking so long.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” Taylor said. “It’s already been closed for four weeks. This weekend it was up in the 80s and there was no place for these kids to go.”

Preschoolers Plant for Earth Day

By Ivonne Salazar

On a gray and cloudy Earth Day, April 22, the preschool class at Concourse House in Kingsbridge contributed to the eco-friendly festivities occurring worldwide by planting flowers in their backyard.

The Busy Bees and the Teddy Bears, as the two preschool classes are called, separated into small groups to pot plants with the help of student volunteers from the Academy of Mount St. Ursula.

In the backyard of Concourse House, which provides transitional housing for women and their children, Executive Director Manuela Schaudt prepared the children for the morning activity. “We’re planting flowers to make the earth beautiful and to put oxygen into the air,” she said, holding up a tiny purple flower. “These are called pansies,” she said. “Can you say pansies?”

“Pansies,” the children repeated.

Though the children have been learning about seeds and plants in their classes, some were hesitant to get their hands dirty.

“Yuck,” said a few children laughing as they dipped their fingers into the dark brown soil and instantly smacked their hands together to get the dirt off.

“They’re a little freaked out,” said Schaudt, smiling. With the help of adult-sized gloves, the children dug holes in the soil, set the flowers in the pot and gingerly packed the dirt back over the roots of the flowers.

Soon the children will plant seeds in pots of soil, and in the summer, the children will plant a vegetable garden. “They will see where [fruits and vegetables] comes from, that it doesn’t come from the supermarket,” said Schaudt.

Public and Community Meetings

By None

•    Community Board 7 will meet on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Tracey Towers, 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy. at Jerome Avenue. For more information, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
•    CB7 Committee Meetings: All committees meet at the Community Board office, 229A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
•    The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will meet on Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Scott Tower Community Room, 3400 Paul Ave. For more information, call (718) 231-8470.
•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Brendan’s Church, 333 E. 206th St. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    The Bedford Mosholu Community Association will meet on Wednesday, May 6 at 8 p.m. at 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy. So. Apt. B1 (lobby floor).

Nuñez Makes Bid for Baez Seat

By Jordan Moss

Yorman Nuñez, a 20-year-old college student and longtime youth activist and organizer with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, is running for City Council in the 14th District. He has set up a Web site —www.nunez09.com — and is using the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about his campaign.

Nuñez’s entry adds to an already crowded field of challengers to incumbent Democrat Maria Baez. The field of declared or possible candidates now also includes Fernando Cabrera, Miguel Santana, Yudelka Tapia, Yesenia Polanco and Israel Ruiz. The Daily News’ Bob Kappstatter reported that yet another candidate, Hector Diaz, has dropped his bid.

Ex-Senator’s Trial Set for May 11 (For Now)

By Alex Kratz

Former State Senator Efrain Gonzalez’s trial was once again moved back, this time just another week, to May 11.

Gonzalez is facing nine criminal counts of fraud and corruption for allegedly funneling more than $400,000 of state money back into his own pockets for personal use.

His trial was originally supposed to begin last May. It was then postponed until November and then again until May 4. Gonzalez could be stalling to negotiate a plea agreement like the ones copped by two of his three co-defendants. But his lawyer wouldn’t say whether he was negotiating or planning to negotiate any type of agreement. 

Former Pathways for Youth Executive Director Neil Berger and former Gonzalez staffer Miguel Castanos, however, recently pleaded guilty to related charges. Lucia Sanchez, Gonzalez’s former secretary, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to face trial along with her former boss.

The guilty pleas do not bode well for Gonzalez.

Berger pleaded guilty to federal program fraud on March 30 for sending state funds to the West Bronx Neighborhood Association (WBNA) even though he had “received indications that WBNA was using the funds from Pathways to pay for, among other things, former State Senator Gonzalez’s personal expenses,” according to court documents.

Castanos pleaded guilty to accepting a no-show job that prosecutors say Gonzalez set up for him and then submitting fraudulent time sheets to the Community Association for Progressive Dominicans.

Both face fines and some jail time and will be sentenced in June.
Gonzalez’s lawyer, Murray Richman, was coy about what the guilty pleas meant for his client. “It doesn’t matter one way or another. I guess they were guilty,” he said. “My client is not.”

Richman wouldn’t comment on whether Gonzalez would be following his co-defendants in negotiating a plea agreement. However, he did say that personally, he’d much rather be vacationing in Puerto Rico. But not in the Dominican Republic (where Gonzalez has a home that prosecutors say he paid for with state money).

Diaz Easily Wins B.P. Race

By Alex Kratz

Ruben Diaz Jr., a 36-year-old career politician from Soundview, will officially become the new Bronx borough president on Friday after winning a special election on April 21 to replace former B.P. Adolfo Carrion.

He easily defeated his lone opponent, Anthony J. Ribustello, 42, a Republican district leader from the east Bronx known more for his acting role in the HBO series “The Sopranos.” Diaz garnered 87 percent of the vote, for an unofficial total of 28,301 votes. Ribustello pulled in 4,081votes.

The result came as no surprise.

In early March, Bronx Democrats united behind Diaz when potential rival and fellow Democrat, Councilman Joel Rivera, officially dropped out of the race, leaving Ribustello as the only challenger.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Diaz was so confident he declined more than $200,000 in public financing and announced he would tap veteran assemblywoman Aurelia Greene to be his deputy before a single vote had been cast.

During his introduction of Diaz at a jam-packed post-election party at Maestro’s restaurant in Morris Park, Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson said, “All of us expect great things from him. A new day in the Bronx begins tomorrow.”

Diaz, who just turned 36 on Sunday, told the crowd that his clear victory would unite the borough. “This was a message that we sent to everyone: from now on, we’re going to look at this as one borough,” he said.

Later, Greene  said the two would “sit down and carve out some plans.” When asked about her priorities, Greene said, “I would say affordable housing is an issue of mine.”

Referring to Carrion, who now runs the White House Office on Urban Affairs, Diaz said, “While people say, ‘Ruben, you’ve got big shoes to fill,’ I tell them ‘I brought some big socks.’”

Dean DelDuca, Diaz’s Assembly chief of staff, will play that same role in the borough president’s office. Carmella Pinkney-Price will be DelDuca’s deputy.

—with reporting by David Greene

Advocates: Kindergarten Cuts Will Take Toll

By Rachel Waldholz

Joyce Crawford was shocked and upset upon hearing the news that her 4-year-old granddaughter’s city-funded daycare center would no longer offer kindergarten.

“What do you mean no kindergarten!” she said. “Give me a break!”

That sentiment is shared by parents across the city as the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), which funds one of the largest subsidized daycare systems in the country, closes kindergarten classrooms and cuts funding for pre-K in an effort to close a $62 million budget gap.

For 30 years, ACS-funded centers have offered childcare for low-income children, including pre-kindergartners and kindergartners. Starting this fall, ACS centers will no longer serve 5-year-olds. Parents will be forced to place their children in public schools instead.

Parents, centers and public school principals say the cuts will add more children to already overcrowded schools, cause layoffs for daycare workers, and create obstacles for working parents who rely on the centers’ extended hours, all while reducing capacity in a daycare system that, advocates estimate, only serves a third of the families that need it.

The cuts will hit harder in other parts of the city, like Queens and Brooklyn, where more kindergartners attend ACS-funded centers. Just a handful of north Bronx centers will lose their kindergartens.

But daycare workers and guardians like Crawford say the Bronx centers on the chopping block are supportive communities rooted in the neighborhood, the loss of which can’t be measured in classroom seats.

Joyce James, director of the Susan E. Wagner Day Care Center in Baychester, will lose two kindergarten classrooms. James is scrambling to keep her center afloat, but may have to lay off six classroom staffers, plus bookkeepers, cooks and janitors. She has worked at the center since 1975, and has teachers in her classrooms whom she saw graduate from kindergarten. “I’d love to keep my kindergarten,” she said.

“The daycare is like a family,” said Linda Cowans, a teacher for 17 years at the Williamsbridge NAACP daycare center on East 219th Street. Cowans may lose her job when the center loses its kindergarten next year. Cowans said centers offer support that schools cannot, like more teachers, smaller class sizes and more flexible hours.

“Everyone’s schedule is not the same as the public schools’,” said Anita Howell, director of the Crawford Community Day Care Center in Williamsbridge, which will lose its kindergarten next year.

Howell’s center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. At closing time, Howell accommodates parents who are running late. “They won’t be able to do this at the public schools,” she said.

ACS funding cuts are also being felt where the agency’s money is mixed together with other funding sources. 

ACS has proposed cutting up to $104,000 from the Belmont Community Day Care Center, which has operated for 38 years, pulling money from a program that combines funding from ACS and the Department of Education to provide some pre-K curriculum in its classrooms.

Don Bluestone, executive director of Mosholu Montefiore Community Center in Norwood, which runs daycare and pre-K programs throughout the Bronx, doesn’t know how much funding he’ll lose from ACS because funding from several sources is all mixed together, allowing the center to allocate money based on needs. Bluestone says that flexibility will be lost.

“The problem with Bloomberg’s business model,” Bluestone said, “is that it’s non-flexible.”

ACS spokesperson Sharman Stein said there is simply no money to maintain current funding levels. State and federal governments have been “backing away from childcare” for years, Stein said, leaving the city to fill a gap it can longer afford to fill.

Nancy Kolben of Child Care Inc., a childcare advocacy nonprofit, said there are better ways to handle the cuts. “What the city is doing represents a 19 percent cut in capacity in publicly-funded centers, at a time when there is huge unmet demand [and] 40,000 kids on waiting lists,” Kolben said. Instead of adding children to overcrowded kindergarten classrooms, the city could use DOE money to fund classrooms in the centers. At the very least, centers should be allowed to “age-down,” Kolben said, replacing their 5-year-olds with younger students.

Charlene Harry’s twin daughters attend pre-K at Williamsbridge. A month after the kindergarten registration deadline, Harry had yet to register her daughters, meaning they will be at the back of the line when seats are determined.

“I’m just praying they don’t have to cut Williamsbridge,” Harry said.

Hope for Armory Schools

By Alex Kratz

Activists look at the north annex buildings of the Kingsbridge Armory and see much-needed space for schools. Unfortunately, three state military units still call the twin buildings home.

The state is willing to move the units, but first they need a suitable place to relocate them, one that would not cost them any money and hopefully keep them in the borough.

Now, with an Army Reserve Center in Wakefield closing and the city controlling the redevelopment process for the building, activists see new hope for schools at the Armory. The city’s Economic Development Corporation says they are still looking to relocate the Armory’s military units, but wouldn’t speculate on whether there would be a push to put the units into Reserve Center facility.

First, the city needs to seek notices from interested tenants for the Wakefield space, which could include the Armory units.

 

Living Wage Hopes for Armory Dashed

By Alex Kratz

Hopes faded last week that a revamped Kingsbridge Armory will bring well-paying jobs to one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Bronx.

During a closed-door meeting at the offices of Community Board 7 in Bedford Park, Jesse Masyr, a lawyer for the Armory’s designated developer, the Related Companies, told community representatives that the project would not go forward with guarantees for living wage jobs — $10 and hour, plus benefits, as defined by the City Council. (The Norwood News attempted to cover the meeting, but was told the session was not covered under the state Open Meetings Law. See editorial on p. 6.)

Related and the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have presented the project, which will turn the landmarked Armory into an enormous shopping mall, as an economic boon for the community, mostly because it will bring jobs.

When it’s completed, Masyr said the Amory project will create 1,200 permanent jobs, some full-time, some part-time.

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) — which consists of local community groups, clergy and unions and has the vocal support of several elected officials — wanted to ensure that local residents, nearly 30 percent of who live below the poverty line, would benefit through the creation of living wage jobs.

Since the city chose Related for the project last spring, KARA has pushed for living wage language, among other benefits, to be included in a binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) signed between the Alliance and Related. Community Board 7 is also pushing for a CBA and living wage jobs.

The board and KARA had hoped to open CBA negotiations last Friday at an advisory meeting organized by the EDC and attended by representatives from the mayor’s office, Council Member Maria Baez, Assemblyman Jose Rivera and Ray Salaberrios, head of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), who was there representing the borough president’s office.

