• Home
• News
• Health
• Politics
• Schools
• Crime
• Business
• Opinion
• Sports
• Culture

 RSS

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Events

 

Enjoy Summer on the Bronx River. The Bronx River Alliance presents several  upcoming events: On June 26, take a 2-hour guided walk in the Bronx River Forest; and on June 27, there’s a choice of community rowboating at Hunts Point Riverside Park; visiting the Bronx River Festival which includes canoe rides, entertainment and food; or enjoying a car-free Crotona Park, rain or shine, which includes biking and family activities. For full details, call the Alliance at (718) 430-4665 or visit www.bronxriver.org.

 

Join a Bronx for Recovery Walk on June 27 at Van Cortlandt Park’s Parade Ground Path (242nd Street and Broadway) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help raise awareness and support people in treatment and recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. There will be activities for children and T-shirts for adults. For more information, call (718) 920-2620.

 

Car-free Bronx Coalition presents Bronx on the Move, a car-free Saturday at Crotona Park, June 27 from noon to 5 p.m. between Claremont Parkway and Crotona Park North (rain or shine), featuring summer family fitness events including zumba lessons inspired by traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and merengue music; guided bike ride starting in Crotona Park featuring free bike riding lessons for kids and adults and free simple bike repair; and free health screening and advice on healthy eating. For more information, call (718) 324-4466 or visit transalt.org/events/calendar.

 

Wave Hill offers two family art projects: Shadow Play in the Forest, to enjoy shadow puppet show of “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” followed by making puppets and scenery, June 27 and 28; and Spray a River Garden, to combine mists of watercolor and blossoms fashioned from color-soaked coffee filters into a blooming waterslide vision, July 4 and 5; both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

The Edible Garden, taking place at the New York Botanical Garden through Sept. 13, features edible plants, teaches vegetable growing and offers celebrity food presentations by Martha Stewart (scheduled to appear on June 27), Emeril Lagasse (scheduled to appear on Sept. 12), and others. There will be children’s activities throughout the summer in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. An opening festival weekend will be held on June 27 and 28. Farmers Market will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays through Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Summer concerts are scheduled for Thursday evenings. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

 

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 July 1. For more information or to confirm, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or log on to www.bronxarts.org.

 

Exhibits

 

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.

 

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 through June. One exhibit is 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. Resplendent Roses exhibit, a celebration of America’s national flower, begins in June and runs through the first frost. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

 

Learning

 

The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance (BAAD), located at 841 Barretto St., presents their Boogie Down Dance Series 2009, featuring a dance class: Choreography Lab on June 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ($15/session). For more information, call (718) 842-5223.

The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

For children and preschoolers, there is Preschool Romp, June 25 at 11 a.m.; and Toddler Two-Step, June 27 at 11 a.m. (pre-registration is required).

Also, for school-aged children, there is Eric Carle Craft, June 25 at 4 p.m.; Create a Work of Fiction, July 6 at 3 p.m.; Stump the Librarian, July 7 at 3 p.m.; and Arts and Crafts, July 9 at 3 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 Summer Fun, kids can choose an activity, July 1 and 8 at 2:30 p.m.; and Toddler Time, July 2 at 10:30 a.m. For young adults, there is Small Talk About Big Issues, July 1 and 8 at 3 p.m.; and Crafternoons, July 10 at 2 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Toddler Story Time, June 26 at 10:30 a.m., for preschoolers; and School’s Out Luau, June 25 at 4:30 p.m., for young adults. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by June 29 for the next publication date of July 9.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Free Financial Education Workshops
The University Neighborhood Housing Program is offering free financial education workshops in English and Spanish on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer. Future workshops will take place on July 2 and 7 at the Chapel in Concourse House (2751 Grand Concourse) from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Workshops will cover topics such as debt management, basic banking, understanding credit, and budgeting. Demand for future workshops and suggestions are welcome. Contact Jumelia Abrahamson at (718) 933-2539 or jumelia@unhp.org to RSVP.

Stomp Out Sarcoma Walk
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and the Liddy Shriver Foundation are having a Stomp Out Sarcoma Walk on Saturday, July 18 at Van Cortlandt Park (240th Street entrance at Broadway near the fox statue). The event will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and the proceeds of the walk will help fund Sarcoma research. To register or make a donation, call May Thompson at (718) 741-2342. In the event of rain, the walk will be held at the Children’s Hospital, 111 E. 210th St.

MTA’s Trip Planner Voice
Trip Planner Voice is a telephone service that allows customers to access bus and subway travel itinerary information via telephone 24/7 without the need to wait to speak to an agent. Trip Planner provides customers with the best and most accurate directions, fare information, walking distances and scheduled connections to and from other transit modes and transfers. For more information, and to learn how to get mobile access, visit www.tripplanner.mta.info.

Farmers Market at Botanical Garden
There will be an all day Wednesday and Saturday Farmers Market at the Botanical Garden through Nov. 14.  The Wednesday market will be held near Tulip Tree Allee and the Saturday market will be across the street from the Garden’s Mosholu Gate entrance. Vendors from New York’s Hudson Valley region and beyond offer a variety of home grown products, meats and home baked goods. For more information, visit www.nybg.org/edible_garden/farmers_market.php or call (718) 362-9561 and press 403#.

Free Spaying/Neutering
The Toby Project will be offering free spaying and neutering services for dogs and cats on the following dates: Tuesday, June 30 at 182nd Street and Southern Boulevard; Wednesdays, July 1 and 15 at East 144th Street and Third Avenue; Saturdays, June 27 at 230th Street and Broadway and July 11 at 1949 Westchester Ave.; and Sundays, June 28 at 1527 Jesup Ave. and July 12 at Capuchin Way between East Gun Hill Road and Magenta Street. Animals should be dropped off at 7 a.m. and picked up a few hours later. For more information, call (212) 799-1120 or visit www.tobyproject.org.  

Volunteer at North Bronx Healthcare
The North Bronx Healthcare Network is seeking volunteers for the Sexual Assault Treatment Program run at North Central Bronx Hospital, Jacobi Medical Center, and Lincoln Medical Center. Those interested should be willing to volunteer twice a month and commit to serving the program for one year. For more information, call (718) 519-4788. 

NMCIR Immigration Assistance
The Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights is offering immigration assistance to Bronxites. There is assistance with U.S. Citizenship, family petitions, and travel permits. It is offered at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave., Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (718) 484-8294 or email info@NMCIR.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.

MetroCard Grace Periods
MTA New York City Transit has announced that all riders who purchase a 1-Day Fun Pass, 7-Day, 14-Day, or 30-Day Unlimited MetroCard before the June 28 fare change, and use them for the first time no later than July 6, will receive all entitled unlimited travel. Purchases made prior to June 28 are valid as follows: One-Day Fun Passes until July 6; 7-Day Unlimited MetroCards until July 12; 14-Day Unlimited MetroCards until July 19, and 30-Day Unlimited MetroCards until Aug. 4. Pay-per-ride MetroCards are not affected and can be used normally after the increase. For more information, visit www.mta.info.

Aid for Veterans and Their Families
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.

Free Career Information Seminars
Lehman College Office of Continuing Education is holding free career information seminars for its non-credit certificate programs. For dates, times and locations of seminars, please call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu.ce.

Computer Classes at Williamsbridge Oval
The Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval E., is holding computer classes on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Learn how to use the internet and MS Office software. For more information, contact Albert Davis or Tuwanda Ruffin at (718) 654-1851.

Teen Trailways Summer Camp
Teens entering 7th to 10th grade can enroll in the Teen Trailways program at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, which takes campers on day trips to sporting events, Broadway shows, comedy clubs, lakes, beaches, state parks, and amusement parks. Teens can also go on longer trips to Virginia Beach, Toronto and Disney World in Florida. For more information, call (718) 882-4000.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

Fresh and New Delis

By Andrew Boryga

Amidst a row of worn and weathered awnings, the brightly lit and inviting Green Valley Gourmet Deli on Bainbridge Avenue stands out and provides a refreshing contrast to some of the other local businesses. It’s one of two shiny new delis to open up shop in the neighborhood.

Green Valley, which opened in February, prides itself on being different. “We are something new,” says employee Basher Alkusari. In addition to standard deli foods such as sandwiches and grocery items, Green Valley offers Middle Eastern Halal fare and various cakes and pastries. Alkusari says the Halal food has been a hit so far with the employees of North Central Bronx Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center.

Walking inside the deli, you are immediately struck by the inviting floor layout and decorative interior. The walls are painted in an embroidered satin color. “Everyone loves the walls,” Alkusari says.

The Gourmet Deli on Webster Avenue and 204th Street has also received its share of admiration. It’s a local-friendly spot that receives lots of customers from the nearby 52nd Police Precinct headquarters. 

Anvore Tareb, the night shift employee for the 24-hour deli, says business has gone well since the store’s opening in January. The majority of the customers come for the deli foods such as the sandwiches, hot and cold food options, cakes, and fresh fruits, Tareb says. The deli also offers several lunchtime specials, which Tareb says many people take advantage of.

The deli sits on the corner of a busy intersection, and the great big awning still displaying colorful “grand opening” banners is an eye-catcher for anyone passing by.

Both delis opened with the hope that their contemporary look would help boost their productivity, and so far things have gone well. “We bring something fresh and new to this neighborhood,” says Alkusari, leaning on his spotless marble countertop. “I’m confident we’ll be around for a while.”

MS 80 Bursts With Talent

By Molly Ryan

On Friday, June 12, MS 80 set the stage for the next generation of talented artists. This year at the annual talent show, there were 15 acts consisting of students ranging in age from 11 to 15.

Some noteworthy acts included Crystal Cruz performing her original poem “Life” and Leila Kolenovic singing “Crazier” by Taylor Swift. Also in the talent show were groups of dancers and another poet.

MS 80 Parent Coordinator, Miriam Alejandro, said the talent show had “a nice turnout,” and the audience was filled with admiring parents and friends of the performers. Alejandro also said the annual talent show is a place where “kids connect with each other.”

 

Talking Trees on the Concourse

By Katie Riordan

All along the Grand Concourse, you find people walking, talking and listening to their cell phones. But in the coming months to come, you may find them listening to their cell phones while standing in front of and staring at trees.

“Each has its own story to tell,” said Katie Holten, referring to the 100 trees along the Grand Concourse that she has made a part of the Bronx Tree Museum, a project she was commissioned to create as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Grand Concourse.

The project was organized by the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Wave Hill, but Holten is the artistic mastermind behind this “museum without walls.” Although it is mostly invisible — only six signs indicate its presence along the Concourse from 138th Street to Mosholu Parkway — the public work of art is a museum-goers dream. There are no lines, it’s free and it never closes. 

The museum consists of 100 existing trees along the Concourse that were picked by Holten. At each tree there is a tiny plaque with a phone number and extension to call for a brief glimpse into life on the Concourse both past and present, and in both English and Spanish. Voices ranging from historians and local singers, to schoolchildren and an ex-Yankee, provide the perspectives that are centered around Holten’s theme of tree rings, or layers, of history.

“It’s historical, but it’s about the present,” Holten said. “People live here now and it’s their story.” Holten hopes people discover some of the surprises she did while researching, like the fact the Concourse was completely covered with trees before being paved to connect densely-populated Manhattan with the then more country-esque Bronx. “Nature is everything, it’s all connected,” Holten said. “People think you have to leave the city to find nature, but it’s right here.”

The idea of an outside museum just made sense to Holten, who is originally from Ireland, because of what she describes as the New York and Bronx phenomenon of “just hanging out on the streets.” 

From now until Oct. 12, Holten encourages the curious to use their cell phones on this self-guided tour that can begin and end at one’s will, although the complete walk is estimated to take two and a half hours. Even those equipped with a museum-provided map may be left wondering where this wall-less journey is, but that’s just the way Holten wants it.

“You could walk up and down and not see it,” Holten said. “I like that,” she added. “It’s about roots and what’s underground — not seen.” 

Ed. note: For more on the Bronx Tree Museum, including a map, visit www.treemuseum.org.  

Celebrate Bronx

By Norwood News

Bronx Week, an annual celebration of all the borough has to offer, culminated in a parade and festival along Mosholu Parkway on Saturday, June 20. 

There was music, dancing, food and arm wrestling all wrapped into one big smorgasbord of Boogie Down fun, despite the less-than-perfect weather. T

he day before, a handful of successful Bronxites were inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame, including actress Judy Reyes, singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester, composer Charlie Fox, hip-hop pioneer Grand Wizzard Theodore and this year’s honorary Bronxite singer Tony Orlando.

 

CB 7 Must Vote ‘No’ on Armory Development

By None

By Doug Cunningham, Katrina Foster and Tobias Haller

On June 24, Community Board 7 held a public hearing on the Related Companies’ application to develop the Kingsbridge Armory.
This has been a long time coming. If done well, this project will become an engine to revitalize the community; helping northwest Bronx residents succeed for generations to come, with new schools, recreation and community space, new shops which do not drive out existing neighborhood business, and the creation of good jobs for local residents.

Sadly, Related’s application for the sale and rezoning of the Armory falls far short of these goals. In particular, Related’s plan for their “Shops at the Armory” calls for 1,200 30-hour per week, part-time, no-benefit, poverty-wage jobs. Related has gone so far as to state that they will not even discuss living wages for the jobs that they will create in the Armory.