But when the subject was brought up, Masyr quickly put an end to any hopes of securing living wage jobs, saying that if all they were looking for in a benefits agreement was living wage jobs, he could put an end to the discussion right there. The answer would be no.

In an interview on Tuesday, Masyr said he was all for paying living wages, but that Related could not ask coming retail tenants to pay those types of wages at the Armory, especially given this “extraordinarily difficult” economic climate.

“I can’t ask tenants to have a [higher] wage package than they have just two miles down the road,” Masyr said. He added that other people in the industry think Related is “crazy” for even attempting to proceed on this retail-heavy project, given the state of the economy. “Retail is dead,” Masyr said.

In Los Angeles, Related agreed to living wage language for a downtown development project in a CBA, but Masyr said that’s because living wage is county law. “I’m all for changing the law,” Masyr said.

Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, a KARA leader, said she’s not buying the hardship argument, pointing out that Related is buying the Armory for a mere $5 million, will be receiving an additional $17.8 million in tax breaks and another $45 million in historic preservation tax breaks.

Pilgrim-Hunter said the Armory project will become a “poverty wage center” without living wage provisions. 

With the city backing Related’s stance, Pilgrim-Hunter said the message to the community is: “Be grateful you’re getting anything. Even more, we’re going to further entrench poverty in the community.”

On Friday, city officials said they had no position on CBAs, but would not stop Related and the community from entering into a side benefits agreement.

Masyr did not commit to negotiating benefits agreements with KARA and Community Board 7. Masyr agreed to address KARA’s demands point by point and said, besides the living wage language, nothing they were asking for appeared unreasonable.

Local hiring goals and community space in the Armory are a couple of the items on KARA’s wish list.

Board chairman Greg Faulkner said the biggest development from the meeting was that the board and KARA were now committed to working together to forge a CBA, whatever form that might take.

If the project doesn’t benefit the community, Pilgrim-Hunter said the city should be willing to look at other developers. “The Armory was here to protect the community and now we’re looking for it to protect us from greedy developers who take what they want and then don’t want to give back,” she said.

By None

The Fordham Bedford little league season, featuring these excited young Yankees, started last Saturday morning with a parade down to the ball fields on Jerome Avenue near Walton High School.

Meanwhile, the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Little League can’t get its kids on fields at Harris Park and Indian Field. MMCC Director Don Bluestone says they’ve been forced to cancel half their games because of “deplorable” field conditions. Bluestone blames the Parks Department. Parks blames the rain.
 

By None

By Karen Argenti

 

The city’s Parks Department announced last week that it was setting up a Central Park-like Conservancy in Van Cortlandt Park.

This is a bad idea.

Up until now, the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park have acted as independent caretakers of the park responding to community concerns, helping to organize upkeep, maintaining trails, advocating for park interests, fundraising, providing important programming and maintaining ongoing communication with the Parks Department.

So why does the city feel the need to add on a Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, right in the middle of the biggest economic downturn in a generation? One possible explanation is vengeance.

Mayor Bloomberg is mad at the Friends because they decided to oppose the siting of the Croton water filtration plant at Mosholu Golf Course. Unlike the mayor, they believe that the land use review process should be adhered to, that parks are not for sale, and that if land at Van Cortlandt Park can be alienated then it can happen elsewhere. 

The Friends were right! Within six months of City Council approval to take Van Cortlandt Park, they went after Macombs Dam Park to build the new Yankee Stadium. The last borough president, Adolfo Carrion, did not re-appoint community board members who voted against the project. He was punishing them for standing up for their community.

The Friends have already been punished. Soon after the filtration siting debacle, the Parks Department threw them out of their office space in the Golf House. The agency’s explanation that they needed to make way for renovations was clearly a lie because that area has been used for storage space for the past two years.   

We need the Friends, not a city-established conservancy. Recently, the Parks Department closed Shandler Recreation Area and Harris Park at the same time they removed Macombs Dam Park from use, putting a strain on Little Leagues and school teams. They flooded Sachkerah Woods and Classic Playground with incompetent contractors, which have resulted in the closing of facilities at the height of the season.

A public-private conservancy deciding to raise funds for city-owned projects at closed-door meetings ignores the principles of democracy and the transparency we voted to restore in last November’s election.  The Friends, precisely because of their independence, would be much more likely to advocate for the needs of the public in these cases than a rubber-stamp conservancy appointed and controlled by the city. 

At a time when funding for nonprofits is drying up, the city should support existing advocates, not establish more of them to compete for scarce resources. This proposal is a slap in the face to the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park board, its members, supporters and volunteers, and anyone in the public who uses Van Cortlandt Park.

Karen Argenti is a community and environmental activist and a former chair of Community Board 7. She has no affiliation with the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, but an admirer of their work and accomplishments.

 

By Judy Noy

Onstage
 

• ¡Viva La Raza!, a free Latino hip-hop showcase, will take place at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse (at 165th Street) in the North Building on the 2nd floor, May 1 from 6 to 10 p.m. This program is part of free first Fridays at the museum. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 ext. 120 or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

 

• The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents Ain’t Misbehavin, musical production featuring American Idol stars Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis, May 16 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $20 to $45), in the Concert Hall at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. For more information, call (718) 960-8833.

• The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance, located at 841 Barretto St., presents their Boogie Down Dance Series 2009, May 9 through June 3. This program celebrates the growth of professional dance in the Bronx. Concert tickets cost $15 to $20 with discounts available for Bronx Cultural Card holders. Two dance groups will perform on May 9 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $20). For more information or tickets, call (718) 842-5223.

• The Bronx Library Center, located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, hosts Latin Jazz, concert by Edy Martinez Sextet, May 2 at 2:30 p.m.; and Gospel sung by entertainer Steve Charles, May 9 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

• The Bronx Opera House presents Mozart’s The Magic Flute, May 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. For more information and tickets, call (718) 960-8833.

• Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana featuring tablao performances, will be held on May 9 at 8 p.m. at the Pregones Theatre, 575 Walton Ave. (tickets are $12). For more information and tickets, call (800) 838-3006.

• The Riverdale Choral Society presents Music of Spain and the Americas concert at Christ Church, located at West 252nd Street and Henry Hudson Parkway East, May 9 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15; $13 with Bronx Cultural Card. For more information, call (718) 543-2219.

• The Metropolitan Opera presents Rossini’s La Cenerentola, May 9 at 12:30 p.m., free, in Lehman College’s Studio Theatre located in the Speech and Theatre Building. For more information or tickets, call (718) 960-8025.

• The House That Ruthie Built, a Bronx baseball fairy tale about a girl who has always dreamed of becoming a Yankee, presented by the Bronx Arts Ensemble and performed by the Children’s Theatre Company from Lehman College, will take place May 10 at 1 and 3 p.m. at the New York Botanical Garden. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

 

• The Wave Hill House, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, presents Concert-New Perspectives: The Violin Parker String Quartet featuring classical music. Tickets are $15/members; $24/non members; $21/students and seniors 65 and over. Prices include admission to the grounds. Advance purchase is recommended. For more information or tickets, call (718) 549-3200 ext. 385 or visit www.wavehill.org.

Events

• Lehman College Professor William M. Hoffman will guest at the taping of his Conversations series to discuss his latest play, “Cornbury: The Queen’s Governor,” May 4 at 2 p.m. in room C-14 of Carman Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Lord Cornbury is Edward Hyde, the third Earl of Clarendon and cousin to Queen Anne of England. He was the colonial governor of what is now New York and New Jersey in the early 1700s and was reportedly a cross-dresser. For more information, call (718) 960-2558.

 

• Wave Hill offers two family art projects: Build a Neighborhood, to construct a model of your neighborhood using cardboard, colored tape, wood, and recycled and natural materials, May 2 and 3; and Blossoming Branches for Mom, to fashion jewelry and gifts using wire, beads, pipe cleaners and silk flowers, May 9. Mothers can be feted on May 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a special brunch in the Mark Twain Room of Wave Hill House (call ext. 395 by May 8 at 4 p.m. to reserve; $25 per person, not including grounds admission), as well as participate in a family art project. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

• So Much Spring, a variety of attractions and activities, including workshops, demonstrations and programs for the entire family, will take place at the New York Botanical Garden from April through June. Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale, featuring tours and lectures daily, will be held May 1 to 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Conservatory Tent, with a benefit preview party and collectors’ plant sale on April 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. Call for schedule (718) 817-8700.

 

• The Bronx Culture Trolley, a replica of a 20th-century trolley, transports visitors on the first Wednesday of every month (except January and September), to Bronx hot spots, ending at Sweetwaters Bar & Grill with jazz, and food and drink. A reception is held at the Hostos Art Gallery, 450 Grand Concourse (at 149th St.) at 5 p.m., followed by three trolley departures at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. New attractions are added monthly. Trolley ride is free. Riders can get on and off at any scheduled stop and spend as much time as they wish at any or all of the featured venues. Venues and activities vary each month. The next trip is on May 6. For more information or to confirm, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or log on to www.bronxarts.org.

 

• The Bronx Council on the Arts holds their 3rd annual Mott Haven Open Artist Studio Tour on May 2 from noon to 6 p.m. Visit Bronx artists’ private studios and BCA artists in residence on the Bronx Culture Trolley Saturdays. All events and rides are free and open to the public. Meet at noon at the Hostos Longwood Art Gallery, 450 Grand Concourse (149th Street). The 5 p.m. trolley run will collect artists and visitors and return them to the art gallery for a celebratory reception from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 401-7866 or (718) 931-9500.

Exhibits

• En Foco and Pregones Theatre present Mi Sangre, a free photo exhibition held at the theatre, located at 571-575 Walton Ave. (between 149th and 150th streets), through May 9, by Mexican-American photographer, Rojelio Reyes Rodriquez, currently living and working in New York City. For more information, visit www.pregones.org.

 

• The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, presents a three-part exhibition series commemorating the Grand Concourse’s centennial, starting with The Grand Concourse at 100, through July 20. Originally called the Grand Boulevard, the Grand Concourse celebrates its 100th year in 2009. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

• The Bronx Council on the Arts presents two exhibitions at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos, 450 Grand Concourse (149th Street), including Dream Sequence, free, through May 9, which explores a number of themes using drawings, paintings, photography, sculpture, and video. An artists talk will take place on May 9 at 2 p.m. at the show’s closing. Trolley and closing receptions will be held May 6 from 5 to 9 p.m. Also at the Gallery is Outsiders: Contemporary Works of Immigrant Artisans, an exhibition featuring work of local artists, through May 7. Closing reception is May 6. Gallery hours are Mondays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To confirm dates, and for more information, call (718) 931-9500 or (718) 518-6728.

 

• Several exhibits on display at the New York Botanical Garden include Georg Ehret: the Greatest Botanical Artist of the 1700s, appearing in the LoFaro Gallery of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, featuring prints and drawings, through July 19; Auricular Theatre displaying rare primroses in the Luce Herb Garden through May 10; and The Glory of Dutch Bulbs: A Legacy of 400 Years can be viewed May 1 through June 7. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

 

• The Young and the Restless, an exhibition of six emerging artists based in New York, featuring painting, sculpture, and photography, will be held at the Gordon Parks Gallery, 332 E. 149th St., through May 3. For more information, call (718) 665-1310 or (914) 654-5427.

Learning
 
The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

• For children and preschoolers, there is Preschool Romp, April 30, May 7 and 14 at 11 a.m.; and Family Time, May 9 at 11 a.m.
• Also, for school-aged children, there is Chinese Ribbon Dance Workshop, May 3 at 2 p.m.; Mexican Legends and Songs, May 10 at 2 p.m.; and Arts & Crafts, May 14 at 4 p.m.
• For adults and young adults, there is Job/Career Expo, May 1 at 10 a.m.; and MoMA presents Around the World in 20 Artworks, May 11 at 6 p.m.
• For adults, there is How to Buy a Computer, May 6 at 6 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, located at 285 E. 205th St., presents Toddler Story Time, May 7 at 10:30 a.m.; African Folktales, May 12 at 4 p.m.; and Preschool Story Time, May 14 at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents programs for all ages. For children, there is Arts and Crafts, May 8 at 3:30 p.m.; and Toddler Story Time, May 8 at 10:30 a.m.; and for young adults, there is Glass Mosaics, crafts with Liana Acevedo, April 30 at 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL OUR MOM READERS!

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by May 4 for the next publication date of May 14.

By Norwood News

Celebrating Parents Event
MS 80 and Community Board 7 are sponsoring a “Celebrating Parents Recognition Month” on Saturday, May 2. The rain date will be Saturday, May 16. This is to honor strong parent involvement in schools. It will take place from10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Indian Park in Van Cortlandt Park. There will be fun, food, games and raffles. For more information, call Ms. Alejandro at (718) 405-6300 ext. 1131. 

Fitness, Fun at Oval
On Saturday, May 2, the Williamsbridge Oval will host the Family Physical Fitness and Sports Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be games, music and refreshments. Entrances are at Reservoir Oval East and Bainbridge Avenue, and also Van Cortlandt Avenue East and 208th Street. For more information, call Tina Inman (718) 430-1847 or Thelma Mayo (718) 430-1824.

Plants for Mother’s Day
The Bainbridge Avenue Garden, on Bainbridge Avenue, between Bedford Park Boulevard and 201st Street, is having a Mother’s Day Plant Sale on May 2, 3, 9 and 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free Bags for Fordham Shoppers
The Fordham Road Business Improvement District is offering free tote bags, while supplies last, to anyone who makes a purchase of $20 or more through the end of May. Proof of purchase is required. Shoppers should contact the BID office, 2488 Grand Concourse, Room 411, at (718) 562-2104.

Free Job Search Expo
Learn resume writing and interview tips at a free job search expo at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd., on Friday, May 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Job seekers will be able to meet with recruiters from the NYC Department of Corrections, the Census Bureau, Police Cadet Corps, Workforce1 Career Center, South Bronx Career Corps, and other companies. To register, call (718) 579-4257.

Bronx Youth Health Forum
The Community Advisory Board of Montefiore Medical Center is holding its yearly forum on Thursday, May 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. The topic this year is “Bronx Youth Health Forum: Recreation—Jobs—Health Information.” The symposium is open to the public and will be held in the Cherkasky Auditorium, located at MMC’s Gun Hill Road entrance at Rochambeau Avenue. Light refreshments will be available.

It’s My Parks Day!
Help take care of your park by volunteering on Saturday, May 16, It’s My Park Day! Meet outside of Williamsbridge Oval Park Rec Center, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you have any questions, call Jenn Beaugrand (718) 324-4461 or Tina Inman (646) 258-1716.

Readers Theatre in Norwood
If you love to read aloud, or are verbally expressive, the Readers Theatre in Norwood is available. There is no experience required, and all are welcome, ages 18 to 108. Participants must be able to read English proficiently, and all accents are welcome. The first meeting will be on May 7 at 7 p.m. at the American Diner, 291 E. 204th St. For more information, call Nara at (917) 692-9340 or email narani_o@yahoo.com.

March for Babies
The March of Dimes will hold its first-ever March for Babies in the Bronx. With the main sponsor being Montefiore Medical Center, the Bronx will join the other boroughs in the fund-raising event, which will support research advocacy, community programs and education. The event will take place on Sunday, May 3 at Orchard Beach-Stage Pavilion. Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and the walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. To register, or for more information, visit www.marchforbabies.org/ny.

‘Run and Walk for Cancer’
Bronx Community College will hold its 31st Annual Hall of Fame 10K/5K Run and 2-Mile Fitness Walk, on Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m. The races will begin and end at the college. Runners from ages 7 to 80 can participate. Check-in will be at BCC, 2155 University Ave. (at West 181st Street), from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Races start at 10 a.m. Free parking and baggage check-in is available. Proceeds from the event will benefit the American Cancer Society and BCC’s Steuerman Scholarship Fund. The entry fee is $15. Day-of-race entry fee is $20. All races are followed by a barbecue, raffle, and awards ceremony for race winners. For more information, call (718) 289-5989/5145 or visit www.bcc.cuny.edu/10krace.
 
Summer Youth Employment
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is offering a Summer Youth Employment Program. Pick up applications at the center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. You can also apply online at www.application.NYCSYEP.com. Be sure to pick “MMCC” as your Project Sponsor. For more information, call (718) 882-4000.

52nd Precinct Council Fund-raiser: Trip to A.C.
The 52nd Precinct Council is sponsoring a bus trip to the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City on May 30. The cost is $35 per person, and the casino will give each person $18 back in chips. Participants will meet in front of the 52nd Precinct, located at 3014 Webster Ave., at 8 a.m. and return in the evening. Refreshments and games will be on the bus. If interested, contact Steven Bussell at (718) 364-0462, or call the precinct’s Community Affairs at (718) 220-5824 and leave a message.

Aid for Veterans and Their Families [corrected from previous issue]
The Warriors Family Assistance Program, launched by the American Legion Auxiliary, comes to the direct aid of veterans and their families in New York State. Veterans and their families can apply for up to $1,500 in aid in maintenance grants, medical grants and employment opportunities. Any veteran who has served honorably within the last four years, or is currently serving in one of the Armed Forces, and is a NYS resident, is eligible to apply. All grants are non-repayable. For an application or more information, call (800) 421-6348.

City Parks Foundation Helping Bronx Seniors
The City Parks Foundation is welcoming all New York City seniors, ages 60 and over, to sign up for the Spring 2009 program of “CityParks Seniors Fitness.” This free program offers tennis lessons, yoga instructions, and fitness walking in nine parks across the city. In the Bronx, it is being offered at Pelham Bay and Van Cortlandt parks. All equipment and instructions will be provided free of charge. The program starts May 4 and will run through June 26.  For more information, call (718) 760-6999 or visit www.cityparksfoundation.org.

Lehman College Summer Program
Lehman College, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., will hold an open house for its More Than a Camp Program on Saturdays, May 9 and 30 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Carman Hall room 129. The program offers academic, creative arts, and physical fitness classes for children aged 4 to 15. For more information, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu/ce.

Teen Trailways Day Camp
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is now accepting registration for its Teen Trailways Day Camp. The camp takes participating teens on exciting day trips to places such as sporting events, Broadway shows, and comedy clubs. The teens also go on three-day away trips to various places. For more information, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0, or visit online at www.mmcc.org.

JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center
JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center, 3880 Sedgwick Ave., is offering the following classes, trips, and cultural events: For more information, call (718) 549-4700.

- Fitness exercises will be on May 4, 11, and 18 at 10:30 a.m.; Movement on May 5 and 19 at 10 a.m.; Gentle Yoga on May 7, 14, and 21 at 10 a.m.; and Tone and Stretch on May 1, 8 and 15 at 10 a.m.

-Tai Chi will be on Thursdays, May 14 and 28 at 4:30 p.m., followed by a light supper at 5:30 p.m.
 
-There will be a Mother’s Day lunch at noon on Friday, May 8, followed by entertainment by Igor Sherbakov.

-The Hebrew Institute of Riverdale Community Choir will present a program of Hebrew and Yiddish music on Sunday, May 17 from 1 to 2 p.m., preceded by lunch at noon. Suggested contribution is $3.
 
-Janet Weinstein, of Light House International, will present a talk on Friday, May 22 at 1 p.m. on vision health and the wide varieties of services available.

-Trips are planned to South Street Seaport on May 14, and the Bronx Museum on May 29. Call to register in advance.

MMC’s Annual PRIDE Health Fair
Montefiore Medical Center’s AIDS Center, with The Bronx HIV CARE Network, are holding their 7th Annual PRIDE Health Fair on Saturday, June 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine, to promote Health Awareness in our communities. It will take place on Gun Hill Road, between Bainbridge and DeKalb avenues. There will be educational materials on HIV available, as well as free HIV testing/counseling and musical performances. For more information, call Shari German at (718) 231-3296 ext. 21.

Shoelace Park Master Plan
Help shape the future of Shoelace Park and Fort Knox, parklands along the Bronx River between Gun Hill Road and 233rd Street. There will be a community design workshop on Tuesday, June 9. For more information, call (718) 430-4665 or visit bronxriver.org.

Mt. St. Ursula Speech Center Summer Registration
The Mount Saint Ursula Speech Center is now accepting applications for its summer program. Children, from the ages of 2 to 16, in need of speech, language and literacy services may be eligible. The five-week program will run five days a week from June 26 to July 31. They accept Medicaid, and some insurance. There is also a sliding scale for private pay clients. For more information, call (718) 584-7679.

Introduction to E-Mail
The Mosholu Library, located at 285 E. 205th St., will hold a session to help create a free e-mail account, and teach how to send and receive e-mail on Wednesday, May 13 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

Free Prescription $aver Card
The NY State Health Department is accepting applications for the free New York Prescription $aver Card. The program offers discounts on thousands of prescription medications. It will serve low-income New Yorkers who are disabled or between the ages of 50 and 64. To be eligible, income for single individuals must be $35,000 or less, and $50,000 or less for married individuals. Medicaid and EPIC recipients are not eligible for the Prescription $aver Card. To learn more or apply, visit www.nyprescriptionsaver.fhsc.com or call (800) 788-6917. (TTY users should call (800) 290-9138.) Applications are also available at pharmacies.

Summer and School Programs
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., is now accepting registration for its pre-school summer camps and child care programs. There is also registration for Universal Pre-Kindergarten and Day Care for 2, 3 and 4 year olds. The Rochambeau Early Childhood Center is also accepting registration for these programs.  For more information, call (718) 654-0563 and ask to speak with Patty.

School Salon Reopens
The School of Professional Beauty Care at Grace Dodge Career and Technical High School, 2474 Crotona Ave., has reopened The New Image Salon to the public. It’s open every Thursday afternoon from 2:45 to 5:30 p.m., offering a wide variety of salon services at reasonable prices. Prices range from $5 to $25. Graduating seniors in the school’s cosmetology program staff the salon, with a licensed cosmetologist on duty. For more information, call (718) 584-2700 ext. 5084.

Foster Care Network
The Foster Care Network is reaching out to potential foster parents in the Bronx. Hundreds of foster children in the area need loving and caring families to make a difference in their lives. Foster parents receive tax-free financial assistance for the expenses of each child, free training, and Foster Parent certification. For more information, call (800) 454-3727 or visit www.fostercarenetwork.org.

Job Training for Women
Grace Institute, 1233 Second Ave., has started a new season of Open Houses for their day and evening program, which begins this September. The open house will be on May 13 at noon and 4 p.m. The evening program is exclusively for women who are already working, but need to upgrade their office and computer skills. For more information, visit www.graceinstitute.org or call (212) 832-7605.

English, Citizenship and Computer Classes
-MS 80 at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy N., is offering English as a Second Language (ESL) and General Equivalency Diploma (GED) classes. For those interested, or if you have any questions, call Mrs. Alejandro at (718) 405-6300 ext. 1131.

-Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., is offering free English as a Second Language (ESL) and Citizenship Classes.  Ongoing classes run through June 30. For more information, call (718) 882-4000.

-Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, 3101 Kingsbridge Terrace, is enrolling students for free English as a Second Language (ESL) and Citizenship classes. Ongoing classes run through June 30. For more information, call Aisha Abdul-Wahhab, program director, at (718) 884-0700 ext. 191 or 132.

-PS 94 at 3530 Kings College Pl,. offers ESL levels 1 and 2 and Computer Skills classes 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.

-St. James Recreation Center at 2530 Jerome Ave. offers free classes in Microsoft Office, Resume/Cover Letter Writing, Computer Basics, and much more. For more information, call Justin Young at (718) 367-3659.

-Fordham University, 557 E. Fordham Rd., is currently holding free computer and English Language classes for parents, Mondays through Thursdays and on Saturdays. Classes can either stand alone or as an 8- to 12-week series. For more information or to register, call (718) 817-3503.