As ministers, we know from our parishioners the devastating toll low-wage, part-time work takes on our families and communities.

One of our congregants, Pauline, was working one of these 30-hour a week, no benefit jobs and struggling to make ends meet. She knew she needed to get a second job, but worried about the effect on her two teenagers who would be left alone in the evenings. She really had no choice but to take the second job in order to pay the rising rent.

Sure enough, within a few weeks, her son got caught up with a group of kids in the neighborhood, ended up getting arrested for robbery and is now in a juvenile detention center upstate. Her daughter fell behind in her schoolwork and became disruptive in class. It only takes one or two disruptive students for an entire class to become difficult to teach, robbing them of the education that they deserve and need to succeed in this world. This is the legacy of poverty wage jobs in a community where 40 percent are already paying more than half of their income on rent.

That is why the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), which represents many components of the community, clergy, small business and labor, turned out in force on June 24 to tell CB 7 members to vote “No” on Related’s application.

This is a public project, and local and city officials have a duty to protect the public’s interests. Related has already received promises of $90 million in public financing through tax credits and repairs to the building. In addition, they seek to purchase the 600,000 square foot Armory for a bargain, $5 million. Related must be held accountable and the Community Board must be held responsible for the expenditure of these public funds.

So, it all comes down to this: will the historic Armory be used for public good or private gain? Will another lucrative Bronx development pay poverty wages after the construction is done? Or will our public officials insist that good, living wage jobs for our local residents and the right to form unions without threat or intimidation be created in this Armory Center?

The Armory project calls the question: What type of development serves New Yorkers best? Will it be one based on the privatized, deregulated, unrestrained and now bankrupt model that brought on our current recession? Or can we do better? Can we meet the community’s need for good jobs that pay a living wage — the bedrock of healthy families and communities?
This is what Community Board 7 must decide within the next 30 days.

While Community Board 7 deliberates, our job is to hold them accountable. We need to speak out and let our voices be heard.

We need to be clear that the Kingsbridge Armory is Our Armory and its development must serve the public good.

That is why we will be rallying on July 15, 6:30 p.m. at PS 86, right across the street from the Armory. We urge you to join us that day as we stand up for a project that will benefit not just the developer, but also the people of the northwest Bronx.

Cunningham, Foster and Haller are pastors at New Day Church, Fordham Lutheran Church and St. James Church respectively.

Accepting Section 8

By None

This is an open letter to landlords, brokers and tenants in the Norwood News readership area.

Landlords of six housing units or more cannot refuse to accept section 8 vouchers or any federal, state, or city subsidies under local law 10 Int. 061-A. This includes people on public assistance or Social Security.

Neither can they print, circulate, or advertise housing that contains this limitation. This legislation prohibiting landlords to discriminate against tenants based on lawful sources of income was passed by the New York City Council on March 26, 2008.

I see it violated in brokers’ windows where it says “Section 8 working person preferred” and many ads in newspapers that say, “working persons only.” If you feel you have been discriminated against because of Section 8 vouchers or other lawful money, you should call the NYC Human Rights Commission or your local Council member. You can call the League of Women Voters at (212) 725-3541 to find the phone number of your Council member.

Henry Braun

Oval Park Concerns

By None

I was just wondering if our Oval Park is equipped with a defibrillator, which can give an electric shock to restart a person’s heart, and if the park has personnel who would know how to use one if it already exists.  A 22-year-old Bronx man collapsed while playing basketball at a Bronx recreation center and they did not have the equipment mentioned and failed to call 911 immediately for help. The young man died.  According to the article in the Daily News on June 17, all city buildings and parks are supposed to be equipped with the defibrillator. I know there was a recent meeting at the Oval Park regarding a dog run, but can we get serious and worry about some more important issues regarding our park, like all the work that was previously promised and not done. For example, the gate partially surrounding the new track n field has not been removed because the contractors forgot to finish the perimeter and the octagon blocks surrounding that area are coming apart and there is no finished boarder like around the rest of the track n field.  We still have no handicapped access to the restrooms, not even a banister to help the elderly or handicapped get up the stairs, let alone a ramp. The list goes on and on, and people are worried about a dog run.  Come on, let’s get serious.

Annette Melendez

Ed. note: We asked the Parks Department to reply to Ms. Melendez’s questions. Following is Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe’s response. (Norwood News will also continue to report on construction in parks throughout Community District 7.)

Parks is committed to Williamsbridge Oval Park and thanks to $13 million in Croton Filtration Plant mitigation funding, we are renovating the park and recreation center to enhance the park and increase accessibility for all users.

In Phase 1 of the project, we renovated the existing ballfield and installed a new Mondo track with a grass border.  The track and field, including the grass border, is fully complete, and opened to the public last fall.  The facility is highly popular with the community as is evidenced by the many kids and adults who use it now that the warm weather has arrived.

The approximately 100 feet of fencing is a temporary measure to guard park users from a difference in grade between the track and field area and the adjacent walkway of hexagonal pavers.  This grade difference is the natural result of the fact that this massive renovation project is being completed in three phases.  The fence does not prevent access to any part of the park and once the grade difference is addressed in Phase 2 of the project, the fence will come down.

Phases 2 and 3 of the park are expected to begin this fall.  In Phase 2, the two playgrounds will be upgraded with new play equipment, decorative pavements, benches, game and picnic tables, new lighting, swings, and a new spray shower plaza.  In addition, we will renovate the existing basketball courts.  In Phase 3, we will renovate the recreation center building.  As part of this project, we will raise the grade of the plaza leading to the bathrooms and building to make both ADA accessible.  Finally, we will install a banister along the stairs on both sides of the building that lead to the upper promenade.

Adrian Benepe

The writer is commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Dems Helped Elect Espada

By Editorial

Pedro Espada may be the second or third most important person in state politics at the moment, but he wasn’t a state senator a mere six months ago.

He won a Democratic primary against Efrain Gonzalez, Jr., the indicted incumbent, with less than 5,000 votes.

Democratic officials who were in the process of deposing party leader Jose Rivera, closed ranks behind Gonzalez, despite clear indications that he was headed to jail.

They overlooked Gonzalez’s pending criminal trial on fraud and corruption charges by telling themselves that Gonzalez would be more loyal than Espada, and that if he went to jail, they’d get to hand pick a candidate who would sail to election. Gonzalez had never flirted with joining the Republican caucus (though he did endorse Rudy Giuliani and Al D’Amato) and wouldn’t stand in the way of hallmark Democratic legislation like vacancy decontrol, their reasoning went.

 “If he were to be convicted, he would be out of office and there would be a special election,” says Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. “If Pedro Espada got elected, we believed there would be a good chance that he’d sit with Republicans because he had a history of doing that, and it’s not a distant history.”

It would be a decent point if Gonzalez had won.  But he didn’t — probably because few voters were motivated to head to the polls to choose between the indicted Gonzalez and Espada, who was indicted in 1998 for misuse of campaign funds and got caught in 2002 trying to direct $750,000 in member items to his health center before he returned the money.

What if they instead had gotten behind a third candidate? It wouldn’t have had to be a rock star, just someone who could’ve gotten 5,000 votes.  If a party can’t amass that kind of turnout in its favor then it isn’t much of a political organization.

The so-called Rainbow Rebels were able to coordinate a complicated, labor-intensive effort to oust the leadership of their own party. That never happens. So, they did have the skills to find someone to beat Espada and Gonzalez.

For all the change brought by the Rainbow Rebels to borough politics, it seems they still aren’t reluctant to support seemingly corrupt colleagues. 

For example, the party supports the reelection of Council Member Larry Seabrook who is in the news again for hiring family members and misappropriating member items.  The party has supported a challenger to Council Member Maria Baez, but that’s because she was their primary opponent in the leadership fight, not because she racked up thousands of dollars in cell phone expenses or because she had the worst attendance record in the Council.

We’re not naïve. We know that hold-your-nose political alliances are sometimes necessary to accomplish things.

But in evaluating who to support for election and reelection, Bronx Democrats should have standards a little higher than supporting allies who have not yet been convicted. 

If they had considered this a year ago and supported a good candidate in the 33rd Senate District, some landmark legislation may have passed the legislature this week and Pedro Espada’s fig-leaf Bedford Park co-op would be on the market.

Danger Zone in University Heights

By Katie Riordan

At a heavily-trafficked intersection in University Heights, residents are increasingly scared to cross the street. 

There is no crosswalk or traffic signal at the intersection of 183rd Street and Sedgwick Avenue, and several accidents have been reported there since 2007, sending at least two street crossers to the hospital.     

 “We don’t want anyone else injured or killed for that matter,” said Lili Jones, a member of Faith in Action, a group that has petitioned for a stoplight at the intersection and is a part of the nearby Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine.

According to Jones, the intersection filters many drivers hoping to avoid traffic on the Deegan Expressway and West Fordham Road, and is used heavily by seniors and children in nearby housing and daycare facilities.

In a letter provided by Jones, one church parishioner details leg injuries she suffered as a result of being hit by a car at the intersection, landing her in the hospital for two and a half months.          

Faith in Action has additionally pushed for several other traffic advances in the University Heights area, including speed bumps on Father Zeiser Place next to Devoe Park. 

The fate of Faith in Action’s specific requests for Sedgwick and 183rd is pending. In February, the DOT promised two 12-week studies of the area in response to their appeal for a stoplight and speed bumps.

According to DOT spokesperson Monty Dean, the results of the studies have been delayed while they wait for data from the NYPD, but should be released by the end of the month.

Waiting is the “most frustrating thing,” Jones said. “Who knows how many accidents will still occur? We don’t need any more, period.”  

Domestic Violence Survivors Find a New Destiny

By Alex Kratz

Like many survivors of domestic violence, Maria (not her real name), put up with a lot before making the decision to leave.

She put up with her husband’s boozing. She took his yelling and verbal abuse. She tolerated how he kept her clueless and homebound to care for their small child, in a foreign country, with no family or friends to turn to for help.

But when he punched her in the face in front of their daughter, Maria knew it would only get worse. The next day, she took her daughter and left her husband.  

“I made a decision,” Maria said, in improving English. “It was not easy to just go and take your daughter away. I left everything behind. I never thought that he would do that. But my daughter shouldn’t see that [kind of violence].”

And now, after spending almost a year in various domestic violence shelters around New York City, Maria, whose real name is being withheld for her own protection, has found a new life and a new beginning in the northwest Bronx.

What she found was Marcello Manor, the newest and largest project of New Destiny, a nonprofit housing corporation that provides permanent housing and help for survivors of domestic violence.

New Destiny operates other buildings in the city, but Marcello Manor is its first in the Bronx and the first that provides full-time support staff. It’s also the nonprofit’s first building built using “green” or environmentally-friendly techniques and materials.

At a recent open house for media and funders, New Destiny officials proudly presented Marcello Manor as a new, stylish, permanent living situation for mostly single (and separated) mothers trying to make it on their own.

The building’s interior is stunning. Beautiful artwork and stylish furniture, all of it donated, make up a community room, which connects to a patio lined with tree and flower planters.

Half of the building’s 38 units are for domestic violence survivors like Maria who are looking for a way out of the shelter system. The other half are reserved for low-income community residents.

“The population is really a mix,” said Carol Corden, New Destiny’s executive director. “It makes it so that [the building] doesn’t stand out in the neighborhood.”

The neighborhood surrounding the Andrews Avenue building, considered northern University Heights (near the Major Deegan and Fordham Road), is welcoming their new neighbors with open arms, said Carlos Oliveras, a member of the Andrews Avenue Block Association.

Oliveras is most happy that New Destiny built the $10.5 million Marcello Manor structure on top of an ugly vacant lot.

“It’s really fabulous to have that rat-infested yard turned into something beautiful,” Oliveras said. “It adds to the quality of life around here.”

Greg Faulkner, the chairman of Community Board 7, also welcomed the new residents and pointed out that New Destiny, as a seemingly well-run supportive housing community, stood in contrast to other haphazard transitional housing programs that have recently come to the area.

The neighborhood has undergone somewhat of renaissance since last summer when residents felt the blatant drug dealing and youth violence was on the verge of spiraling out of control, Oliveras said. But residents came together and organized the Block Association and a series of events to bring people together.

The block may never be perfect, Oliveras said, but “a lot of good things have come out of [the association’s efforts].”

A couple of Marcello Manor residents, most of whom moved in last winter when the building opened, have already joined the Block Association, Oliveras said.

Getting acclimated with their neighborhood is just one of the many services provided by Josephine Melendez, the building’s full-time tenant support coordinator and jack-of-all-trades.

On any given day, Melendez helps residents with a variety of issues, like paying bills, finding places to shop, enrolling their kids in childcare and advocating for them at schools. Earlier this year, she helped parents get a Hunts Point charter school to start sending buses closer to Marcello Manor for pickups and drop-offs. “I get hugs for that every day,” she said.

She also helps residents with their “safety plan.” Many domestic violence survivors still live in fear of their abusers and must take every precaution to keep them out of their lives. Melendez alerted local police to the building’s residents and helps them set up court orders of protection and P.O. boxes to hide their addresses. “It’s a lifetime thing,” Melendez says.