Senior Employment
The American Association of Retired Person (AARP) and the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) are assisting low-income Bronx residents, 55 and older, to receive employment through their outreach, training, and internship programs. For more information, call AARP located at 384 E. 149th St., Ste. 608 at (718) 585-2500.

Free Breathing Workshops at Montefiore
The Care Management Company of Montefiore Medical Center is sponsoring free breathing workshops at Montefiore Medical Group East at 2300 Westchester Ave. on May 7, from 3 to 4 p.m., and on June 4, from 10 to 11 a.m. Workshops will also take place at Montefiore Medical Group Grand Concourse, 2532 Grand Concourse, on May 12, from 3 to 4 p.m., and on June 16, from 10 to 11 a.m. To register call (800) 636-6683.

Help Transform Bronx Parks
The Bronx River Alliance and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation are holding public workshops to develop a master plan for Shoelace Park and Fort Knox, which stretches from Magenta Street to 233rd Street along the Bronx River. Workshops will take place on June 9 at Community Board 12, 4101 White Plains Road, near 229th Street, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. For more information, call (718) 430-4635.

Local Craft Club Needs Location
Little Debbie’s Craft Club is looking for a free space to host its knitting club. The group is looking for a space near the Fordham and Jerome area to meet twice a month. Please contact Debbie at (646) 670-9518.

Couples Needed for Research Study
Doctors at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center are looking for healthy couples between the ages of 22 and 50, and in a monogamous relationship for at least six months, to participate in a research study. The study will test a vaginal gel and the couple will be screened for sexually transmitted infections. Females will have a gynecologic exam and vaginal fluid collected and males will have a genital exam. Female volunteers will have four visits and be reimbursed $60 per visit, and males volunteers will have three visits and will be reimbursed $40 per visit.  Females must be using hormonal contraception. All visits will take place at the Albert Einstein General Clinical Research Center. For more information, call Julie at (718) 430-3253 or email microbicide@aecom.yu.edu.

Financial Literacy Classes
Credit Inc. and the Financial Empowerment Center are teaming up to provide Bronx residents with four free sessions on financial literacy. These classes will help teach residents how to empower themselves with key financial skills to manage money wisely and gain financial independence. Classes will be held on May 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. To register, call Miriam Johnson at (718) 732-7540 or Rebecca Stich at (347) 329-3929. Seating is limited.

Free Medicine Programs for Cancer Patients
The Complimentary Medicine Program at 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 to see if yoga can help patients with breast, lung, and colorectal cancer. A certified yoga instructor teaches classes in both English and Spanish. The Mind-Body Cancer Program includes 8 weeks of Mind-Body groups (The Stress Management Education Group and the Spiritual Support Group) for patients with most types of cancer. Some restrictions apply to these groups, which have been specifically designed by a psychologist and an oncologist. For more information and to find out eligibility, call (718) 430-2380.

MS 80 Needs Love
MS 80 is asking parents and community members to show some love and volunteer for just an hour each week. The school needs mentors, math and reading tutors, part-time coaches and volunteers to help with cafeteria duty. For more information, call Ms. Alejandro (718) 405-6300 ext. 111.

Free Kids’ Summer Vacations
The Fresh Air Fund is currently registering boys and girls, ages six through 12, for free summer vacations in the homes of volunteer host families throughout the northeast or at one of five Fresh Air Fund summer camps in upstate New York. To find out how to register, call (800) 367-0003 or go to www.freshair.org.

MMCC Grade School & Teen Programs at Tracey Towers
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is accepting registration for their free after school program at Tracey Towers, 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy. The program meets Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and is open to children in the third through sixth grades. From 6:30 to 9 p.m., the free Teen Center is open for youth ages 12 to 18. Programs include homework help, computers, arts and crafts, sports, acting, and quiet games. To register, stop by the Youth Community Room on the second floor of Tracey Towers and speak to Antoine Fields, or call him at (917) 482-5039.

Self Defense Classes
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center still has space in its boxing, karate, and self-defense classes for children, teens, and adults. To register or find out class times, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0, or stop by the center at 3450 DeKalb Ave.

Free Meditation for Breast Cancer Survivors
The Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center is offering a free 20-week course on meditation and stress management for breast cancer survivors. The course is part of a research study. To register or learn more, call Kimala Harris at (718) 430-2380 or e-mail kah2019@med.cornell.edu.

Place for Teens With Issues
The Power Project is a free program for teens ages 12 to 18 who are dealing with substance abuse and other problems. Located at 3464 Webster Ave., Power Project provides case management, individual and group counseling, trips, and is just a place to get away from it all. For more information, call (718) 515-7971.

Wii Games for Adults and Seniors
On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4 p.m., adults and seniors can enjoy free Wii video games at the Mosholu Library, 285 E. 205th St. To sign up, go to the Adult Information Desk. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

Free Parking Calendars
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is offering free New York City Parking Calendars to community residents. To receive one, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to his office at 3107 Kingsbridge Ave., Bronx, NY 10463, or stop by the office in person.

Free Career Workshops
The State University of New York, located at 3950 Laconia Ave., is offering free career workshops, including job readiness training, resume and cover letter preparation, help with job searches and computer skills, job placement assistance, an Office Skills Certificate Program, college prep and more. For more information, call (718) 547-1001 or visit www.NBX.SUNYEOC.org.

After School Care
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., provides after school care for children in elementary school. Children are transported from their schools in Norwood, Bedford Park, Williamsbridge and Van Cortlandt Village. The center provides a snack, help with homework, and an array of activities to keep children busy. Financial aid is available. For more information, call Ruth Moore, program registrar, at (718) 882-4000.
      
Schizophrenia Study Seeks Participants
A research study seeking new treatments for schizophrenia is looking for patients in the Bronx. Candidates must be 18 to 65 years old, diagnosed with schizophrenia at or before age 35 and currently on certain medications for schizophrenia. Patients can enroll through the first half of 2009. For more information, call (888) 988-6736 or go to www.cognitivestudy.com.

Job Opportunities
On Dec. 1, Mayor Bloomberg announced the expansion of free job placement services through New York City’s Workforce1 Career Centers. The centers provide personalized career counseling, interview training, resume/cover letter assistance, workshops and ESL classes. For more information, call the Bronx Workforce1 Center, 358 E. 149th St., (718) 960-7099.

Quality of Life Screening
The Psychosocial Oncology Program of the Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center is conducting a survey study in order to learn about the physical and emotional stresses faced by cancer survivors. Participants will have to fill out questionnaires and have the opportunity to participate in free/low-cost programs and support services within the program. For more information, call (718) 430-2380.

Breast Oncology Program
The Breast Oncology Living Daily Program also known as BOLD living offers a variety of free educational, support, and mind-body workshops. They are designed to empower and nurture breast cancer patients, survivors, and loved ones, but are open to all. For more information or to register, call (718) 430-3613 or email outreach@aecom.yu.edu.

Alzheimer’s Support Group
The Alzheimer’s Association’s New York City chapter provides a support group in Norwood for Spanish and English speaking caregivers who have relatives with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia. The support group meets on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 5 to 6:15 p.m. For the location or more information, call Mark Goodwin at (718) 920-7377.

Free Respite Program
Kingsbridge Heights Community Center (KHCC) is offering free after-school services to families with mentally retarded or developmentally disabled children ages 5 to 21 from 3 to 6 p.m. KHCC is also offering a Saturday Respite Program for ages 15 to 25, and on Sundays another Respite Program is provided for ages 18 to 65. Weekend Respite Program hours are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are held at the KHCC, 3101 Kingsbridge Terrace (near Sedgwick Avenue) at West 230th Street. To register or for more information, call Hanna Gabris at (718) 884-0700 ext. 202.

Speech Program at Ursula 
The Mt. St. Ursula Speech Center, 2885 Marion Ave., is now accepting applications for its fall program. The center has openings for children ages 2 to 5 who are in need of speech and language services. Medicaid and other insurances accepted. For more information, call (718) 584-7679.

Aphasia Clinic Accepting 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 ASHA (American Speech Language Hearing Association). For more information, call Wanda Adams at (718) 960-8138.

 

By None

The winners of the annual Tiger Day reading challenge at PS 94 ("The Magnificent 7" pictured, from left to right,Caius Gillett, Kayla LaTorres, Anna Williams, Mahrukh Jaura,Maisha Haque, Melanie Carrasco, JImmy De La Cruz) read at least 10 nonfiction books, including five biographies, and completed a project to showcase their favorite book. The children read a wide variety of books about famous figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller and President Obama.

By Ivonne Salazar

The current economic downturn inspired Miriam Seminario, the parent coordinator at PS 94 in Norwood, to create a job readiness program to help her unemployed parents.

“The economy is not very good and some of these parents can’t find jobs,” said Seminario. “I decided my parents need some kind of training.”

Seminario partnered with Dress for Success, a national organization that provides low-income women with professional attire, and Ridgewood Savings Bank in Norwood, to present afternoon workshops that started in February. Almost all of the 45 participants who started the program completed it last week. The workshops covered resume writing, interview techniques and job hunting.

Last Thursday afternoon, in the school’s sun-drenched library, parents attended their sixth and final session of the program. Recruiters from the Bronx division of Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), a national organization that works with children from low-income and urban communities, facilitated the session and provided tips for a successful interview.

During the final session, Afruza Shah, 44, who has a son in the fourth grade, practiced walking into an office and greeting the receptionist. After Shah’s long introduction, BELL recruiter Timothy Coleman gave Shah tips on how to improve her interaction. “It was very helpful,” said Shah afterwards. “I did big mistake. … Now I could do it. I feel comfortable.”

The program helped Rahala Yasmin, 33, who has two daughters at PS 94, prepare for an interview. “They speak very clearly about everything,” she said. “We wish every year [they will have] this program.”

Victor Schotte, an educational consultant who facilitated several workshops, said now the women are ready to look for employment. “They want to work,” he said. “There is this frustration because they are teachers in their countries,” he said, referring to many of the mothers from Bangladesh. Schotte tells them to “be patient.”

On May 2, Seminario is organizing a career fair for the parents who completed the job readiness program. Grace Institute, BELL Recruiting, and Lehman College will be some of the companies recruiting potential employees.

Shah hopes she’s one of them. “Everyone wants and needs a job,” she said. 

By Ivonne Salazar

As the city continues to review the  possibility of building a new elementary school on Webster Avenue, parents and activists wanted to know how it will affect other schools and if it will alleviate the chronic overcrowding problems in the area.

The proposed school, slated to open in the fall of 2010, at 3177 Webster Ave., between East 204th and 205th streets, is currently a 45,000-square-foot parking lot. Design plans have not been finalized, as the School Construction Authority (SCA) is still in the siting phase of the project, but officials told residents at a public hearing last Wednesday that the school will be five stories high and accommodate 612 students.

With $50 million allocated for the project, William Havemann, a Department spokesperson, said the school will have a library and a gymnatorium (a gym and auditorium combination), and will be set up for Internet use. The SCA plans to use only half of the space for the school, and the other half as a playground. (Two current building projects in the area, at PS 94 and 95, are being built on former playground space.) 

Some parents say one new school isn’t enough.

“Unfortunately, we have the most overcrowding in all of the Bronx,” said Mary Corsey, 54, a leader with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. Corsey has two grandchildren attending PS 86 in Kingsbridge Heights. “School construction has taken care of other areas in the Bronx and not this area.”

Fernando Tirado, district manager for Community Board 7, asked if the new school would alleviate overcrowding at nearby PS 56 and allow them to remove trailers that house additional students.

Kenrick Ou, SCA’s director of real estate services, said the DOE would look into the issue. Ou and other officials at the public meeting did not say if the new school will alleviate overcrowding at nearby schools, if the new school will be zoned or if more new schools were coming to District 10.

In 2006, the DOE cut 1,700 seats from the 2005-2009 capital plan, claiming that the district did not need the seats. In 2008, a report by the city comptroller said District 10 was the third most overcrowded district in the entire city. This past fall, the DOE acknowledged that the district could benefit from more schools, but only added 400 new seats.

Though a welcome development to many parents, not everyone cared to see a school built in the area.