One woman, who, like Maria, entered into a lottery for an apartment at Marcello Manor, said she takes different routes home every day, uses out-of-area doctors and doesn’t put her name on paperwork unless she absolutely must.

Melendez does what she can to help, she said, but New Destiny tells residents from the get-go, “We can’t ensure their safety.”

The safety issue is a constant reminder of where these women have come from and also of those who didn’t make it. There’s a reason Maria and others call themselves survivors.

“Those [victims] who died,” said Maria, crying softly, but emboldened, in her new two-bedroom apartment, “they couldn’t get away.”

The Jobs Corner

By Norwood News

Gateway Mall Job Fairs
The Mount Hope Housing Company in collaboration with the Bronx borough president’s office, Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC) and the Bronx Terminal Market Coalition, are holding a job fair for Bronx residents to get jobs at the new Gateway Mall. The job fair will be held at the Mount Hope Community Center, 55 E. 175th St. (between Townsend and Walton avenues) July 1 and 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Target, Best Buy, B.J’s, Home Depot and Staples will all be looking to hire. Workforce Development officers will be on hand to offer assistance. For more information, contact Pamela Babb at (718) 299-2051 ext. 17 or e-mail her at Pamela_babb@mounthope
housing.org.

Construction Trade Classes
LaGuardia Community College is offering evening courses to help people gain entry-level positions in construction. They are offering a “Basic Principles of Construction” course for $779, plus a $15 registration fee. There are also “Carpentry” and “Plumbing” courses for $1,199 each, plus a $15 registration fee. There will be an open house on Wednesday July 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. at LaGuardia Community College C-Building at 29-10 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City, Queens, and classes begin on July 28. Students must have a high school diploma or GED and pass screening tests in math and English given at the orientation. For reservations or more information, please call (718) 482-2133 or email Inasongkhla
@lagcc.cuny.edu.

Public and Community Meetings

By Norwood News

•    Community Board 7 is holding an emergency meeting to vote on the proposal to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14 at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. For more information, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
•    The Community Education Council of District 10 will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, July 16 at 6:15 p.m. at PS 54, 2703 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 741-5836 or e-mail: CEC10@schools.nyc.gov. 
•    The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee meets Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at the DEP offices, 3660 Jerome Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.

Armory Vote July 14

By Alex Kratz

Members of Community Board 7 will be the first to officially weigh in on The Related Companies’ “Shops at the Armory” redevelopment proposal on July 14.

Board chair Greg Faulkner told the Norwood News on the eve of a June 24 public hearing that he expects the board to vote “yes” on the proposal, despite the fact that a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) may not be in place before the vote.

Faulkner said the Board would essentially say with its vote: “This approval is conditioned on there being a Community Benefits Agreement which will include the following items …”

Faulkner said the city blindsided the Board with such an early start to the land use review process, which follows a strict six-month clock, leaving them little time to craft a CBA before the vote.  Voting “no” on the project would give the Board less leverage in the final benefits agreement, Faulkner said.

Meanwhile, in an opinion article on p. 7 of this issue, members of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, who insist that living wage jobs be required for retailers at the Armory, call on Board 7 to vote no on the proposal.

For regular updates on the project, go to the Bronx News Network blog.

Budget Leaves Out School Support Staff

By Katie Riordan

Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn released the 2010 New York City fiscal year budget last week, but not without angering at least one group of city workers — school support staff.

 In a press release, Bloomberg said the proposed budget of $59.4 billion has been balanced by “reducing city spending while still protecting the core services that so many New Yorkers rely on.”

With a decline of nearly $5 billion in tax revenue, the financial plan includes a half percentage point increase in sales tax and applying the full city sales tax to electric and natural gas customers who purchase energy from non-utility companies.

Many feared that library services would be cut, but the budget includes funding to keep them open six days a week. Also included is a tax break for freelancers and small businesses.  

Councilman Oliver Koppell said he was mostly pleased with the budget, which included a $100,000 grant for Williamsbridge Oval Park. He was not happy, however, with the sales tax hike and said he thought they could have raised revenue some other way. Koppell said that because of federal stimulus money, education funding would mostly be unaffected.

But local unions say the city’s budget will force the Department of Education to lay off an estimated 2,600 school support staffers, including crossing guards, school aides and family counselors.

“All of the support staff in the schools are just as important as the teachers, it takes all of us to get it done,” said Lillian Roberts, executive director of DC 37, one of the school support staff unions.

There was a rally scheduled to protest the cuts on Wednesday, June 23.

Koppell Tries to Fend Off Upstart Cassino in Council District 11

By Molly Ryan

The extension of term limits for New York City’s elected officials from two to three terms has allowed veteran lawmaker Oliver Koppell to make a bid to retain his City Council seat in District 11, which includes Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Riverdale and Woodlawn.

This time around, he faces Tony Cassino, a former chairman of Community Board 8 (Riverdale), who officially kicked off his campaign on June 7.

At first glance, these two Democratic candidates appear to have similar platforms. Both Koppell and Cassino are Riverdale residents who were raised in the Bronx and have been involved in borough politics. Also, the candidates are both highly concerned with providing District 11 with improvements in education, transportation and public safety.

Community Board 7 Chairman Greg Faulkner says the district is “lucky to have two good candidates.”

So what separates them?

Cassino says that one of the major differences between his candidacy and Koppell’s is his “ability to listen to people and build coalitions.” Cassino believes that Riverdale gets preferential treatment by Koppell. If he were elected, Cassino says he will “raise standards throughout the Bronx” and “deliver the same results of services throughout the different areas.”

Cassino also says that he wants to “have a close relationship with the community and the police” to “solve problems.” He believes that communication between residents and politicians is essential in all neighborhoods in the Bronx and he is willing to “fight for more resources” to ensure “we get services that we need.”

Koppell is building his campaign on his reputation and experience, which includes more than two decades in the Assembly and stints as the state’s attorney general and as president of the now-defunct Community School Board 10. “I’m running on my record,” Koppell says. Cassino “doesn’t have nearly the experience or the record that I bring to the job.”

Included in Koppell’s record is a history of providing the Bronx with senior citizen services, money for education and initiatives to encourage business and reduce housing deterioration, he says.
Koppell says he believes he has worked hard to “provide services to all of the communities in [his] district.” He confirmed that he is “constantly involved with the community,” attending community board meetings and tenant meetings “all the time.”

During his eight years as councilman, many residents of the Bronx feel that Koppell has been “hands on,” says Sam Gillian, president of the Tracey Towers Tenant Association. Still, some residents, like Felix Gibson, also a Tracey Towers resident and a member of Community Board 7, believe Koppell’s effort to extend term limits “was a slap in the face to the voters.”

As the election draws closer, Koppell and Cassino both say they are prepared to campaign vigorously throughout District 11 and they have the money to do so. According to the latest campaign finance records, Cassino is close to the incumbent in fund-raising. The first-time candidate has raised less than Koppell ($93,549, compared to $105,558) and spent more ($57,792, compared to $54,031).    

Lessons Learned at Kids’ ‘African’ Market

By Ashley Villarreal

The sounds of drumming and shouting radiate throughout the halls of PS 340 as the elementary students’ simulated African marketplace comes to life.

“Two dollars!” one child yells, while another tries to haggle down the price.

Made possible by a grant from Marquis Studios and funding from the Kent Brothers Foundation, two weeks ago, the third graders at PS 340 in Kingsbridge made and sold crafts at an African-style fair geared to teach younger generations how to handle money.

Virginia Kuppek, a third grade teacher and one of the event organizers, said the grant allowed each one of the classes to loan $100 to an entrepreneur in Africa.

It started with students learning about Africa, Kuppek said. “That was a jump off point, because in social studies, students learn about economics as well as culture and from there the kids learned what it means to loan money.”

Each third grade class was presented with two prospective business owners in Africa. Students then analyzed the business plans and decided who they would support. In the process, Kuppek said, students learned how to run a business and how to make and save their money.

Third grader Naomi Gomez said she had fun making picture frames and other crafts that she sold in the fair, but also came to understand more about how businesses work.

“I learned that having a business is hard, hard work, but also is fun,” Naomi said. 

John Kent, who has helped run the funding program that his brother David started three years ago to teach financial responsibility, said the event is part of the foundation’s goal to reach children at a young age.

When the economy started sputtering, Kent said, “A lot of people got into a lot of trouble and there was no one to help them and no education in the schools.”

Representatives from Ridgewood Savings Bank also came to the market.

“We came to try and help kids try to save, and the kids were very interested,” said Jami LaForgia, a Ridgewood representative.

La Forgia said she finds it works to get younger generations in the mode of saving before they become adults. “(Adults are) already in the habit of not saving, so when you start telling them to do it now, it’s hard,” Forgia said. “But now the kids have an opportunity to [learn about saving] and not wish that they [had before].”

Enraging Many, Espada Blocks Tenant Legislation

By Alex Kratz

Local residents and housing advocates say State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., whose name means “sword” in Spanish, has stabbed them in the back by siding with Republicans, not supporting rent laws that would preserve affordable housing and essentially paralyzing the state legislature.

More than 100 people protested outside of Fordham Place, the office building where Espada claims to have a district office, located at Fordham Road and Webster Avenue (though the building’s manager told the Norwood News he had never heard of Espada before he became a tabloid fixture).

Millie Colon, a Bedford Park resident and a member of Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), said Espada has not been honest with the community.

“A lot of people have been misguided and misinformed by him.” Colon said. “He continuously says he is in support of our plight and then he turns around and he has his own agenda. He continuously evaded us and didn’t support us.”

For months, tenants and advocates in Espada’s district have been on his back to support a raft of bills that would strengthen rent laws, including a bill that would repeal vacancy decontrol, which allows landlords to raise rents on apartments without restrictions once they hit $2,000.

Advocates say the repeal would preserve hundreds of thousands of the city’s rent-regulated apartments and point out that Espada’s district contains more rent-regulated apartments — 77,000 — than all but one other state senator.

Tenant advocates had  high hopes that the state’s Democrats, which began the year in charge of the state Senate, Assembly and governor’s office for the first time since 1965, would have the power to push through a package of rent laws.

But two weeks ago, Espada, who as head of the Senate Housing Committee spent the entire spring stalling on the rent bills, became the linchpin of a Republican power grab, along with Hiram Monserrate, a Queens Democrat. The two voted to put the Republicans back into Senate leadership positions and, in return, Espada was given the title of Senate president, which would make him governor if David Paterson became incapacitated or even left the state.

Monserrate has since moved back into the Democratic camp, leaving Espada as the sole renegade keeping power away from his own party and leaving the Senate at an impasse.

The chamber remains deadlocked at 31-31. Espada claims the leadership vote, which Monserrate participated in, gave Republicans power, though either side would need 32 votes to pass anything.

Democrats counter that the vote was  illegal. Last week, a judge told the two sides to work it out on their own. But, as of press time, there was no compromise.

The deadlock is great news for pro-landlord groups who were fighting hard to keep bills like the ending of vacancy decontrol off the floor.

In May, after protesters picketed Espada at a Manhattan restaurant where he was giving a speech to pro-landlord groups, the senator told tenant advocates in Albany that he would work with them and address (though not necessarily support) all of the rent law bills. 

But at that point Espada was already conspiring with Republicans to take over the Senate.  On top of that, Stanley Schlein, a longtime Bronx power broker who represented Espada last fall in negotiations with Democratic conference leader Malcolm Smith, is now working for the two biggest pro-landlord and developer groups in the state — the Rent Stabilization Association and the Real Estate Board.

The week after the Republican takeover, Espada said he wouldn’t support the repeal of rent control.

Espada did not return calls for this article, but told The New York Times that his support from real estate groups didn’t affect his decision, though he declined to say how much money he has received.

Joseph Strasburg, the president of the Rent Stabilization Association, also did not return calls for this article and has refused to say how much money his group has given Espada, but has repeatedly said he supports Espada’s move. 

Back in the Bronx, Espada has recently been spotted at a Yankees game enjoying box seats and outside of the Bedford Park building he claims is his primary residence. Other people who live there, however, have maintained since last August that they rarely ever see him. A Bronx court certified the building as his primary residence last fall, but Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson recently convened a grand jury to investigate the situation. In response, Espada sued the DA’s office for politically targeting him.
Regardless, residents at the rally said Espada has “sold out” his community.

“We need a leader who actually does lead us,” said Esperanza Vasquez. “[A leader] who lives in the Bronx and thinks about Latinos, and thinks about the conditions in which we are living in.”
 

Bedford Park Teen Killed; Shootings Double in 52nd

By Alex Kratz

If the last two weeks are any indication, the northwest Bronx is in for a long, loud, violent summer.

Traditionally, violent crime, along with the weather, picks up during the summer months throughout New York City. But this summer, the 52nd Precinct — which is contiguous with Community District 7 and includes the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, North Fordham, Norwood and University Heights — is off to a particularly rough start after a relatively quiet first five months of the year.

In the last two weeks alone, a 15-year-old Bedford Park resident was murdered, and shooting incidents have doubled. There were only four shooting incidents in the first five months of the year and there have been four since June 12. The gun violence is being compounded by reports of raucous street behavior in neighborhoods throughout the precinct.

“I dread summer here,” said Michael Pimentel, a former member of Community Board 7 who lives in University Heights. “It’s to the point where I’m not happy coming back to the Bronx from Manhattan.”

Meanwhile, police at the 52nd Precinct are scrambling to make up for their shrinking roster of cops. Over the past few months, the precinct has lost 40 cops to other commands.

At recent community meetings, residents like Pimentel have bombarded local cops with complaints of noise, public drinking and open-air drug dealing. But the four shooting incidents, one of which was fatal, underscored the violence that often stems from the increased street activity, especially among youth.

Augie Aloia, a former NYPD cop who now teaches criminal justice at Monroe College says the increased violence is a combination of factors — warmer weather, kids being out of school, group mentality and alcohol or other intoxicants. “People under the influence of alcohol, their inhibitions go down, and the gun or knife comes out,” Aloia said. “They might think about doing that bodega robbery much more.” It can also lead to the unnecessary escalation of arguments, Aloia said.

It’s unclear exactly what reasons led to the murder of 15-year-old Juan Jerez, but it appears to have been the result of a teenage argument.

 It was late Friday night, June 12, and Juan, a high school freshman, was on his way to play basketball, his friends said, near the corner of Minerva Place and 198th Street. Earlier in the day, police said Juan may have been involved in an argument with neighborhood rivals during which someone brandished a gun.

Someone opened fire on Juan, who was with at least one companion. Some residents said they heard as many 12 or 15 shots. Juan took two bullets to the chest, killing him almost instantly. His unidentified companion was also hit once in the right leg.

Two days later, police arrested Daikwan Giles, 17, who lives just two blocks from where the shooting occurred, in connection with the crime. Charges are still pending.

A group of about 20 of Juan’s friends, their eyes brimming with tears, gathered on the Monday after his death. “RIP Juan” was spray painted not only on Juan’s apartment building, but also on the sidewalk where he was shot. As these high-school teens stood remembering Juan in silence, they lit candles, signed posters and placed flowers and pictures on the site of his death.

It was difficult for many of Juan’s friends to talk about the tragic incident, but they all agreed that they would greatly miss him.
Juan’s friends insisted the victim did not have any enemies, but said the area is notoriously dangerous. Other residents on Minerva said the area is usually quiet, but that lately it’s taken a turn for the worse.

Missing from the makeshift memorial was Juan’s family. His friends said they went to bury their son in the Dominican Republic. 

Maria Santiago, who lives next door to the Jerez’s apartment complex, said people are at risk in this dangerous area. Santiago said that the police “don’t do anything” and there are teenage gang members, violence and drugs spilling onto the streets.

Lieutenant Thomas Hammer of the 52nd Precinct said police were doing the best they can with dwindling resources. Even with the recent incidents, Hammer said shootings are down compared to last year. Hammer said he hopes the outbreak was an aberration and not a sign of things to come. He also hopes the precinct gets an infusion of rookie cops when the next police academy graduates in July and the new fiscal year starts.

Nelson Infante, a restaurant owner in Bedford Park for 28 years, agreed that the neighborhood has gradually become “worse and worse.” He blames teenagers for the violent outbreaks, saying they just “don’t want to go to school.”

Infante has known Juan’s mother for 10 years. He described Juan as a “good kid,” but said he did not know any information about the shooting. “I am shocked that it happened to Juan, but not shocked that it happened in the area,” he said.

Last Wednesday night, June 17, a man in his 20s was shot just a block away on 198th and Creston Avenue. And late on Sunday, June 14, a man was shot on Grand Avenue, just south of Fordham Road. There was another shooting on June 21 on the corner of West Kingsbridge Road, near Sedgwick Avenue.  None of these shootings had resulted in fatalities as of press time.

By Judy Noy

Events

 

Enjoy Summer on the Bronx River. The Bronx River Alliance presents several  upcoming events: On June 26, take a 2-hour guided walk in the Bronx River Forest; and on June 27, there’s a choice of community rowboating at Hunts Point Riverside Park; visiting the Bronx River Festival which includes canoe rides, entertainment and food; or enjoying a car-free Crotona Park, rain or shine, which includes biking and family activities. For full details, call the Alliance at (718) 430-4665 or visit www.bronxriver.org.

 

Join a Bronx for Recovery Walk on June 27 at Van Cortlandt Park’s Parade Ground Path (242nd Street and Broadway) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help raise awareness and support people in treatment and recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. There will be activities for children and T-shirts for adults. For more information, call (718) 920-2620.

 

Car-free Bronx Coalition presents Bronx on the Move, a car-free Saturday at Crotona Park, June 27 from noon to 5 p.m. between Claremont Parkway and Crotona Park North (rain or shine), featuring summer family fitness events including zumba lessons inspired by traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and merengue music; guided bike ride starting in Crotona Park featuring free bike riding lessons for kids and adults and free simple bike repair; and free health screening and advice on healthy eating. For more information, call (718) 324-4466 or visit transalt.org/events/calendar.

 

Wave Hill offers two family art projects: Shadow Play in the Forest, to enjoy shadow puppet show of “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” followed by making puppets and scenery, June 27 and 28; and Spray a River Garden, to combine mists of watercolor and blossoms fashioned from color-soaked coffee filters into a blooming waterslide vision, July 4 and 5; both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 

The Edible Garden, taking place at the New York Botanical Garden through Sept. 13, features edible plants, teaches vegetable growing and offers celebrity food presentations by Martha Stewart (scheduled to appear on June 27), Emeril Lagasse (scheduled to appear on Sept. 12), and others. There will be children’s activities throughout the summer in the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden and the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. An opening festival weekend will be held on June 27 and 28. Farmers Market will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays through Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Summer concerts are scheduled for Thursday evenings. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

 

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 July 1. For more information or to confirm, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or log on to www.bronxarts.org.

 

Exhibits

 

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.

 

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 through June. One exhibit is 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. Resplendent Roses exhibit, a celebration of America’s national flower, begins in June and runs through the first frost. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

 

Learning

 

The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance (BAAD), located at 841 Barretto St., presents their Boogie Down Dance Series 2009, featuring a dance class: Choreography Lab on June 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ($15/session). For more information, call (718) 842-5223.

The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

For children and preschoolers, there is Preschool Romp, June 25 at 11 a.m.; and Toddler Two-Step, June 27 at 11 a.m. (pre-registration is required).

Also, for school-aged children, there is Eric Carle Craft, June 25 at 4 p.m.; Create a Work of Fiction, July 6 at 3 p.m.; Stump the Librarian, July 7 at 3 p.m.; and Arts and Crafts, July 9 at 3 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 Summer Fun, kids can choose an activity, July 1 and 8 at 2:30 p.m.; and Toddler Time, July 2 at 10:30 a.m. For young adults, there is Small Talk About Big Issues, July 1 and 8 at 3 p.m.; and Crafternoons, July 10 at 2 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Toddler Story Time, June 26 at 10:30 a.m., for preschoolers; and School’s Out Luau, June 25 at 4:30 p.m., for young adults. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by June 29 for the next publication date of July 9.

By Norwood News

Free Financial Education Workshops
The University Neighborhood Housing Program is offering free financial education workshops in English and Spanish on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer. Future workshops will take place on July 2 and 7 at the Chapel in Concourse House (2751 Grand Concourse) from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Workshops will cover topics such as debt management, basic banking, understanding credit, and budgeting. Demand for future workshops and suggestions are welcome. Contact Jumelia Abrahamson at (718) 933-2539 or jumelia@unhp.org to RSVP.

Stomp Out Sarcoma Walk
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore and the Liddy Shriver Foundation are having a Stomp Out Sarcoma Walk on Saturday, July 18 at Van Cortlandt Park (240th Street entrance at Broadway near the fox statue). The event will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and the proceeds of the walk will help fund Sarcoma research. To register or make a donation, call May Thompson at (718) 741-2342. In the event of rain, the walk will be held at the Children’s Hospital, 111 E. 210th St.

MTA’s Trip Planner Voice
Trip Planner Voice is a telephone service that allows customers to access bus and subway travel itinerary information via telephone 24/7 without the need to wait to speak to an agent. Trip Planner provides customers with the best and most accurate directions, fare information, walking distances and scheduled connections to and from other transit modes and transfers. For more information, and to learn how to get mobile access, visit www.tripplanner.mta.info.

Farmers Market at Botanical Garden
There will be an all day Wednesday and Saturday Farmers Market at the Botanical Garden through Nov. 14.  The Wednesday market will be held near Tulip Tree Allee and the Saturday market will be across the street from the Garden’s Mosholu Gate entrance. Vendors from New York’s Hudson Valley region and beyond offer a variety of home grown products, meats and home baked goods. For more information, visit www.nybg.org/edible_garden/farmers_market.php or call (718) 362-9561 and press 403#.

Free Spaying/Neutering
The Toby Project will be offering free spaying and neutering services for dogs and cats on the following dates: Tuesday, June 30 at 182nd Street and Southern Boulevard; Wednesdays, July 1 and 15 at East 144th Street and Third Avenue; Saturdays, June 27 at 230th Street and Broadway and July 11 at 1949 Westchester Ave.; and Sundays, June 28 at 1527 Jesup Ave. and July 12 at Capuchin Way between East Gun Hill Road and Magenta Street. Animals should be dropped off at 7 a.m. and picked up a few hours later. For more information, call (212) 799-1120 or visit www.tobyproject.org.  

Volunteer at North Bronx Healthcare
The North Bronx Healthcare Network is seeking volunteers for the Sexual Assault Treatment Program run at North Central Bronx Hospital, Jacobi Medical Center, and Lincoln Medical Center. Those interested should be willing to volunteer twice a month and commit to serving the program for one year. For more information, call (718) 519-4788. 

NMCIR Immigration Assistance
The Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights is offering immigration assistance to Bronxites. There is assistance with U.S. Citizenship, family petitions, and travel permits. It is offered at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave., Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (718) 484-8294 or email info@NMCIR.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.

MetroCard Grace Periods
MTA New York City Transit has announced that all riders who purchase a 1-Day Fun Pass, 7-Day, 14-Day, or 30-Day Unlimited MetroCard before the June 28 fare change, and use them for the first time no later than July 6, will receive all entitled unlimited travel. Purchases made prior to June 28 are valid as follows: One-Day Fun Passes until July 6; 7-Day Unlimited MetroCards until July 12; 14-Day Unlimited MetroCards until July 19, and 30-Day Unlimited MetroCards until Aug. 4. Pay-per-ride MetroCards are not affected and can be used normally after the increase. For more information, visit www.mta.info.

Aid for Veterans and Their Families
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.

Free Career Information Seminars
Lehman College Office of Continuing Education is holding free career information seminars for its non-credit certificate programs. For dates, times and locations of seminars, please call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu.ce.

Computer Classes at Williamsbridge Oval
The Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval E., is holding computer classes on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Learn how to use the internet and MS Office software. For more information, contact Albert Davis or Tuwanda Ruffin at (718) 654-1851.

Teen Trailways Summer Camp
Teens entering 7th to 10th grade can enroll in the Teen Trailways program at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, which takes campers on day trips to sporting events, Broadway shows, comedy clubs, lakes, beaches, state parks, and amusement parks. Teens can also go on longer trips to Virginia Beach, Toronto and Disney World in Florida. For more information, call (718) 882-4000.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Andrew Boryga

Amidst a row of worn and weathered awnings, the brightly lit and inviting Green Valley Gourmet Deli on Bainbridge Avenue stands out and provides a refreshing contrast to some of the other local businesses. It’s one of two shiny new delis to open up shop in the neighborhood.

Green Valley, which opened in February, prides itself on being different. “We are something new,” says employee Basher Alkusari. In addition to standard deli foods such as sandwiches and grocery items, Green Valley offers Middle Eastern Halal fare and various cakes and pastries. Alkusari says the Halal food has been a hit so far with the employees of North Central Bronx Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center.

Walking inside the deli, you are immediately struck by the inviting floor layout and decorative interior. The walls are painted in an embroidered satin color. “Everyone loves the walls,” Alkusari says.

The Gourmet Deli on Webster Avenue and 204th Street has also received its share of admiration. It’s a local-friendly spot that receives lots of customers from the nearby 52nd Police Precinct headquarters. 

Anvore Tareb, the night shift employee for the 24-hour deli, says business has gone well since the store’s opening in January. The majority of the customers come for the deli foods such as the sandwiches, hot and cold food options, cakes, and fresh fruits, Tareb says. The deli also offers several lunchtime specials, which Tareb says many people take advantage of.

The deli sits on the corner of a busy intersection, and the great big awning still displaying colorful “grand opening” banners is an eye-catcher for anyone passing by.

Both delis opened with the hope that their contemporary look would help boost their productivity, and so far things have gone well. “We bring something fresh and new to this neighborhood,” says Alkusari, leaning on his spotless marble countertop. “I’m confident we’ll be around for a while.”

By Molly Ryan

On Friday, June 12, MS 80 set the stage for the next generation of talented artists. This year at the annual talent show, there were 15 acts consisting of students ranging in age from 11 to 15.

Some noteworthy acts included Crystal Cruz performing her original poem “Life” and Leila Kolenovic singing “Crazier” by Taylor Swift. Also in the talent show were groups of dancers and another poet.