Ralph, who declined to give his last name and works at the auto shop directly across from the parking lot, said his shop uses the lot to store cars. “I don’t know where people are gonna park,” he said. “They’re gonna have to start parking cars in people’s living rooms.”

Ed. note: The DOE is taking written comments regarding the new school until May 11. Residents can send letters to the School Construction Authority, 30-30 Thompson Ave., Long Island City, New York 11101.

By Editorial

Last week, we tried to cover a meeting of the Kingsbridge Armory Task Force, held at the office of Community Board 7. We were told that the state Open Meetings Law did not apply because the task force only makes recommendations and is not an official government body.

This is technically correct and we also understand that people sometimes feel more comfortable offering unvarnished opinions if they can do so without the press in the room.

The problem is that, too often, decisions get made in advance at these kinds of things without public scrutiny or even awareness. Then the formal “public review process” becomes a sham, a lesson in theater or both.

We hesitate to bring up disagreeable memories, but are compelled to do so by an overwhelming desire not to see history repeated. The deal to put the Croton Water Filtration Plant in the Bronx was made, literally, in the back room of a political organization. The deal to put Yankee Stadium in a park was made somewhere before any public process began, including a middle-of-the-night vote of the state legislature to alienate the parkland.

The Gateway Mall development was sealed by the transfer of an existing lease of city property from one private party to another. We could go on.

We are not naïve. There is always some amount of preliminary discussion and parameter-setting on public decisions by stakeholders. But the public review process has to mean something.

We urge all those involved in the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project to let the public know what their thinking is before the ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Process) begins. And we’d like the stakeholders involved in the negotiations to remember that erring on the side of providing more sunshine to the public via open meetings, even where it is not legally required, goes a long way toward preventing major civic headaches down the road.

(Disclosure: Mosholu Preservation Corporation, the publisher of the Norwood News, is working on a project to clean the streets on Kingsbridge Road. MPC thinks funding should come from the armory development to provide supplemental sanitation and other services to existing businesses in the area.)

By Alex Kratz

With their playground padlocked shut, two kids ran around benches and trees, playing with sticks.

That was the scene last Thursday at Sachkerah Woods, in the southeastern section of Van Cortlandt Park (at the corner of Gun Hill Road and Jerome Avenue), where the city has shut down a relatively new playground facility while the Parks Department works to fix a leaking underground water pipe. 

Sachkerah Woods Playground opened to great fanfare less than two years ago, in the summer of 2007. It was a $2.9 million piece of the $240 million in parks improvements provided by the city in exchange for using part of Van Cortlandt Park to build the Croton Water Filtration Plant.

Though some local park activists have their suspicions, the Parks Department says the leaking pipes have nothing to do with the filtration plant, which is being built in a nine-story hole in the ground adjacent to Sachkerah Woods.

The leaking pipe is attached to the playground’s spray shower. The Parks Department is also repairing the color concrete at the playground, which workers were forced to break through to get at the leaking pipe.

Closed since the beginning of April, Parks Department spokesperson Jesslyn Moser said in an email, “We expect to complete work and reopen the playground in approximately four weeks, depending on the weather.”

Christina Taylor, executive director of the Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, doesn’t understand why it’s taking so long.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” Taylor said. “It’s already been closed for four weeks. This weekend it was up in the 80s and there was no place for these kids to go.”

By Ivonne Salazar

On a gray and cloudy Earth Day, April 22, the preschool class at Concourse House in Kingsbridge contributed to the eco-friendly festivities occurring worldwide by planting flowers in their backyard.

The Busy Bees and the Teddy Bears, as the two preschool classes are called, separated into small groups to pot plants with the help of student volunteers from the Academy of Mount St. Ursula.

In the backyard of Concourse House, which provides transitional housing for women and their children, Executive Director Manuela Schaudt prepared the children for the morning activity. “We’re planting flowers to make the earth beautiful and to put oxygen into the air,” she said, holding up a tiny purple flower. “These are called pansies,” she said. “Can you say pansies?”

“Pansies,” the children repeated.

Though the children have been learning about seeds and plants in their classes, some were hesitant to get their hands dirty.

“Yuck,” said a few children laughing as they dipped their fingers into the dark brown soil and instantly smacked their hands together to get the dirt off.

“They’re a little freaked out,” said Schaudt, smiling. With the help of adult-sized gloves, the children dug holes in the soil, set the flowers in the pot and gingerly packed the dirt back over the roots of the flowers.

Soon the children will plant seeds in pots of soil, and in the summer, the children will plant a vegetable garden. “They will see where [fruits and vegetables] comes from, that it doesn’t come from the supermarket,” said Schaudt.

By None

•    Community Board 7 will meet on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Tracey Towers, 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy. at Jerome Avenue. For more information, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
•    CB7 Committee Meetings: All committees meet at the Community Board office, 229A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
•    The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will meet on Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Scott Tower Community Room, 3400 Paul Ave. For more information, call (718) 231-8470.
•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, May 28 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Brendan’s Church, 333 E. 206th St. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    The Bedford Mosholu Community Association will meet on Wednesday, May 6 at 8 p.m. at 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy. So. Apt. B1 (lobby floor).

By Jordan Moss

Yorman Nuñez, a 20-year-old college student and longtime youth activist and organizer with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, is running for City Council in the 14th District. He has set up a Web site —www.nunez09.com — and is using the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to get the word out about his campaign.

Nuñez’s entry adds to an already crowded field of challengers to incumbent Democrat Maria Baez. The field of declared or possible candidates now also includes Fernando Cabrera, Miguel Santana, Yudelka Tapia, Yesenia Polanco and Israel Ruiz. The Daily News’ Bob Kappstatter reported that yet another candidate, Hector Diaz, has dropped his bid.

By Alex Kratz

Former State Senator Efrain Gonzalez’s trial was once again moved back, this time just another week, to May 11.

Gonzalez is facing nine criminal counts of fraud and corruption for allegedly funneling more than $400,000 of state money back into his own pockets for personal use.

His trial was originally supposed to begin last May. It was then postponed until November and then again until May 4. Gonzalez could be stalling to negotiate a plea agreement like the ones copped by two of his three co-defendants. But his lawyer wouldn’t say whether he was negotiating or planning to negotiate any type of agreement. 

Former Pathways for Youth Executive Director Neil Berger and former Gonzalez staffer Miguel Castanos, however, recently pleaded guilty to related charges. Lucia Sanchez, Gonzalez’s former secretary, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to face trial along with her former boss.

The guilty pleas do not bode well for Gonzalez.

Berger pleaded guilty to federal program fraud on March 30 for sending state funds to the West Bronx Neighborhood Association (WBNA) even though he had “received indications that WBNA was using the funds from Pathways to pay for, among other things, former State Senator Gonzalez’s personal expenses,” according to court documents.

Castanos pleaded guilty to accepting a no-show job that prosecutors say Gonzalez set up for him and then submitting fraudulent time sheets to the Community Association for Progressive Dominicans.

Both face fines and some jail time and will be sentenced in June.
Gonzalez’s lawyer, Murray Richman, was coy about what the guilty pleas meant for his client. “It doesn’t matter one way or another. I guess they were guilty,” he said. “My client is not.”

Richman wouldn’t comment on whether Gonzalez would be following his co-defendants in negotiating a plea agreement. However, he did say that personally, he’d much rather be vacationing in Puerto Rico. But not in the Dominican Republic (where Gonzalez has a home that prosecutors say he paid for with state money).

By Alex Kratz

Ruben Diaz Jr., a 36-year-old career politician from Soundview, will officially become the new Bronx borough president on Friday after winning a special election on April 21 to replace former B.P. Adolfo Carrion.

He easily defeated his lone opponent, Anthony J. Ribustello, 42, a Republican district leader from the east Bronx known more for his acting role in the HBO series “The Sopranos.” Diaz garnered 87 percent of the vote, for an unofficial total of 28,301 votes. Ribustello pulled in 4,081votes.

The result came as no surprise.

In early March, Bronx Democrats united behind Diaz when potential rival and fellow Democrat, Councilman Joel Rivera, officially dropped out of the race, leaving Ribustello as the only challenger.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Diaz was so confident he declined more than $200,000 in public financing and announced he would tap veteran assemblywoman Aurelia Greene to be his deputy before a single vote had been cast.

During his introduction of Diaz at a jam-packed post-election party at Maestro’s restaurant in Morris Park, Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson said, “All of us expect great things from him. A new day in the Bronx begins tomorrow.”

Diaz, who just turned 36 on Sunday, told the crowd that his clear victory would unite the borough. “This was a message that we sent to everyone: from now on, we’re going to look at this as one borough,” he said.

Later, Greene  said the two would “sit down and carve out some plans.” When asked about her priorities, Greene said, “I would say affordable housing is an issue of mine.”

Referring to Carrion, who now runs the White House Office on Urban Affairs, Diaz said, “While people say, ‘Ruben, you’ve got big shoes to fill,’ I tell them ‘I brought some big socks.’”

Dean DelDuca, Diaz’s Assembly chief of staff, will play that same role in the borough president’s office. Carmella Pinkney-Price will be DelDuca’s deputy.

—with reporting by David Greene

By Rachel Waldholz

Joyce Crawford was shocked and upset upon hearing the news that her 4-year-old granddaughter’s city-funded daycare center would no longer offer kindergarten.

“What do you mean no kindergarten!” she said. “Give me a break!”

That sentiment is shared by parents across the city as the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), which funds one of the largest subsidized daycare systems in the country, closes kindergarten classrooms and cuts funding for pre-K in an effort to close a $62 million budget gap.

For 30 years, ACS-funded centers have offered childcare for low-income children, including pre-kindergartners and kindergartners. Starting this fall, ACS centers will no longer serve 5-year-olds. Parents will be forced to place their children in public schools instead.

Parents, centers and public school principals say the cuts will add more children to already overcrowded schools, cause layoffs for daycare workers, and create obstacles for working parents who rely on the centers’ extended hours, all while reducing capacity in a daycare system that, advocates estimate, only serves a third of the families that need it.

The cuts will hit harder in other parts of the city, like Queens and Brooklyn, where more kindergartners attend ACS-funded centers. Just a handful of north Bronx centers will lose their kindergartens.

But daycare workers and guardians like Crawford say the Bronx centers on the chopping block are supportive communities rooted in the neighborhood, the loss of which can’t be measured in classroom seats.

Joyce James, director of the Susan E. Wagner Day Care Center in Baychester, will lose two kindergarten classrooms. James is scrambling to keep her center afloat, but may have to lay off six classroom staffers, plus bookkeepers, cooks and janitors. She has worked at the center since 1975, and has teachers in her classrooms whom she saw graduate from kindergarten. “I’d love to keep my kindergarten,” she said.

“The daycare is like a family,” said Linda Cowans, a teacher for 17 years at the Williamsbridge NAACP daycare center on East 219th Street. Cowans may lose her job when the center loses its kindergarten next year. Cowans said centers offer support that schools cannot, like more teachers, smaller class sizes and more flexible hours.

“Everyone’s schedule is not the same as the public schools’,” said Anita Howell, director of the Crawford Community Day Care Center in Williamsbridge, which will lose its kindergarten next year.

Howell’s center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. At closing time, Howell accommodates parents who are running late. “They won’t be able to do this at the public schools,” she said.

ACS funding cuts are also being felt where the agency’s money is mixed together with other funding sources. 

ACS has proposed cutting up to $104,000 from the Belmont Community Day Care Center, which has operated for 38 years, pulling money from a program that combines funding from ACS and the Department of Education to provide some pre-K curriculum in its classrooms.

Don Bluestone, executive director of Mosholu Montefiore Community Center in Norwood, which runs daycare and pre-K programs throughout the Bronx, doesn’t know how much funding he’ll lose from ACS because funding from several sources is all mixed together, allowing the center to allocate money based on needs. Bluestone says that flexibility will be lost.

“The problem with Bloomberg’s business model,” Bluestone said, “is that it’s non-flexible.”

ACS spokesperson Sharman Stein said there is simply no money to maintain current funding levels. State and federal governments have been “backing away from childcare” for years, Stein said, leaving the city to fill a gap it can longer afford to fill.