MS 80 Parent Coordinator, Miriam Alejandro, said the talent show had “a nice turnout,” and the audience was filled with admiring parents and friends of the performers. Alejandro also said the annual talent show is a place where “kids connect with each other.”

 

By Katie Riordan

All along the Grand Concourse, you find people walking, talking and listening to their cell phones. But in the coming months to come, you may find them listening to their cell phones while standing in front of and staring at trees.

“Each has its own story to tell,” said Katie Holten, referring to the 100 trees along the Grand Concourse that she has made a part of the Bronx Tree Museum, a project she was commissioned to create as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Grand Concourse.

The project was organized by the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Wave Hill, but Holten is the artistic mastermind behind this “museum without walls.” Although it is mostly invisible — only six signs indicate its presence along the Concourse from 138th Street to Mosholu Parkway — the public work of art is a museum-goers dream. There are no lines, it’s free and it never closes. 

The museum consists of 100 existing trees along the Concourse that were picked by Holten. At each tree there is a tiny plaque with a phone number and extension to call for a brief glimpse into life on the Concourse both past and present, and in both English and Spanish. Voices ranging from historians and local singers, to schoolchildren and an ex-Yankee, provide the perspectives that are centered around Holten’s theme of tree rings, or layers, of history.

“It’s historical, but it’s about the present,” Holten said. “People live here now and it’s their story.” Holten hopes people discover some of the surprises she did while researching, like the fact the Concourse was completely covered with trees before being paved to connect densely-populated Manhattan with the then more country-esque Bronx. “Nature is everything, it’s all connected,” Holten said. “People think you have to leave the city to find nature, but it’s right here.”

The idea of an outside museum just made sense to Holten, who is originally from Ireland, because of what she describes as the New York and Bronx phenomenon of “just hanging out on the streets.” 

From now until Oct. 12, Holten encourages the curious to use their cell phones on this self-guided tour that can begin and end at one’s will, although the complete walk is estimated to take two and a half hours. Even those equipped with a museum-provided map may be left wondering where this wall-less journey is, but that’s just the way Holten wants it.

“You could walk up and down and not see it,” Holten said. “I like that,” she added. “It’s about roots and what’s underground — not seen.” 

Ed. note: For more on the Bronx Tree Museum, including a map, visit www.treemuseum.org.  

By Norwood News

Bronx Week, an annual celebration of all the borough has to offer, culminated in a parade and festival along Mosholu Parkway on Saturday, June 20. 

There was music, dancing, food and arm wrestling all wrapped into one big smorgasbord of Boogie Down fun, despite the less-than-perfect weather. T

he day before, a handful of successful Bronxites were inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame, including actress Judy Reyes, singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester, composer Charlie Fox, hip-hop pioneer Grand Wizzard Theodore and this year’s honorary Bronxite singer Tony Orlando.

 

By None

By Doug Cunningham, Katrina Foster and Tobias Haller

On June 24, Community Board 7 held a public hearing on the Related Companies’ application to develop the Kingsbridge Armory.
This has been a long time coming. If done well, this project will become an engine to revitalize the community; helping northwest Bronx residents succeed for generations to come, with new schools, recreation and community space, new shops which do not drive out existing neighborhood business, and the creation of good jobs for local residents.

Sadly, Related’s application for the sale and rezoning of the Armory falls far short of these goals. In particular, Related’s plan for their “Shops at the Armory” calls for 1,200 30-hour per week, part-time, no-benefit, poverty-wage jobs. Related has gone so far as to state that they will not even discuss living wages for the jobs that they will create in the Armory.

As ministers, we know from our parishioners the devastating toll low-wage, part-time work takes on our families and communities.

One of our congregants, Pauline, was working one of these 30-hour a week, no benefit jobs and struggling to make ends meet. She knew she needed to get a second job, but worried about the effect on her two teenagers who would be left alone in the evenings. She really had no choice but to take the second job in order to pay the rising rent.

Sure enough, within a few weeks, her son got caught up with a group of kids in the neighborhood, ended up getting arrested for robbery and is now in a juvenile detention center upstate. Her daughter fell behind in her schoolwork and became disruptive in class. It only takes one or two disruptive students for an entire class to become difficult to teach, robbing them of the education that they deserve and need to succeed in this world. This is the legacy of poverty wage jobs in a community where 40 percent are already paying more than half of their income on rent.

That is why the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), which represents many components of the community, clergy, small business and labor, turned out in force on June 24 to tell CB 7 members to vote “No” on Related’s application.

This is a public project, and local and city officials have a duty to protect the public’s interests. Related has already received promises of $90 million in public financing through tax credits and repairs to the building. In addition, they seek to purchase the 600,000 square foot Armory for a bargain, $5 million. Related must be held accountable and the Community Board must be held responsible for the expenditure of these public funds.

So, it all comes down to this: will the historic Armory be used for public good or private gain? Will another lucrative Bronx development pay poverty wages after the construction is done? Or will our public officials insist that good, living wage jobs for our local residents and the right to form unions without threat or intimidation be created in this Armory Center?

The Armory project calls the question: What type of development serves New Yorkers best? Will it be one based on the privatized, deregulated, unrestrained and now bankrupt model that brought on our current recession? Or can we do better? Can we meet the community’s need for good jobs that pay a living wage — the bedrock of healthy families and communities?
This is what Community Board 7 must decide within the next 30 days.

While Community Board 7 deliberates, our job is to hold them accountable. We need to speak out and let our voices be heard.

We need to be clear that the Kingsbridge Armory is Our Armory and its development must serve the public good.

That is why we will be rallying on July 15, 6:30 p.m. at PS 86, right across the street from the Armory. We urge you to join us that day as we stand up for a project that will benefit not just the developer, but also the people of the northwest Bronx.

Cunningham, Foster and Haller are pastors at New Day Church, Fordham Lutheran Church and St. James Church respectively.

By None

This is an open letter to landlords, brokers and tenants in the Norwood News readership area.

Landlords of six housing units or more cannot refuse to accept section 8 vouchers or any federal, state, or city subsidies under local law 10 Int. 061-A. This includes people on public assistance or Social Security.

Neither can they print, circulate, or advertise housing that contains this limitation. This legislation prohibiting landlords to discriminate against tenants based on lawful sources of income was passed by the New York City Council on March 26, 2008.

I see it violated in brokers’ windows where it says “Section 8 working person preferred” and many ads in newspapers that say, “working persons only.” If you feel you have been discriminated against because of Section 8 vouchers or other lawful money, you should call the NYC Human Rights Commission or your local Council member. You can call the League of Women Voters at (212) 725-3541 to find the phone number of your Council member.

Henry Braun

By None

I was just wondering if our Oval Park is equipped with a defibrillator, which can give an electric shock to restart a person’s heart, and if the park has personnel who would know how to use one if it already exists.  A 22-year-old Bronx man collapsed while playing basketball at a Bronx recreation center and they did not have the equipment mentioned and failed to call 911 immediately for help. The young man died.  According to the article in the Daily News on June 17, all city buildings and parks are supposed to be equipped with the defibrillator. I know there was a recent meeting at the Oval Park regarding a dog run, but can we get serious and worry about some more important issues regarding our park, like all the work that was previously promised and not done. For example, the gate partially surrounding the new track n field has not been removed because the contractors forgot to finish the perimeter and the octagon blocks surrounding that area are coming apart and there is no finished boarder like around the rest of the track n field.  We still have no handicapped access to the restrooms, not even a banister to help the elderly or handicapped get up the stairs, let alone a ramp. The list goes on and on, and people are worried about a dog run.  Come on, let’s get serious.

Annette Melendez

Ed. note: We asked the Parks Department to reply to Ms. Melendez’s questions. Following is Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe’s response. (Norwood News will also continue to report on construction in parks throughout Community District 7.)

Parks is committed to Williamsbridge Oval Park and thanks to $13 million in Croton Filtration Plant mitigation funding, we are renovating the park and recreation center to enhance the park and increase accessibility for all users.

In Phase 1 of the project, we renovated the existing ballfield and installed a new Mondo track with a grass border.  The track and field, including the grass border, is fully complete, and opened to the public last fall.  The facility is highly popular with the community as is evidenced by the many kids and adults who use it now that the warm weather has arrived.

The approximately 100 feet of fencing is a temporary measure to guard park users from a difference in grade between the track and field area and the adjacent walkway of hexagonal pavers.  This grade difference is the natural result of the fact that this massive renovation project is being completed in three phases.  The fence does not prevent access to any part of the park and once the grade difference is addressed in Phase 2 of the project, the fence will come down.

Phases 2 and 3 of the park are expected to begin this fall.  In Phase 2, the two playgrounds will be upgraded with new play equipment, decorative pavements, benches, game and picnic tables, new lighting, swings, and a new spray shower plaza.  In addition, we will renovate the existing basketball courts.  In Phase 3, we will renovate the recreation center building.  As part of this project, we will raise the grade of the plaza leading to the bathrooms and building to make both ADA accessible.  Finally, we will install a banister along the stairs on both sides of the building that lead to the upper promenade.

Adrian Benepe

The writer is commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

By Editorial

Pedro Espada may be the second or third most important person in state politics at the moment, but he wasn’t a state senator a mere six months ago.

He won a Democratic primary against Efrain Gonzalez, Jr., the indicted incumbent, with less than 5,000 votes.

Democratic officials who were in the process of deposing party leader Jose Rivera, closed ranks behind Gonzalez, despite clear indications that he was headed to jail.

They overlooked Gonzalez’s pending criminal trial on fraud and corruption charges by telling themselves that Gonzalez would be more loyal than Espada, and that if he went to jail, they’d get to hand pick a candidate who would sail to election. Gonzalez had never flirted with joining the Republican caucus (though he did endorse Rudy Giuliani and Al D’Amato) and wouldn’t stand in the way of hallmark Democratic legislation like vacancy decontrol, their reasoning went.

 “If he were to be convicted, he would be out of office and there would be a special election,” says Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. “If Pedro Espada got elected, we believed there would be a good chance that he’d sit with Republicans because he had a history of doing that, and it’s not a distant history.”

It would be a decent point if Gonzalez had won.  But he didn’t — probably because few voters were motivated to head to the polls to choose between the indicted Gonzalez and Espada, who was indicted in 1998 for misuse of campaign funds and got caught in 2002 trying to direct $750,000 in member items to his health center before he returned the money.

What if they instead had gotten behind a third candidate? It wouldn’t have had to be a rock star, just someone who could’ve gotten 5,000 votes.  If a party can’t amass that kind of turnout in its favor then it isn’t much of a political organization.

The so-called Rainbow Rebels were able to coordinate a complicated, labor-intensive effort to oust the leadership of their own party. That never happens. So, they did have the skills to find someone to beat Espada and Gonzalez.

For all the change brought by the Rainbow Rebels to borough politics, it seems they still aren’t reluctant to support seemingly corrupt colleagues. 

For example, the party supports the reelection of Council Member Larry Seabrook who is in the news again for hiring family members and misappropriating member items.  The party has supported a challenger to Council Member Maria Baez, but that’s because she was their primary opponent in the leadership fight, not because she racked up thousands of dollars in cell phone expenses or because she had the worst attendance record in the Council.

We’re not naïve. We know that hold-your-nose political alliances are sometimes necessary to accomplish things.

But in evaluating who to support for election and reelection, Bronx Democrats should have standards a little higher than supporting allies who have not yet been convicted. 

If they had considered this a year ago and supported a good candidate in the 33rd Senate District, some landmark legislation may have passed the legislature this week and Pedro Espada’s fig-leaf Bedford Park co-op would be on the market.

By Katie Riordan

At a heavily-trafficked intersection in University Heights, residents are increasingly scared to cross the street. 

There is no crosswalk or traffic signal at the intersection of 183rd Street and Sedgwick Avenue, and several accidents have been reported there since 2007, sending at least two street crossers to the hospital.     

 “We don’t want anyone else injured or killed for that matter,” said Lili Jones, a member of Faith in Action, a group that has petitioned for a stoplight at the intersection and is a part of the nearby Church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine.

According to Jones, the intersection filters many drivers hoping to avoid traffic on the Deegan Expressway and West Fordham Road, and is used heavily by seniors and children in nearby housing and daycare facilities.

In a letter provided by Jones, one church parishioner details leg injuries she suffered as a result of being hit by a car at the intersection, landing her in the hospital for two and a half months.          

Faith in Action has additionally pushed for several other traffic advances in the University Heights area, including speed bumps on Father Zeiser Place next to Devoe Park. 

The fate of Faith in Action’s specific requests for Sedgwick and 183rd is pending. In February, the DOT promised two 12-week studies of the area in response to their appeal for a stoplight and speed bumps.

According to DOT spokesperson Monty Dean, the results of the studies have been delayed while they wait for data from the NYPD, but should be released by the end of the month.

Waiting is the “most frustrating thing,” Jones said. “Who knows how many accidents will still occur? We don’t need any more, period.”  

By Alex Kratz

Like many survivors of domestic violence, Maria (not her real name), put up with a lot before making the decision to leave.

She put up with her husband’s boozing. She took his yelling and verbal abuse. She tolerated how he kept her clueless and homebound to care for their small child, in a foreign country, with no family or friends to turn to for help.

But when he punched her in the face in front of their daughter, Maria knew it would only get worse. The next day, she took her daughter and left her husband.  

“I made a decision,” Maria said, in improving English. “It was not easy to just go and take your daughter away. I left everything behind. I never thought that he would do that. But my daughter shouldn’t see that [kind of violence].”

And now, after spending almost a year in various domestic violence shelters around New York City, Maria, whose real name is being withheld for her own protection, has found a new life and a new beginning in the northwest Bronx.

What she found was Marcello Manor, the newest and largest project of New Destiny, a nonprofit housing corporation that provides permanent housing and help for survivors of domestic violence.

New Destiny operates other buildings in the city, but Marcello Manor is its first in the Bronx and the first that provides full-time support staff. It’s also the nonprofit’s first building built using “green” or environmentally-friendly techniques and materials.

At a recent open house for media and funders, New Destiny officials proudly presented Marcello Manor as a new, stylish, permanent living situation for mostly single (and separated) mothers trying to make it on their own.

The building’s interior is stunning. Beautiful artwork and stylish furniture, all of it donated, make up a community room, which connects to a patio lined with tree and flower planters.

Half of the building’s 38 units are for domestic violence survivors like Maria who are looking for a way out of the shelter system. The other half are reserved for low-income community residents.

“The population is really a mix,” said Carol Corden, New Destiny’s executive director. “It makes it so that [the building] doesn’t stand out in the neighborhood.”

The neighborhood surrounding the Andrews Avenue building, considered northern University Heights (near the Major Deegan and Fordham Road), is welcoming their new neighbors with open arms, said Carlos Oliveras, a member of the Andrews Avenue Block Association.

Oliveras is most happy that New Destiny built the $10.5 million Marcello Manor structure on top of an ugly vacant lot.

“It’s really fabulous to have that rat-infested yard turned into something beautiful,” Oliveras said. “It adds to the quality of life around here.”

Greg Faulkner, the chairman of Community Board 7, also welcomed the new residents and pointed out that New Destiny, as a seemingly well-run supportive housing community, stood in contrast to other haphazard transitional housing programs that have recently come to the area.

The neighborhood has undergone somewhat of renaissance since last summer when residents felt the blatant drug dealing and youth violence was on the verge of spiraling out of control, Oliveras said. But residents came together and organized the Block Association and a series of events to bring people together.

The block may never be perfect, Oliveras said, but “a lot of good things have come out of [the association’s efforts].”

A couple of Marcello Manor residents, most of whom moved in last winter when the building opened, have already joined the Block Association, Oliveras said.

Getting acclimated with their neighborhood is just one of the many services provided by Josephine Melendez, the building’s full-time tenant support coordinator and jack-of-all-trades.

On any given day, Melendez helps residents with a variety of issues, like paying bills, finding places to shop, enrolling their kids in childcare and advocating for them at schools. Earlier this year, she helped parents get a Hunts Point charter school to start sending buses closer to Marcello Manor for pickups and drop-offs. “I get hugs for that every day,” she said.

She also helps residents with their “safety plan.” Many domestic violence survivors still live in fear of their abusers and must take every precaution to keep them out of their lives. Melendez alerted local police to the building’s residents and helps them set up court orders of protection and P.O. boxes to hide their addresses. “It’s a lifetime thing,” Melendez says.

One woman, who, like Maria, entered into a lottery for an apartment at Marcello Manor, said she takes different routes home every day, uses out-of-area doctors and doesn’t put her name on paperwork unless she absolutely must.

Melendez does what she can to help, she said, but New Destiny tells residents from the get-go, “We can’t ensure their safety.”

The safety issue is a constant reminder of where these women have come from and also of those who didn’t make it. There’s a reason Maria and others call themselves survivors.

“Those [victims] who died,” said Maria, crying softly, but emboldened, in her new two-bedroom apartment, “they couldn’t get away.”

By Norwood News

Gateway Mall Job Fairs
The Mount Hope Housing Company in collaboration with the Bronx borough president’s office, Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC) and the Bronx Terminal Market Coalition, are holding a job fair for Bronx residents to get jobs at the new Gateway Mall. The job fair will be held at the Mount Hope Community Center, 55 E. 175th St. (between Townsend and Walton avenues) July 1 and 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Target, Best Buy, B.J’s, Home Depot and Staples will all be looking to hire. Workforce Development officers will be on hand to offer assistance. For more information, contact Pamela Babb at (718) 299-2051 ext. 17 or e-mail her at Pamela_babb@mounthope
housing.org.

Construction Trade Classes
LaGuardia Community College is offering evening courses to help people gain entry-level positions in construction. They are offering a “Basic Principles of Construction” course for $779, plus a $15 registration fee. There are also “Carpentry” and “Plumbing” courses for $1,199 each, plus a $15 registration fee. There will be an open house on Wednesday July 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. at LaGuardia Community College C-Building at 29-10 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City, Queens, and classes begin on July 28. Students must have a high school diploma or GED and pass screening tests in math and English given at the orientation. For reservations or more information, please call (718) 482-2133 or email Inasongkhla
@lagcc.cuny.edu.

By Norwood News

•    Community Board 7 is holding an emergency meeting to vote on the proposal to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14 at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. For more information, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
•    The Community Education Council of District 10 will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, July 16 at 6:15 p.m. at PS 54, 2703 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 741-5836 or e-mail: CEC10@schools.nyc.gov. 
•    The Croton Facility Monitoring Committee meets Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m. at the DEP offices, 3660 Jerome Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.

By Alex Kratz

Members of Community Board 7 will be the first to officially weigh in on The Related Companies’ “Shops at the Armory” redevelopment proposal on July 14.

Board chair Greg Faulkner told the Norwood News on the eve of a June 24 public hearing that he expects the board to vote “yes” on the proposal, despite the fact that a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) may not be in place before the vote.

Faulkner said the Board would essentially say with its vote: “This approval is conditioned on there being a Community Benefits Agreement which will include the following items …”

Faulkner said the city blindsided the Board with such an early start to the land use review process, which follows a strict six-month clock, leaving them little time to craft a CBA before the vote.  Voting “no” on the project would give the Board less leverage in the final benefits agreement, Faulkner said.

Meanwhile, in an opinion article on p. 7 of this issue, members of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, who insist that living wage jobs be required for retailers at the Armory, call on Board 7 to vote no on the proposal.

For regular updates on the project, go to the Bronx News Network blog.

By Katie Riordan

Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn released the 2010 New York City fiscal year budget last week, but not without angering at least one group of city workers — school support staff.

 In a press release, Bloomberg said the proposed budget of $59.4 billion has been balanced by “reducing city spending while still protecting the core services that so many New Yorkers rely on.”

With a decline of nearly $5 billion in tax revenue, the financial plan includes a half percentage point increase in sales tax and applying the full city sales tax to electric and natural gas customers who purchase energy from non-utility companies.

Many feared that library services would be cut, but the budget includes funding to keep them open six days a week. Also included is a tax break for freelancers and small businesses.  

Councilman Oliver Koppell said he was mostly pleased with the budget, which included a $100,000 grant for Williamsbridge Oval Park. He was not happy, however, with the sales tax hike and said he thought they could have raised revenue some other way. Koppell said that because of federal stimulus money, education funding would mostly be unaffected.

But local unions say the city’s budget will force the Department of Education to lay off an estimated 2,600 school support staffers, including crossing guards, school aides and family counselors.

“All of the support staff in the schools are just as important as the teachers, it takes all of us to get it done,” said Lillian Roberts, executive director of DC 37, one of the school support staff unions.

There was a rally scheduled to protest the cuts on Wednesday, June 23.

By Molly Ryan

The extension of term limits for New York City’s elected officials from two to three terms has allowed veteran lawmaker Oliver Koppell to make a bid to retain his City Council seat in District 11, which includes Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Riverdale and Woodlawn.

This time around, he faces Tony Cassino, a former chairman of Community Board 8 (Riverdale), who officially kicked off his campaign on June 7.

At first glance, these two Democratic candidates appear to have similar platforms. Both Koppell and Cassino are Riverdale residents who were raised in the Bronx and have been involved in borough politics. Also, the candidates are both highly concerned with providing District 11 with improvements in education, transportation and public safety.

Community Board 7 Chairman Greg Faulkner says the district is “lucky to have two good candidates.”

So what separates them?

Cassino says that one of the major differences between his candidacy and Koppell’s is his “ability to listen to people and build coalitions.” Cassino believes that Riverdale gets preferential treatment by Koppell. If he were elected, Cassino says he will “raise standards throughout the Bronx” and “deliver the same results of services throughout the different areas.”

Cassino also says that he wants to “have a close relationship with the community and the police” to “solve problems.” He believes that communication between residents and politicians is essential in all neighborhoods in the Bronx and he is willing to “fight for more resources” to ensure “we get services that we need.”

Koppell is building his campaign on his reputation and experience, which includes more than two decades in the Assembly and stints as the state’s attorney general and as president of the now-defunct Community School Board 10. “I’m running on my record,” Koppell says. Cassino “doesn’t have nearly the experience or the record that I bring to the job.”

Included in Koppell’s record is a history of providing the Bronx with senior citizen services, money for education and initiatives to encourage business and reduce housing deterioration, he says.
Koppell says he believes he has worked hard to “provide services to all of the communities in [his] district.” He confirmed that he is “constantly involved with the community,” attending community board meetings and tenant meetings “all the time.”

During his eight years as councilman, many residents of the Bronx feel that Koppell has been “hands on,” says Sam Gillian, president of the Tracey Towers Tenant Association. Still, some residents, like Felix Gibson, also a Tracey Towers resident and a member of Community Board 7, believe Koppell’s effort to extend term limits “was a slap in the face to the voters.”

As the election draws closer, Koppell and Cassino both say they are prepared to campaign vigorously throughout District 11 and they have the money to do so. According to the latest campaign finance records, Cassino is close to the incumbent in fund-raising. The first-time candidate has raised less than Koppell ($93,549, compared to $105,558) and spent more ($57,792, compared to $54,031).    

By Ashley Villarreal

The sounds of drumming and shouting radiate throughout the halls of PS 340 as the elementary students’ simulated African marketplace comes to life.

“Two dollars!” one child yells, while another tries to haggle down the price.

Made possible by a grant from Marquis Studios and funding from the Kent Brothers Foundation, two weeks ago, the third graders at PS 340 in Kingsbridge made and sold crafts at an African-style fair geared to teach younger generations how to handle money.

Virginia Kuppek, a third grade teacher and one of the event organizers, said the grant allowed each one of the classes to loan $100 to an entrepreneur in Africa.

It started with students learning about Africa, Kuppek said. “That was a jump off point, because in social studies, students learn about economics as well as culture and from there the kids learned what it means to loan money.”

Each third grade class was presented with two prospective business owners in Africa. Students then analyzed the business plans and decided who they would support. In the process, Kuppek said, students learned how to run a business and how to make and save their money.

Third grader Naomi Gomez said she had fun making picture frames and other crafts that she sold in the fair, but also came to understand more about how businesses work.

“I learned that having a business is hard, hard work, but also is fun,” Naomi said. 

John Kent, who has helped run the funding program that his brother David started three years ago to teach financial responsibility, said the event is part of the foundation’s goal to reach children at a young age.

When the economy started sputtering, Kent said, “A lot of people got into a lot of trouble and there was no one to help them and no education in the schools.”

Representatives from Ridgewood Savings Bank also came to the market.

“We came to try and help kids try to save, and the kids were very interested,” said Jami LaForgia, a Ridgewood representative.

La Forgia said she finds it works to get younger generations in the mode of saving before they become adults. “(Adults are) already in the habit of not saving, so when you start telling them to do it now, it’s hard,” Forgia said. “But now the kids have an opportunity to [learn about saving] and not wish that they [had before].”

By Alex Kratz

Local residents and housing advocates say State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., whose name means “sword” in Spanish, has stabbed them in the back by siding with Republicans, not supporting rent laws that would preserve affordable housing and essentially paralyzing the state legislature.

More than 100 people protested outside of Fordham Place, the office building where Espada claims to have a district office, located at Fordham Road and Webster Avenue (though the building’s manager told the Norwood News he had never heard of Espada before he became a tabloid fixture).

Millie Colon, a Bedford Park resident and a member of Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), said Espada has not been honest with the community.

“A lot of people have been misguided and misinformed by him.” Colon said. “He continuously says he is in support of our plight and then he turns around and he has his own agenda. He continuously evaded us and didn’t support us.”

For months, tenants and advocates in Espada’s district have been on his back to support a raft of bills that would strengthen rent laws, including a bill that would repeal vacancy decontrol, which allows landlords to raise rents on apartments without restrictions once they hit $2,000.

Advocates say the repeal would preserve hundreds of thousands of the city’s rent-regulated apartments and point out that Espada’s district contains more rent-regulated apartments — 77,000 — than all but one other state senator.

Tenant advocates had  high hopes that the state’s Democrats, which began the year in charge of the state Senate, Assembly and governor’s office for the first time since 1965, would have the power to push through a package of rent laws.

But two weeks ago, Espada, who as head of the Senate Housing Committee spent the entire spring stalling on the rent bills, became the linchpin of a Republican power grab, along with Hiram Monserrate, a Queens Democrat. The two voted to put the Republicans back into Senate leadership positions and, in return, Espada was given the title of Senate president, which would make him governor if David Paterson became incapacitated or even left the state.