Nancy Kolben of Child Care Inc., a childcare advocacy nonprofit, said there are better ways to handle the cuts. “What the city is doing represents a 19 percent cut in capacity in publicly-funded centers, at a time when there is huge unmet demand [and] 40,000 kids on waiting lists,” Kolben said. Instead of adding children to overcrowded kindergarten classrooms, the city could use DOE money to fund classrooms in the centers. At the very least, centers should be allowed to “age-down,” Kolben said, replacing their 5-year-olds with younger students.

Charlene Harry’s twin daughters attend pre-K at Williamsbridge. A month after the kindergarten registration deadline, Harry had yet to register her daughters, meaning they will be at the back of the line when seats are determined.

“I’m just praying they don’t have to cut Williamsbridge,” Harry said.

By Alex Kratz

Activists look at the north annex buildings of the Kingsbridge Armory and see much-needed space for schools. Unfortunately, three state military units still call the twin buildings home.

The state is willing to move the units, but first they need a suitable place to relocate them, one that would not cost them any money and hopefully keep them in the borough.

Now, with an Army Reserve Center in Wakefield closing and the city controlling the redevelopment process for the building, activists see new hope for schools at the Armory. The city’s Economic Development Corporation says they are still looking to relocate the Armory’s military units, but wouldn’t speculate on whether there would be a push to put the units into Reserve Center facility.

First, the city needs to seek notices from interested tenants for the Wakefield space, which could include the Armory units.

 

By Alex Kratz

Hopes faded last week that a revamped Kingsbridge Armory will bring well-paying jobs to one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Bronx.

During a closed-door meeting at the offices of Community Board 7 in Bedford Park, Jesse Masyr, a lawyer for the Armory’s designated developer, the Related Companies, told community representatives that the project would not go forward with guarantees for living wage jobs — $10 and hour, plus benefits, as defined by the City Council. (The Norwood News attempted to cover the meeting, but was told the session was not covered under the state Open Meetings Law. See editorial on p. 6.)

Related and the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have presented the project, which will turn the landmarked Armory into an enormous shopping mall, as an economic boon for the community, mostly because it will bring jobs.

When it’s completed, Masyr said the Amory project will create 1,200 permanent jobs, some full-time, some part-time.

The Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) — which consists of local community groups, clergy and unions and has the vocal support of several elected officials — wanted to ensure that local residents, nearly 30 percent of who live below the poverty line, would benefit through the creation of living wage jobs.

Since the city chose Related for the project last spring, KARA has pushed for living wage language, among other benefits, to be included in a binding Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) signed between the Alliance and Related. Community Board 7 is also pushing for a CBA and living wage jobs.

The board and KARA had hoped to open CBA negotiations last Friday at an advisory meeting organized by the EDC and attended by representatives from the mayor’s office, Council Member Maria Baez, Assemblyman Jose Rivera and Ray Salaberrios, head of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC), who was there representing the borough president’s office.

But when the subject was brought up, Masyr quickly put an end to any hopes of securing living wage jobs, saying that if all they were looking for in a benefits agreement was living wage jobs, he could put an end to the discussion right there. The answer would be no.

In an interview on Tuesday, Masyr said he was all for paying living wages, but that Related could not ask coming retail tenants to pay those types of wages at the Armory, especially given this “extraordinarily difficult” economic climate.

“I can’t ask tenants to have a [higher] wage package than they have just two miles down the road,” Masyr said. He added that other people in the industry think Related is “crazy” for even attempting to proceed on this retail-heavy project, given the state of the economy. “Retail is dead,” Masyr said.

In Los Angeles, Related agreed to living wage language for a downtown development project in a CBA, but Masyr said that’s because living wage is county law. “I’m all for changing the law,” Masyr said.

Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, a KARA leader, said she’s not buying the hardship argument, pointing out that Related is buying the Armory for a mere $5 million, will be receiving an additional $17.8 million in tax breaks and another $45 million in historic preservation tax breaks.

Pilgrim-Hunter said the Armory project will become a “poverty wage center” without living wage provisions. 

With the city backing Related’s stance, Pilgrim-Hunter said the message to the community is: “Be grateful you’re getting anything. Even more, we’re going to further entrench poverty in the community.”

On Friday, city officials said they had no position on CBAs, but would not stop Related and the community from entering into a side benefits agreement.

Masyr did not commit to negotiating benefits agreements with KARA and Community Board 7. Masyr agreed to address KARA’s demands point by point and said, besides the living wage language, nothing they were asking for appeared unreasonable.

Local hiring goals and community space in the Armory are a couple of the items on KARA’s wish list.

Board chairman Greg Faulkner said the biggest development from the meeting was that the board and KARA were now committed to working together to forge a CBA, whatever form that might take.

If the project doesn’t benefit the community, Pilgrim-Hunter said the city should be willing to look at other developers. “The Armory was here to protect the community and now we’re looking for it to protect us from greedy developers who take what they want and then don’t want to give back,” she said.

PS 340 Parents Clown Around

By Ivonne Salazar

Usually it’s the kids, not the grownups, clowning around in elementary school cafeterias.

But on April 2, parents, aunts and grandmothers at PS 340, in North Fordham, turned the tables, putting on a loud, colorful clown show for more than 100 squirming students.

For an hour, the adults, dressed in colorful outfits, their faces painted into smiles, provided a fun-filled showcase complete with ribbon twirling, spinning plates on sticks, hula hooping, and even a couple of comedy skits.

Nuris Crespo, grandmother to Grerly Martinez, a 7-year-old second grader, was all smiles as she described the program as “fabulous” and “fantastic.” Even though she was sick the night before, Crespo was determined to perform in the show. “I would like to see more projects in the future for parents,” she said.

At PS 340, the arts take center stage. Each grade focuses on a different artistic medium. Every year, third graders work with teaching artists from Marquis Studios, a Brooklyn organization, to learn the art of clowning.

This year, parents got into the act, thanks to Parents as Arts Partners grant from The Center for Arts Education. Starting in February, parents (and aunts and grandmothers like Crespo) spent five sessions training with Daniel Evans, 34, (also known as “Dandy Dan”), a professional clown from Marquis Studios.

Training parents to be clowns was different than training children, Evans said. He worked hard with parents “to let their guards down and show their fun side,” he said. “And to just be silly.”

Frances Flores, 32, kept her training a secret from her 8-year-old daughter, Jada Vazquez, a third grader, because she wanted to surprise her. Flores described each training session as “a little getaway” where she could interact with other parents and escape for a few hours. “I think [the program] is wonderful,” she said. “All schools should do something like this.”

Carmina Rodriguez, 47, joined the program to set a positive example for her grandson, Jayden Rodriguez, 5, a kindergartener. “If parents get involved, children will think [school] is important,” she said. “It sends out a message.”

It also helps parents come together. “Besides having a lot of fun, they have bonded quite a bit,” said Maria Acosta, the parent coordinator at PS 340. “That helps [the school] because it keeps parents well informed. We try to make it a family environment for parents.”

Aside from getting to know other parents, the program enables parents to play a key role in future school funding efforts. “It’s important [to participate] because I didn’t know that the school gets grants,” said Josefina Lopez, mother to Chris Bravo, a third grader. “But if you don’t participate, they don’t get grants.”

Plus, who doesn’t want to see their mom acting like a clown?

Special Election at a Glance

By None

The election to fill the post of Bronx borough president will be held on Tuesday, April 21. Only two candidates submitted the signatures required to be eligible to run: Anthony J. Ribustello and Ruben Diaz Jr.

Ribustello is a Republican and Diaz is a Democrat, but because this is a special election they cannot run under the Democratic and Republican lines. Diaz will be listed under the Bronx Unity line and Ribustello under the People First line.

The winner will have to run again in the September primary. The general election in November will choose all the city’s elected officials, from mayor to City Council member, including who will serve a full four-year term as borough president.

Polls will be open on April 21 from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. To find your polling place, call (866) VOTE-NYC.

—Hunts Point Express staff

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage
 

•  The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents Cirque Le Masque, featuring acrobats, aerialists and gymnasts, April 19 at 4 p.m. (tickets are $20 to $35; $10 for children 12 and under;) in the Concert Hall at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. Also coming up is Legends of Salsa 2: A Tribute to Ismael Quintana, featuring Jimmy Delgado’s Salsa con Dulzura Orchestra and a group of salsa performers, April 25 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $35 to $50). For more information, call (718) 960-8833.

 

•  The Bronx Library Center, located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, hosts Silk and Sword, by the Red Silk Dancers, April 18 at 6 p.m.; and West African Music and Dance, April 25 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

 

•  Music and Dance From Albania will be presented at the Mosholu Library, 285 E. 205th St., April 18 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

 

•  The Wave Hill House, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, presents a Concert-Cabaret, featuring KT Sullivan, April 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15/members; $24/non members; $21/students and seniors 65 and over. Prices include admission to the grounds. Advance purchase is recommended. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 ext. 385 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

•  The Church of the Holy Nativity at 3061 Bainbridge Ave. (East 204th Street) presents An Easter Concert, April 25 at 4 p.m., featuring singers, musicians, and the Holy Nativity Choir. Tickets are $10. For more information, call (718) 652-5853.

Events

•  A three-artist showing, Vibrance, Sass and Touch of Class Art Gala, sponsored by the Bronx Council on the Arts and the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, will be held April 16 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Synthetic Zero Art Space, 305 E. 140th St. (between Alexander and 3rd avenues). Guests will include elected officials, local artists, musicians, and more. Some proceeds from purchased art will go to BCA. For more information, call (718) 772-4961.

 

•  Wave Hill offers two family art projects: Layers and Layers of Landscape, to cut and paste landscape views into a 3-D, multi-layered, landscape construction, April 18 and 19; and If I Were a Tree, to collage a tree self-portrait and display it in a grove for a day, April 25 and 26; both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Wave Hill also hosts Cabaret & the Concourse Grand Finale, a trolley tour up the Grand Concourse, stopping at the Paradise Theatre, then back to Wave Hill for a boxed lunch and concert by KT Sullivan. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

•  Run for the Wild will take place at the Bronx Zoo on April 25. The 5K run/walk begins at 9 a.m., preceded by a warm-up and registration at 7 a.m. Post-run festivities from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. include celebrities, live musical entertainment, and activities for kids. To participate or to pre-register, visit www.wcsrunforthewild.org for details, or call (718) 220-5182. Additional celebrations for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Earth Month will take place April 13-19, 25 and 26.

 

•  The Riverdale Mental Health Association will host a Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies 5K Run/Walk, April 26 at 11 a.m. at Van Cortlandt Park, Broadway and 246th Street near the tortoise and hare statue. Entry fee is $15/person, $10/students. There will also be a 1K Fun Run for $5, as well as children’s games and face painting. Awards will be given to winners and prizes awarded to top fund-raisers. Participants will receive a T-shirt and refreshments are provided. For more information and to register, contact 5KRUNWALK@RMHA.ORG.

 

•  So Much Spring, a variety of attractions including workshops, demonstrations and programs, will take place at the New York Botanical Garden from April through June. Antique Garden Furniture Show and Sale, featuring tours and lectures daily, will be held May 1 to 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a benefit preview party and collectors’ plant sale on April 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. Also at the Garden is a hands-on children’s program, Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures, held in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, to learn about the plant origins of these two sweet treats, including making and tasting these products, as well as many additional family programs throughout the Garden, all through April 19. Call for schedule (718) 817-8700.

Exhibits

•  En Foco and Pregones Theatre present Mi Sangre, a free photo exhibition held at the theatre, located at 571-575 Walton Ave. (between 149th and 150th streets), through May 9, by Mexican-American photographer, Rojelio Reyes Rodriquez, currently living and working in New York City. For more information, visit www.pregones.org.

 

•  The Bronx Council on the Arts presents Dream Sequence, a free exhibition at the Longwood Gallery at Hostos, 450 Grand Concourse (149th Street), Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., through May 9, which explores a number of themes using drawings, paintings, photography, sculpture, and video. An artists talk will take place on May 9 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the show’s closing. A BCA Culture Trolley Saturdays trip will take place on April 18 featuring a private artist studio tour with members from Creative Time. For more information, call (718) 931-9500.