Monserrate has since moved back into the Democratic camp, leaving Espada as the sole renegade keeping power away from his own party and leaving the Senate at an impasse.

The chamber remains deadlocked at 31-31. Espada claims the leadership vote, which Monserrate participated in, gave Republicans power, though either side would need 32 votes to pass anything.

Democrats counter that the vote was  illegal. Last week, a judge told the two sides to work it out on their own. But, as of press time, there was no compromise.

The deadlock is great news for pro-landlord groups who were fighting hard to keep bills like the ending of vacancy decontrol off the floor.

In May, after protesters picketed Espada at a Manhattan restaurant where he was giving a speech to pro-landlord groups, the senator told tenant advocates in Albany that he would work with them and address (though not necessarily support) all of the rent law bills. 

But at that point Espada was already conspiring with Republicans to take over the Senate.  On top of that, Stanley Schlein, a longtime Bronx power broker who represented Espada last fall in negotiations with Democratic conference leader Malcolm Smith, is now working for the two biggest pro-landlord and developer groups in the state — the Rent Stabilization Association and the Real Estate Board.

The week after the Republican takeover, Espada said he wouldn’t support the repeal of rent control.

Espada did not return calls for this article, but told The New York Times that his support from real estate groups didn’t affect his decision, though he declined to say how much money he has received.

Joseph Strasburg, the president of the Rent Stabilization Association, also did not return calls for this article and has refused to say how much money his group has given Espada, but has repeatedly said he supports Espada’s move. 

Back in the Bronx, Espada has recently been spotted at a Yankees game enjoying box seats and outside of the Bedford Park building he claims is his primary residence. Other people who live there, however, have maintained since last August that they rarely ever see him. A Bronx court certified the building as his primary residence last fall, but Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson recently convened a grand jury to investigate the situation. In response, Espada sued the DA’s office for politically targeting him.
Regardless, residents at the rally said Espada has “sold out” his community.

“We need a leader who actually does lead us,” said Esperanza Vasquez. “[A leader] who lives in the Bronx and thinks about Latinos, and thinks about the conditions in which we are living in.”
 

By Alex Kratz

If the last two weeks are any indication, the northwest Bronx is in for a long, loud, violent summer.

Traditionally, violent crime, along with the weather, picks up during the summer months throughout New York City. But this summer, the 52nd Precinct — which is contiguous with Community District 7 and includes the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, North Fordham, Norwood and University Heights — is off to a particularly rough start after a relatively quiet first five months of the year.

In the last two weeks alone, a 15-year-old Bedford Park resident was murdered, and shooting incidents have doubled. There were only four shooting incidents in the first five months of the year and there have been four since June 12. The gun violence is being compounded by reports of raucous street behavior in neighborhoods throughout the precinct.

“I dread summer here,” said Michael Pimentel, a former member of Community Board 7 who lives in University Heights. “It’s to the point where I’m not happy coming back to the Bronx from Manhattan.”

Meanwhile, police at the 52nd Precinct are scrambling to make up for their shrinking roster of cops. Over the past few months, the precinct has lost 40 cops to other commands.

At recent community meetings, residents like Pimentel have bombarded local cops with complaints of noise, public drinking and open-air drug dealing. But the four shooting incidents, one of which was fatal, underscored the violence that often stems from the increased street activity, especially among youth.

Augie Aloia, a former NYPD cop who now teaches criminal justice at Monroe College says the increased violence is a combination of factors — warmer weather, kids being out of school, group mentality and alcohol or other intoxicants. “People under the influence of alcohol, their inhibitions go down, and the gun or knife comes out,” Aloia said. “They might think about doing that bodega robbery much more.” It can also lead to the unnecessary escalation of arguments, Aloia said.

It’s unclear exactly what reasons led to the murder of 15-year-old Juan Jerez, but it appears to have been the result of a teenage argument.

 It was late Friday night, June 12, and Juan, a high school freshman, was on his way to play basketball, his friends said, near the corner of Minerva Place and 198th Street. Earlier in the day, police said Juan may have been involved in an argument with neighborhood rivals during which someone brandished a gun.

Someone opened fire on Juan, who was with at least one companion. Some residents said they heard as many 12 or 15 shots. Juan took two bullets to the chest, killing him almost instantly. His unidentified companion was also hit once in the right leg.

Two days later, police arrested Daikwan Giles, 17, who lives just two blocks from where the shooting occurred, in connection with the crime. Charges are still pending.

A group of about 20 of Juan’s friends, their eyes brimming with tears, gathered on the Monday after his death. “RIP Juan” was spray painted not only on Juan’s apartment building, but also on the sidewalk where he was shot. As these high-school teens stood remembering Juan in silence, they lit candles, signed posters and placed flowers and pictures on the site of his death.

It was difficult for many of Juan’s friends to talk about the tragic incident, but they all agreed that they would greatly miss him.
Juan’s friends insisted the victim did not have any enemies, but said the area is notoriously dangerous. Other residents on Minerva said the area is usually quiet, but that lately it’s taken a turn for the worse.

Missing from the makeshift memorial was Juan’s family. His friends said they went to bury their son in the Dominican Republic. 

Maria Santiago, who lives next door to the Jerez’s apartment complex, said people are at risk in this dangerous area. Santiago said that the police “don’t do anything” and there are teenage gang members, violence and drugs spilling onto the streets.

Lieutenant Thomas Hammer of the 52nd Precinct said police were doing the best they can with dwindling resources. Even with the recent incidents, Hammer said shootings are down compared to last year. Hammer said he hopes the outbreak was an aberration and not a sign of things to come. He also hopes the precinct gets an infusion of rookie cops when the next police academy graduates in July and the new fiscal year starts.

Nelson Infante, a restaurant owner in Bedford Park for 28 years, agreed that the neighborhood has gradually become “worse and worse.” He blames teenagers for the violent outbreaks, saying they just “don’t want to go to school.”

Infante has known Juan’s mother for 10 years. He described Juan as a “good kid,” but said he did not know any information about the shooting. “I am shocked that it happened to Juan, but not shocked that it happened in the area,” he said.

Last Wednesday night, June 17, a man in his 20s was shot just a block away on 198th and Creston Avenue. And late on Sunday, June 14, a man was shot on Grand Avenue, just south of Fordham Road. There was another shooting on June 21 on the corner of West Kingsbridge Road, near Sedgwick Avenue.  None of these shootings had resulted in fatalities as of press time.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Free Spaying/Neutering
The Toby Project will be offering free spaying and neutering services for dogs and cats on the following dates: Tuesdays, June 16, 23 and 30 at 182nd Street and Southern Boulevard; Saturdays, June 13, 20 and 27 at 230th Street and Broadway; Sunday, June 21 at Capuchin Way between East Gun Hill Road and Magenta Street; and Sundays, June 14 and 28 at 1527 Jesup Ave. Animals should be dropped off at 7 a.m. and picked up a few hours later. For more information, call (212) 799-1120 or visit www.tobyproject.org.  

Volunteer Opportunity at North Bronx Healthcare
The North Bronx Healthcare Network is seeking volunteers for the Sexual Assault Treatment Program run at North Central Bronx Hospital, Jacobi Medical Center, and Lincoln Medical Center. Those interested should be willing to volunteer twice a month and commit to serving the program for one year. For more information, call (718) 519-4788. 

NMCIR Immigration Assistance
The Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights is offering immigration assistance to Bronxites. There is assistance with U.S. Citizenship, family petitions, and travel permits. It is offered at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave., Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (718) 484-8294 or email info@NMCIR.org.

MS 206 Fair
The third annual Health and Multicultural Community Fair will be held at MS 206, located at 2280 Aqueduct Ave., on Saturday, June 20.  The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include various vendors with information on health, legal, immigration, and housing services.  For more information, contact Annan Boodram at (646) 461-0574.

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.

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.

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.

Summer Youth Employment Orientation
The WIA/ISY (Summer Youth Employment) orientation will be held at 3450 DeKalb Ave. at 3:45 p.m. sharp. Select from June 15, 16, 17 or 18. These will be located at PS 94, 3530 Kings College Place. For more information, call (718) 652-1471.

MetroCard Grace Periods
MTA New York City Transit has announced that all riders who purchase a 1-Day Fun Pass, 7-Day, 14-Day, or 30-Day Unlimited MetroCard before the June 28 Fare Change, and use them for the first time no later than July 6, will receive all entitled unlimited travel. Purchases made prior to June 28 are valid as follows: One-Day Fun Passes until July 6; 7-Day Unlimited MetroCards until July 12; 14-Day Unlimited MetroCards until July 19, and 30-Day Unlimited MetroCards until Aug. 4. Pay-per-ride MetroCards are not affected and can be used normally after the increase. For more information, visit www.mta.info.

Aid for Veterans and Their Families
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.

Free Career Information Seminars
Lehman College Office of Continuing Education is holding free career information seminars for its non-credit certificate programs. For dates, times and locations of seminars, please call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu.ce.

Computer Classes at Williamsbridge Oval
The Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval East, is holding computer classes on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Learn how to use the internet and MS Office software. Fore more information, contact Albert Davis or Tuwanda Ruffin at (718) 654-1851.

Teen Trailways Summer Camp
Teens entering 7th to 10th grade can enroll in the Teen Trailways program at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, which takes campers on day trips to sporting events, Broadway shows, comedy clubs, lakes, beaches, state parks, and amusement parks. Teens can also go on longer trips to Virginia Beach, Toronto and Disney World in Florida. For more information, call (718) 882-400

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 will run through June 26.  For more information, call (718) 760-6999 or visit www.cityparksfoundation.org.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 June 16, from 10 to 11 a.m. To register call (800) 636-6683.

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.

 

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage
 

•  The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents El Gran Combo and La Excelencia, both groups performing salsa, June 13 at 8 p.m., in the Concert Hall at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. 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 Japanese Classical Dance Performance by Sachiyo Ito and Co., June 13 at 2:30 p.m.; and Doo Wop with the New York Exceptions, June 20 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

 

•  The Mosholu Library, located at 285 E. 205th St., presents Smooth Jazz with Libby & Co., June 13 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

 

•  The keyboard and vocal/percussion husband and wife team of Sonny & Perley will perform jazz, great American songbook standards and international cabaret at La Strada Enoteca, 3151 E. Tremont Ave., June 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. For more information, call (518) 238-1331 or visit www.sonnyandperley.com.

 

•  The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, at 841 Barretto St., will hold its 9th annual Out Like That! Festival, June 11 to 20. This event shows their support of women, people of color, and the LGBT community, and will include dance, theatre, film, art and performances by drag queens and kings. Performances range from $5 to $20 and some are free. For a detailed schedule, call (718) 842-5223 or visit www.bronxacademyofartsanddance.org.

Events

•  The New York Botanical Garden presents Bronx Day, Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Garden’s Clay Family Picnic Pavilions. Bring lunch and enjoy a free day of musical entertainment and fun events for the entire family, including face painting and raffle prizes. There will also be health, finance and education resource information kiosks. For free advance tickets, which are required for admission, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the number of tickets requested (six maximum), to: Elizabeth Figueroa, Director of Community Relations, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458-5126. For more information, call (718) 817-8990 to confirm.

 

•  The Riverdale Choral Society will host a summer sing at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church, 4765 Henry Hudson Parkway (west side of highway), on June 22 at 7:30 p.m. The program features classical music. Admission is $12 including score rental. The Society invites the public to participate and to bring scores if they have them. For more information and to register, call (718) 543-2219 or visit www.riverdalechoral.org.
•  The Bronx Museum’s Teen Council presents free, a screened interview featuring Tim Rollins, artist and educator, and K.O.S. (Kids of Survival), through June 14, at the museum’s south wing entrance, lower gallery, 1040 Grand Concourse (at 165th Street). For more information, call (718) 681-6000 ext. 120 or visit cwanliss@bronxmuseum.org.

 

• Car-free Bronx Coalition presents Bronx on the Move, a car-free Saturday at Crotona Park, June 27 from noon to 5 p.m. between Claremont Parkway and Crotona Park North (rain or shine), featuring summer family fitness events including zumba lessons inspired by traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and merengue music; guided bike ride starting in Crotona Park featuring free bike riding lessons for kids and adults and free simple bike repair; and free health screening and advice on healthy eating. For more information, call (718) 324-4466 or visit transalt.org/events/calendar.

 

•  Wave Hill offers two family art projects: Unfolding Trees of Imagination, to view a video and to collage trees, June 13 and 14; and A Nest for Daddy, to make a nest using recycled merials, June 20 and 21, both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

Exhibits

•  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.

 

•  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 through June. One exhibit is 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. Resplendent Roses exhibit, a celebration of America’s national flower, begins in June and runs through the first frost. Visitors can enjoy Wine and Roses, June 12 and 19 from 6 to 8 p.m., enjoy a musical performance, and purchase a glass of wine (tickets are $10/members and $20/non members). Saturday and Sunday programs include Q&A with rose experts, 1 to 4 p.m.; raffles for rose plants, 12:15 and 1:45 p.m.; rose garden tours, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.; and home gardening demonstrations, 2 p.m. For more information, call (718) 817-8700.