 

•  The Lehman College Art Gallery presents Viñoly in the Bronx, highlighting building designs of architect Rafael Viñoly, including a model of Lehman’s APEX Building. The exhibition, which runs through May 20, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also features drawings, photographs, and planning documents. Visitors can tour the exhibition and APEX on April 22 at 1 p.m. by meeting in the school’s Art Gallery. For more information, call (718) 960-8731.

 

•  The Bronx Council on the Arts presents Outsiders: Contemporary Works of Immigrant Artisans, an exhibition featuring work of local artists, through May 7, at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street, Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Opening reception is April 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. Closing reception is May 6. For more information, call (718) 518-6728.

 

•  The Young and the Restless, an exhibition of six emerging artists based in New York, featuring painting, sculpture, and photography, will be held at the Gordon Parks Gallery, 332 E. 149th St., through May 3. For more information, call (718) 665-1310 or (914) 654-5427.

Learning
 
The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

-For children and preschoolers, there is Preschool Romp, April 16, 18, 23 and 30 at 11 a.m.

-Also, for school-aged children, there is Birds of Prey, April 22 at 2 p.m.; Arts & Crafts, April 23 at 4 p.m.; Poetry Slam, April 24 at 4 p.m.; Toddler Two-Step, April 25 at 11 a.m.; and Latin Music Voyage: A Journey South Through the Spanish Speaking World, April 26 at 2 p.m.

-Young adults can attend What’s Your Story, April 20 at 4 p.m.; Open Mic Session, April 23 at 4 p.m.; and Create Extraordinary Beads, April 29 at 4 p.m.

-For adults, there is 50+ Fun and Fitness Fair, April 24 at 3 p.m.
The entire family can enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird, April 18 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, located at 285 E. 205th St., presents Playing With Polymers, for children, April 21 at 4 p.m.; and Poetry Day, April 25 at 2 p.m. for adults. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents programs for all ages. For children, there is Arts and Crafts, April 17 at 3:30 p.m.; Toddler Story Time, April 24 at 10:30 a.m.; and Rosie, April 24 at 3:30 p.m.; and for young adults, there is Crafts with Liana Acevedo: April 23 at 4:30 p.m.: Candle Making; and April 30 at 4 p.m.: Glass Mosaics. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by April 20 for the next publication date of April 30.

Open Board Mtgs. to All

By None

Currently, Amalgamated cooperators are preparing to elect new directors and vote on proposed bylaw amendments on May 8. One of the amendments is quite simple. It adds to the bylaws that “regular meetings of the Board of Directors are open to all shareholders.” That amendment would help encourage more cooperators to participate in co-op affairs. Sadly, a board member will oppose that amendment at the informational meeting on April 17 and no board member nor current candidate for the board has endorsed it. Should not Amalgamated Board members be happy to encourage more observers at their meetings?

Jay Hauben

The writer is a cooperator at Amalgamated Houses.

Wanted: Neighborhood Crime Stats On-Line

By Editorial

Two issues ago, we complained about not being able to get the New York City Police Department to release to us neighborhood-by-neighborhood statistics (the precinct is divided into lettered sectors).

Soon after that, the NYPD complied with our Freedom of Information Law request, which we appreciate. In our last issue, we published the sector maps including how many incidences of each crime category (homicides, rapes, auto theft, robberies, etc.) there were in each sector in 2008.  (We failed to note that the source of the statistics, from which we created the maps, was the NYPD.)

If discussion on our blog (bronxnewsnetwork.org) is any indication, this is the type of information that many residents find useful. Knowing that crime of a particular kind, or crime in general, is up or down precinct-wide is much less useful than knowing what the trend is in your neighborhood.

For example, one reader was surprised by the number of auto thefts in her community.

“I was surprised by the stats for sector J. When we receive the crime reports from the 52nd Precinct, we are often told that our area is safe,” the reader commented. “Although I feel safe in my neighborhood, evidently our autos are targets. Is it possible to receive these reports on a sector basis each month? The overall report for the entire precinct does not really inform the public about their own neighborhood.”

Couldn’t have said it better ourselves. How about it NYPD? Why not put the Compstat sector stats on-line, if not weekly, then at least monthly?

Ed. note: To add your voice to the discussion of the neighborhood crime issue, go to www.bronxnewsnetwork.org.

Public and Community Meetings

By None

•    The general meeting of Community Board 7 will take place on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Philip Neri School Auditorium, 3043 Grand Concourse. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
•    CB7 Committee Meetings: The Traffic and Transportation Committee will meet on Monday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. The Education, Libraries, and Cultural Affairs Committee will meet on April 22, 6:30 p.m. All committees meet at the Community Board office, 229A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
•    The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee will meet on Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m.
•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at St. James Church, 2500 Jerome Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    The Community District 10 Education Council will meet on April 23 at PS 94, 3530 Kings College Pl. at 6:15 p.m.

Armory Task Force Meeting

By Alex Kratz

The Kingsbridge Armory Task Force is set to meet on April 24. What will the topic of discussion be? Depends on who you ask.

The task force, which includes representatives of the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC), local elected officials, Community Board 7 and the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), was set up to provide community input on the  redevelopment of the Armory, which the Related Companies plans to turn into a shopping mall.

Both the community board and KARA say they want to talk about negotiating a binding community benefits agreement (CBA) with Related that could include local hiring provisions, living wage guarantees, options to unionize and more community space for youth and seniors.

The EDC, which set up the task force, says the only topic of discussion will be community space.

Related could not be reached by press time. In the past, Related has said the task force would be the arena where a benefits agreement would get hammered out, but has been reluctant to talk about the parameters of such an agreement.

A representative for KARA said any talks with Related are good, but the organization wanted to make sure more community space wouldn’t be a substitute for the other benefits they’re asking for.

Hearing for Proposed New School

By Alex Kratz

The city is looking to hear from the community about the possibility of putting a new school at 3177 Webster Ave.

If it’s approved, the new school will be a 612-seat primary/intermediate school in District 10, the third most overcrowded district in the city, according to a recent city comptroller report.

Community Board 7 will hold an official public hearing regarding the proposed new school on Wednesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bedford Park Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St.
For more information, call the Board office at (718) 933-5650.

Diaz Already Making BP Plans

By Alex Kratz

With the special election for borough president coming up on Tuesday, the Campaign Finance Board revealed that underdog candidate Anthony J. Ribustello, a Republican, had increased his war chest from $200 a month ago to more than $5,000.

Unfortunately, his opponent, Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr., has now raised more than $400,000.

So confident is Diaz that he’s even announced his future deputy borough president, longtime Bronx politician and Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene, who accepted the offer.

And already, names are being floated to replace the two vacated seats in the Assembly. One name coming up as possible replacement for Diaz’s seat is Pedro G. Espada, a former city councilman and the son of State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr.

Murder Victim Identified

By Alex Kratz

A man stabbed  to death on March  29 on Marion Avenue in North Fordham  has been  identified by a relative as Solomon Legend Tabar, 31, of the Dominican Republic.

The relative didn’t want to be named and didn’t offer any information about the murder. But she did say she’d spoken with police several times and that they were continuing to investigate.
Police did not respond to inquiries by press time.

Tabar was murdered at the same building where a woman was murdered on Jan. 5. 

Cash for Guns, No Questions Asked

By Ivonne Salazar

Police want guns off the street and they’re willing to pay for them.

As part of a citywide NYPD initiative, Bronxites can surrender an operable gun and  receive a $200 bank card, Saturday, April 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at two local churches.

Local residents can drop off guns at the Immaculate Conception Church, 754 E. Gun Hill Rd., between Holland Avenue and Capuchin Way or at Community Protestant Church, 1659 E. Gun Hill Rd., between Gunther Avenue and Tiemann Avenue.

BB guns and air pistols will also be accepted for $20. You can surrender as many guns as you wish, but you will only be paid for three or up to $600. For more information and to find other locations, call 311 regarding the “Bronx Gun Buyback Program.”

Guns owned by active or retired law enforcement officers or licensed gun dealers will not be accepted.

Fire Under Floor Guts Bakery

By Rachel Waldholz

Firefighters tore through several Bainbridge Avenue businesses Monday morning, gutting a bakery and damaging several other stores as they searched for a fire issuing smoke but no flames, according to business owners and witnesses.

The two-alarm fire was finally found beneath the floor of Bainbridge Bakery and Pastry, between East 205th and 206th streets. Firefighters ripped through three inches of concrete to reach it, said James Smythe, who was leading the clean-up crew.

The Fire Department had not determined the fire’s cause at press time. One minor injury was reported.

The bakery’s owner, who gave only her first name, Ana, said she hopes to reopen. But the bakery and its kitchen were completely destroyed, the owner said. On Monday afternoon, a crew worked to board up the windows and holes punched in the roof by firefighters.

Inside, half the floor was torn away to the dirt, and tin ceiling panels dangled from beams. Firefighters had hacked through a wall, destroying a mural of Ana’s hometown in Montenegro.

Ana has insurance. “But how much do they cover?” she said, “I’m not insured for all this damage, just a little bit.”

Saten Elgaaly, manager of the Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Bainbridge and East 204th Street, said she received a call at 6:20 a.m. Monday from an employee who smelled smoke. Elgaaly told her to call the Fire Department.

Fire Department spokesman Brian Smith said his agency didn’t receive a call until 7:38 a.m. and arrived on the block by 7:41 a.m. The first responders, Engines 79 and 62, and Ladder 37, called for more units at 8:17 a.m. In total, 25 units and 106 firefighters converged on the fire.

Several businesses suffered damage from the firefighters’ search.
Elgaaly reported a leaking roof, damaged freezer and holes in the ceiling at Dunkin Donuts. Firefighters tore down ceiling panels and damaged inventory in Neighborhood Gift and Wireless, said owner Mir Mansur, who added that he has no insurance.

The fire didn’t reach Michael Rugova’s European Minimarket next door to the bakery, but firefighters destroyed a wall, the ceiling and shelves. He had to throw out his entire inventory — all food — because of possible contamination.

Rugova has no insurance, but plans to rebuild by this weekend, he said. He owns two other stores and a restaurant on City Island, but he is particularly fond of this neighborhood, as it was the first place he lived upon moving to the US from Montenegro, in 1986.

He hopes the bakery reopens. “We were here for so many years together,” he said, “Everyone on this block knows each other.”

“Thank God nobody got hurt,” he said “The rest, it’s fixable.”

Four Bronx Institutions Push to Transform Area

By Alex Kratz

People have told Joe Muriana, director of government and community relations at Fordham University, that the bulky orange-striped Jersey barriers on Fordham Road near his school’s main campus make the stretch look like a war zone. Once considered a temporary fix, the barriers have stood for more than 20 years.

John Calvelli, a vice president at the Bronx Zoo, which borders the road, said it had gotten to the point where he was “beginning to suspect that those temporary barriers were becoming permanent.”

But now, thanks to a new coalition of the borough’s four largest institutions —Fordham, the Zoo, Montefiore Medical Center and the New York Botanical Garden — plans are in place to transform the thoroughfare into a lush, tree-lined parkway.

It’s just one of several aesthetically pleasing projects being developed and pushed by the Four Bronx Institutions Alliance (FBIA).

Pooling Resources
Though these institutions are all significant independently, Muriana said the Alliance was necessary given the neglect usually reserved for the outer boroughs.

“The outer boroughs get treated like the city’s stepchildren,” Muriana said. “Had we been in Manhattan, people would pay attention. But this being the Bronx, we needed to be a singular voice for this particular area.”

Given the institutions’ proximity to each other and Bloomberg’s heavy reliance on public-private partnerships, Calvelli said the idea to come together seemed natural.

“We thought, ‘If we can pool our resources, we can make things happen,’” Calvelli said.

For decades, these four pillars, which employ 15,500 people, have inhabited the northwest Bronx, periodically working together on shared projects.

“We’ve always had collegial working relationships with the other institutions,” said Karl Lauby, the Garden’s longtime spokesman. “Well, aside from the radio tower diversion.”

A Rift Mended
For almost the entire 1990s and into the new millennium, the Garden and Fordham battled over a 480-foot radio tower Fordham was building for its public station, WFUV. The Garden tied the project up in court, arguing the tower’s looming presence would damage the natural views from its conservancy building.

It was Montefiore that finally stepped in to negotiate a solution in 2004. They agreed to place the tower on top of the hospital’s main residential building on Wayne Avenue near Gun Hill Road, where it still sits today and broadcasts to 13 million potential listeners.

“Spike [Spencer Foreman, Montefiore’s longtime president up until last year] came in and saved the issue, with this proposal,” Muriana said.

It proved to be a turning point. “That really cemented the relationships,” Muriana said.

The tower was erected in 2005. By then, the institutions were on their way to creating a more formal alliance. In 2006, the quartet agreed on a formal process by which they would identify mutually beneficial projects.

Working With the Mayor
The Alliance then negotiated a process of working with the mayor to get their projects completed. Every month, representatives of the Alliance meet with staffers for Deputy Mayor Patty Harris. The mayor’s office determines what they can accomplish and have money for and then coordinates the work with key agencies. 

“We wanted to imagine this place in a different way, make it more of a destination, not just in our parks [the Zoo and Garden both occupy public parkland] but when you arrive here [in the neighborhood],” Calvelli said.

In other words, FBIA would focus on infrastructure. After scrapping proposed mass transit improvements like renovating subway and train stations, due to MTA money troubles, the institutions targeted four major roads and one intersection for improvement.

Working with the architectural firm Cooper Robertson and Partners, they’ve developed preliminary design plans for Fordham Road, Mosholu Parkway, Southern Boulevard, Kazimiroff Boulevard and the grand intersection, which acts as a pivot connecting the University, Zoo and Garden. All include extensive plans for attractive walkways, curbing and landscaping.

They’ve also consulted the city on the rezoning of Webster Avenue and a renovation of Fordham Plaza.

FBIA has already managed to secure some curbside improvements on Mosholu Parkway and Kazimiroff Boulevard. The Fordham Road and Mosholu Parkway re-designs are furthest along the development road and are awaiting approval from the Department of Design and Construction.

The renovations of Webster and Fordham Plaza are going forward as well.

Communicating With the Community
Local community boards 6 and 7 say they’re pleased with FBIA’s efforts, but were displeased with a lack of communication concerning the Webster rezoning and Fordham Plaza projects. 

This past fall, on its Web site, Fordham touted its efforts to revitalize Webster Avenue through a rezoning effort, something members of Community Board 7 had been working on with city planners since the beginning of the year.

Greg Faulkner, CB7’s chair, said the board was upset.  But it wasn’t just about misplaced credit. Rather, it was the board’s realization that the institutions were enjoying more direct access to the mayor’s office at closed-door meetings.

It’s another example of Bloomberg’s preference for working with private institutions instead of community boards, Faulkner said.

Leaders at Community Board 6 also expressed displeasure when they found out the Alliance had consulted with the city on how to redevelop Fordham Plaza, a gritty concrete-heavy transit hub, without first talking to the board.

Eveline Eskine, a mayoral spokesperson, said the city is working closely with the Alliance to identify infrastructure projects that are important to the community. She also said the mayor’s office depended on FBIA to involve the community, though certain projects, like rezoning, are required to go through the community boards as part of the land use review process.

Dart Westphal, who attends the FBIA meetings, including those at the mayor’s office, for Montefiore as the president of the Mosholu Preservation Corporation (MPC is a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore and the publisher of the Norwood News), said, “Communication is never perfect, but we believe we have all learned how to communicate better and work together going forward.”

Ivine Galarza, who’s in her 14th year as district manager of CB6, said ever since the Fordham Plaza incident a year and a half ago, communication has improved and the board and Alliance are now on the same page.

“Because the private institutions bring in a lot of revenue, they would have more clout,” Galarza said. “It’s obvious this mayor wants to deal with the big things in our community. We don’t mind that. Where would be without those institutions?”

Faulkner agrees that communication has improved (FBIA recently consulted with both boards and local merchants about where to put new street trees being provided by the city), but says he would still love to be at those monthly meetings with the mayor.

Board communication aside, Muriana says the key is that the Bronx is being heard loud and clear at City Hall.

Times Scholarship Winner Off to Cornell

By Peter Mullin

One of only a dozen recipients of the 2009 New York Times Company Foundation College Scholarship, 18-year-old Andrew Boryga of Bedford Park is headed for the Ivy League.

This August, the Mount Saint Michael Academy senior will begin classes at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he intends to major in English. In addition to the Times scholarship, Boryga received a Cornell University Grant covering all his tuition expenses.

Boryga, a participant in The Bronx Youth Journalism Initiative and a writer for Bronx Youth Heard (the special youth supplement that appears in three west Bronx newspapers), was selected for the scholarship from over 2,000 applications received by the newspaper.

Open to all New York City high school seniors, recipients of the award receive four-year scholarships of $7,500 annually. The program also provides winners with a laptop, a six-week summer internship at the Times, college prep classes and future career and internship advice.

Candidates are evaluated based on their outstanding academic achievement and commitment to both learning and community service.

In his application, Boryga submitted several essays to the Times, including commentary on the presidential election (he’s a big Obama supporter), community service and his career goals. The latter, he thinks, was one of the qualities that stood out in his portfolio to the scholarship evaluators.

“I’m the one kid who actually wants to be a journalist,” Boryga says, referring to the career interests of the scholarship winners. “I want to work for The New York Times one day. It’s the paper read by almost everyone around the world.”

For Boryga, who says journalism is his obvious calling, the most exciting part of the entire experience is the upcoming opportunity to intern with the Times.

“I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing over the summer,” he says. “It might just be routine office work, but just being able to go to the Times building every day is a thrill. I love that place. I just get this feeling that this is really where I want to be.”

Few Parents Seek Seats on Ed. Councils

By Ivonne Salazar

Hoping to drum up parent involvement in this year’s Community Education Council elections, the Department of Education (DOE) is allowing all parents to weigh in on their favorite candidates online.

But the number of candidates has declined sharply and election outreach efforts have lagged, leaving candidates to acknowledge a general sense that parents aren’t tuned in to what purpose the councils serve or why they should get involved with them in the first place.

Education councils were created in 2003 after Mayor Bloomberg instituted mayoral control over the city’s public schools. After his controversial decision to eliminate local school boards, education councils (there is one for each district) were supposed to provide parents with a way to participate under the new system. 
The councils play two roles. They advise the local DOE leadership and vote on school zoning proposals. Critics say education councils give parents limited authority to influence policy.

“Most parents feel they have no real power,” said Shom Shamapande, communication director for Campaign for Better Schools, an organization working to end mayoral control.  “The theory was that parents could elect people to represent them.” But Shamapande says that now parents feel powerless. “No one wants to feel like they are a rubber stamp to a one-man rule of mayoral control,” he said.

For the first time since the creation of education councils, parents have the opportunity to cast an online advisory vote in support of candidates to represent them on community education councils (only parents association officers can officially vote; see sidebar).

While the DOE touts this new system as a way to engage parents, the number of applicants (the DOE must determine if they are eligible to run) has plummeted, down from 705 candidates in 2007 to 500 this year.

Parents and activists attribute the decrease in parent participation to a lack of communication between the DOE and parents.

Elise Krentzel, a District 10 candidate and Riverdale resident, said many parents do not understand the role of the councils. “Most parents have no clue what [an education council] is, so they don’t know what they are voting for,” she said. “That’s why there was such an abysmal turnout.”

The DOE organized open forums in March throughout the city to enable parents to meet with candidates, but these events failed to attract a large number of parents. Only a dozen parents attended the District 10 Education Council forum, and only nine out of the 15 candidates were there.

Marvin Shelton, president of the District 10 Education Council, noticed the poor turnout.  “I’ve heard that some people were not happy with the outreach,” he said.

Wakefield resident and District 10 candidate Jacqui Evans also noticed the lack of publicity. “I haven’t really seen that much promotion for this,” she said.

 “I understand the turnout has not been that great,” added Evans, whose son attends the TAPCo  School in Fordham. “I think if parents feel it doesn’t really matter, that decreases some of the incentives [to participate].”

Other parents in the area believe that the on-line component will in fact deter parents from casting their advisory vote.

Nubia Moreno, a resident of Marble Hill, currently serves on the District 10 education council. “We should give [parents] more time,” she said in Spanish. “Not all parents can get to a computer.” Moreno also noted that the on-line vote will be a challenge for parents who do not speak English and who might be too intimidated to go to the library and use the computer.

According to William Havemann, a DOE spokesman, the online-only option was implemented based on feedback from parents during the 2007 election. “State law mandates that only PTA officials can formally vote, so [the DOE] can’t change state law,” Havemann said. “But we wanted to make sure those officials have as much information as possible from the parents they represent.”

“We wish there were more candidates as we always do, but we think that the outreach has been very strong,” Havemann said.

The issue of parental involvement in education councils is now getting attention from politicians. Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer are working on state legislation that would transfer leadership of the education councils from the DOE to the borough president’s office. The new legislation would make education councils more independent and give them rights similar to community boards.

“The problem is that [parents] have virtually no power under the thumb of the DOE,” Dinowitz said.

Despite having limited influence, District 10 candidates are eager to serve. “Even with extreme limitations, [education councils] can find ways to be effective,” Evans said. “Nobody wants to go back to the ways things were [before mayoral control]. It was not effective. But how do you at the same time make the current [education councils] more effective than they currently are?”

“Honestly, I don’t think the [education councils] have enough power,” said Krentzel. “I think it is a measure that was ill-conceived, but if this is what we are dealing with at the moment, then I would like to make a difference.”

By Ivonne Salazar

Usually it’s the kids, not the grownups, clowning around in elementary school cafeterias.

But on April 2, parents, aunts and grandmothers at PS 340, in North Fordham, turned the tables, putting on a loud, colorful clown show for more than 100 squirming students.

For an hour, the adults, dressed in colorful outfits, their faces painted into smiles, provided a fun-filled showcase complete with ribbon twirling, spinning plates on sticks, hula hooping, and even a couple of comedy skits.

Nuris Crespo, grandmother to Grerly Martinez, a 7-year-old second grader, was all smiles as she described the program as “fabulous” and “fantastic.” Even though she was sick the night before, Crespo was determined to perform in the show. “I would like to see more projects in the future for parents,” she said.

At PS 340, the arts take center stage. Each grade focuses on a different artistic medium. Every year, third graders work with teaching artists from Marquis Studios, a Brooklyn organization, to learn the art of clowning.

This year, parents got into the act, thanks to Parents as Arts Partners grant from The Center for Arts Education. Starting in February, parents (and aunts and grandmothers like Crespo) spent five sessions training with Daniel Evans, 34, (also known as “Dandy Dan”), a professional clown from Marquis Studios.

Training parents to be clowns was different than training children, Evans said. He worked hard with parents “to let their guards down and show their fun side,” he said. “And to just be silly.”

Frances Flores, 32, kept her training a secret from her 8-year-old daughter, Jada Vazquez, a third grader, because she wanted to surprise her. Flores described each training session as “a little getaway” where she could interact with other parents and escape for a few hours. “I think [the program] is wonderful,” she said. “All schools should do something like this.”

Carmina Rodriguez, 47, joined the program to set a positive example for her grandson, Jayden Rodriguez, 5, a kindergartener. “If parents get involved, children will think [school] is important,” she said. “It sends out a message.”

It also helps parents come together. “Besides having a lot of fun, they have bonded quite a bit,” said Maria Acosta, the parent coordinator at PS 340. “That helps [the school] because it keeps parents well informed. We try to make it a family environment for parents.”

Aside from getting to know other parents, the program enables parents to play a key role in future school funding efforts. “It’s important [to participate] because I didn’t know that the school gets grants,” said Josefina Lopez, mother to Chris Bravo, a third grader. “But if you don’t participate, they don’t get grants.”

Plus, who doesn’t want to see their mom acting like a clown?

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