Learning

•  The Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance (BAAD), located at 841 Barretto St., presents their Boogie Down Dance Series 2009, featuring dance classes: Choreography Lab on June 13 and 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ($15/session), and Modern Contemporary Dance for Teens and Adults on June 15 and 23 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. ($7/class). For more information, call (718) 842-5223.

The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:

• For children and preschoolers, there is Preschool Romp, June 11, 18 and 25 at 11 a.m.; and Family Time, June 13 at 11 a.m.
• Also, for school-aged children, there is Fish Shaped Books, June 11 at 4 p.m.; and Eric Carle Craft, June 25 at 4 p.m.
• Young adults can attend Meet the Author: Agyei Tyehimba, June 23 at 6 p.m.
• For adults and young adults, there is Henry Hudson 400 Years Later, June 15 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 Preschool Story Time, June 11 at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Toddler Story Time, June 12 at 10:30 a.m. and Arts & Crafts, June 19 at 3:30 p.m., both for children; and Spa Day, June 18 at 4:30 p.m. and School’s Out Luau, June 25 at 4:30 p.m., both for young adults. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL OUR DAD READERS!

NOTE: Items for consideration should be received in our office by June 15 for the next publication date of June 25.

BCC Graduates 49th Class

By Norwood News

Bronx Community College’s 49th graduating class celebrated its commencement ceremony Friday, May 29 in front of 3,000 proud friends and family members.

The commencement, which usually takes place in the campus quadrangle, was moved to Ohio Field, the campus recreational field. The move was meant to make way for construction on the new $102 million, 98,000 square foot North and Instructional Building and Library.

Tuskegee Airman and former Bronx Community College president, Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. was one of many speakers, and reminded graduates of their duty to help others in their lifetime, “When you go to bed today and future days, look in the mirror and ask yourself, did I do something for other people.”

Other speakers included Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., State Senator Pedro Espada, Congressman Jose E. Serrano, and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, who announced the recent passage of a tax exemption deduction of $2,500 for those who pay college tuition and make under $200,000 a year.

In total there were 1,000 graduates present at the ceremony. Denise Comara and Amy Bryant were two graduates who received special recognition for being named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively. Comara is enrolled at Lehman College, and looks to pursue a degree in social work, while Bryant aspires to be a professional artist.

BCC students complete their associate’s degrees, usually on their way to four-year institutions.

President Carolyn G. Williams concluded the commencement ceremony with a speech in which she left the graduates with a quote from the great American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”

After receiving diplomas, all the newly minted graduates cheered and walked off Ohio field to start on their own paths of achievement. 

Tree Care a Family Affair at Charter School

By Nikkie Quiterio

At a relatively new Bronx elementary school on Webster Avenue, not far from Fordham Road, students are learning how to take care of the trees in their neighborhoods and gaining an understanding of why it’s important.

The Bronx Community Charter School, which currently only has kindergarten and first grade, recently held its first annual Family Street Tree Action Day.

Inspired by the Million Trees NYC Initiative, which is Mayor Bloomberg’s push to bring a million new trees to city streets and parks, the day brought 50 families together to learn about caring for the trees and plant life surrounding the school building and build a spirit of activism.

In the weeks leading up to the tree day event, students were brought outside each day to care for the trees. They would water and plant flowers around the sidewalk tree pits.

“The primary thing is to teach them how to care for the trees,” said Sasha Wilson, co-director of the school.

Students benefit because they directly see the impact of their work, said school aide Anna Lugo. “It has them claim ownership to the community,” she said. “We hope to have families go home and adopt a [street] tree.”

After participating in the event, students and their families were given a bucket with tools to take home and use to care for a tree in their neighborhood.

“Trees need raising and nurturing, like babies,” said Ian Jack, who works with the Department of Parks and Recreation and attended the event.

Jack said they are trying to raise awareness among young people and this was the first time an event like this was being done in any city.

Victor Zuniga, both a parent and a volunteer, said he thinks the kids will catch on. “I think the children will learn to care for the trees,” he said.

City Wants to Preserve History on Perry Ave.

By Molly Ryan

In Bedford Park, many single-family houses are slowly falling into disrepair or being replaced by multiple-story apartment buildings.

On Perry Avenue, however, between Bedford Park Boulevard and East 201st Street, there remains a row of nine quaint, well-preserved Victorian houses and the city wants to keep it that way.

These picturesque houses attracted the notice of the LPC (Landmarks Preservation Commission), which is now proposing to turn this strip of Queen Anne-style residences into a Historic District.

According to LPC employee Lisi de Bourbon, designating Perry Avenue as a Historic District would “preserve the character of the block.” As a landmark, the houses on Perry Avenue would not only retain their aesthetic beauty, but it would also conserve the history of the neighborhood, she said.

The wood-frame houses built between 1910 and 1911 still attract an array of admirers. Defined by red and yellow brick, three-sided porches, large windows and bright flowers, these residences are homes to a diverse variety of families, according to the LPC.

Besides being visually pleasing, the houses also have significant ties to Bronx history. The LPC found that their architect, Charles S. Clark, was based in the Bronx. When Clark constructed these houses, the Bedford area was considered an upscale suburb and a railway town. the arrival of the subway system a few years later brought with it a surge of apartment structures that still dominate the landscape of Bedford Park, said Peter Derrick of the Bronx County Historical Society.

The houses on Perry Avenue are vestiges of a time when Bedford Park was populated with only 2,000 people and a vast amount of empty land bordered the Bronx, Derrick said.

Residents of Bedford Park, like Agnes Fitzpatrick, who has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years, say the houses and history of the Bronx are “not ready to fade into oblivion.”

A few months ago, the LPC held a meeting with the homeowners to address questions about the process of turning Perry Avenue into a Historic District. Present at this meeting was Bronx Councilman Oliver Koppell who said he wholeheartedly supports land marking in the Bronx and believes that it will “increase [real estate] value and be good for the entire community.”

Recently, the LPC voted to approve a hearing on the subject. This hearing will take place on June 23 at the LPC office in City Center Manhattan. After the hearing, the 12 members of the LPC will vote on the proposal.

If the proposal passes in the LPC, it then needs to be approved by the City Planning Commission and City Council. If both bodies vote to pass the proposal, Perry Avenue will be designated a Historic District.

As a Historic District, all major changes to the exterior of the houses would need to be approved by the LPC. The only requirements of the current tenants would be to keep the buildings in “good repair,” said de Bourbon. 

Some residents of Perry Avenue have their doubts about calling attention to their homes.

However, most of the Bedford community is excited about the developments. Community Board 7 District Manager Fernando Tirado, who lives in the neighborhood, voiced his enthusiasm for the project.

“Landmarks are not overly present in the upper boroughs so this presents a unique opportunity to preserve unique housing,” he said.

Adam Belliu, a superintendent of a nearby apartment building, said, “We have to save this neighborhood because it’s gold.”
His friend, Sam Mahnud, another superintendent of a Bedford Park apartment complex chimed in. “There are enough commercial buildings,” he said. “We need a piece of history.”

Charge for Bags

By None

Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to charge a five-cent fee on plastic bags is asking for too little money, I think, for each bag if he is trying to make a change. I am kind of afraid that I will not be ready for these changes and that I may forget to bring my own bags to the supermarket, but I care about the environment enough to take a chance.

Plastic bags are all over our community. They are so bad for our environment because they just keep building up. Even if the bag is made into something else, it will not break down into the soil so they will stay in the landfills for many years. And if they are melted and made into something else, the gases that are released into the air are toxic and very bad for the environment. This is basically a lose-lose situation.

Plastic bags keep being made because we do not recycle them; instead we use them to throw our garbage out. I personally don’t think I will stop using plastic bags unless I have no choice. Money is something everyone cares about, and spending money is something no one wants to do. That’s why having a fee for plastic bags is a very smart idea and it helps in two ways, one by reducing the use of plastic bags in our everyday life, and two, because every time someone does use a plastic bag, they will pay for it and that money will go to the city’s budget. I don’t think that plastic bags should be used in the supermarket at all. When people go grocery shopping, they should bring big or small carts and cloth bags to carry their groceries.

This is going to be better for the environment and as a member of the New York League of Conservation Voters, I worry about what is going on. Not having plastic bags would affect me because I use them around the house as garbage bags, to carry my food or extra pairs of clothes for gym. But I could use cloth bags for that. I can use one bag for the garbage in my house. It might take a while to get used to these changes, but we have to start making a change now if we want to see improvements in a few years.

-Yazmin Manzo

Norwood News Guide to Bronx Week 2009

By Norwood News

It’s that time of year again when we celebrate all things Bronx. Here’s our guide to all events happening during Bronx Week. For a more detailed description of events, visit www.ilovethebronx.com, or call (718) 594-BRONX.

Thursday, June 11

Bronx Week Announcement: Join Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. at the Lou Gehrig Plaza on the Grand Concourse and 161st Street at 11 a.m. as he kicks off Bronx Week 2009 and introduces the events taking place in the borough throughout Bronx Week. Special guests will include Michael Proietti, finalist in the reality series The Next Food Network Star, who will showcase some of his culinary skills. For more information, call (718) 590-2502.

Friday, June 12

Youth Empowerment Forum: Bronx Community Solutions presents a Youth Empowerment Forum to improve youth-police interaction on low-level offenses. Youth leaders will engage in discussions with criminal justice agencies. The forum will be held at the Bronx Hall of Justice at 265 E. 161st St. from 1 to 3 p.m. For more information, call (718) 618-2495.

Saturday, June 13

NAACP Walk-A-Thon: Join the NAACP as it celebrates its 100th anniversary with a Walk-A-Thon for good health at the St. Mary’s Park Health Fair. On site health screenings, NAACP membership drives, and refreshments will be available. The Walk-A-Thon will begin at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse and continue to St. Mary’s Park at 149th Street. The check-in will begin at 10 a.m. For more information, call (718) 409-9844.

Photo Exhibit of Hudson River: As part of a 400th year anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage along the river, artists Robert Seyffert and Joseph Squillante present paintings and photos exhibiting the river’s beauty. The exhibit will be held at the Hebrew Home at Riverdale at 5901 Palisade Ave. from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will run through Oct. 11. For more information, call (718) 581-1596.

Annual Family Day Celebration: Experience a day of live entertainment, face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides, sports and games, and refreshments. The event is sponsored by the Phipps Community Development Corporation, and will be held at Crotona Park on Claremont Parkway and Crotona Avenue from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call (718) 716-1128 ext. 811.

Bronx Old Timers Festival: Seniors and baby boomers are invited back to the old neighborhood for a day of games, entertainment, food and refreshments in a fun social setting. The festival will take place at 178th Street between Bathgate and Third avenues from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call (646) 208-8325.

Sunday, June 14

Woodlawn Cemetery Walking Tour: Experience a walking tour of lovely Woodlawn Cemetery to the final resting place of those who built the Grand Concourse. The tour is free, and will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery at Webster Avenue and East 233rd Street from 2 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 920-1470.

Monday, June 15

Health Awareness Day: Tour the Union Community Health Center facilities and receive free screenings for HIV, blood pressure, and mammograms. The event will take place at Union Community Health Center at 2021 Grand Concourse from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 901-9570.

Grant Announcement: Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr will announce the “Start Strong” program at MS 331 at 40 W. Tremont Ave. at 11 a.m. The domestic abuse awareness program is funded by a $1 million grant by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. A short skit from the play “Texting For Life” performed by Pregones Theater will follow.

NYC’s Largest Simon Says Contest: Ruben Diaz, Jr. and the Police Athletic League host a fun outdoor Simon Says experience for all ages. The game will begin at 4 p.m. in front of the Police Athletic League Building on Fox Street between Intervale and Longwood avenues.

Tuesday, June 16

Bronx Diva Spa: Women are invited to the Bronx County Building at 851 Grand Concourse to receive free facials, manicures, and makeovers. Beginning at 11 a.m., DiVA (Domestic Violence Awareness) will provide spa treatment in addition to information on local resources available to domestic violence victims. There will also be information and advice regarding resume writing and interviewing techniques.

Wednesday, June 17

Bronx Trolley Tour: Famous Bronx Historian Lloyd Ultan will lead a trolley tour of Bronx landmarks and historic districts, with a special focus on the Grand Concourse, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The tour is free of charge and will depart from the Bronx County Building at 851 Grand Concourse at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. To RSVP, call (718) 590-3047.

Bronx Studies Exhibit by Valerie Larko: Urban landscapes painter Valerie Larko features her works of Bronx landscapes, waterfronts, and neighborhoods at the Bronx County Building at 851 Grand Concourse between 6 and 8 p.m. Admission is free.

Music on the Concourse: Lincoln Center presents Jose Conde and his band La Ola Fresca at the Civic Center of the Bronx for a 2-hour lunchtime performance. The performance will take place on the steps of the Bronx County Building at 851 Grand Concourse, East 161st Street, from noon to 2 p.m. For more information, call (718) 590-4412.

Thursday, June 18

Bronx Business Day Expo: Small business owners are invited to learn about free services and tips offered by New York City agencies and development organizations such as BOEDC and SOBRO. The Expo will take place at the Bronx Museum of Arts at 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Friday, June 19

Healthy Bronx Fair: Organizations from throughout New York City exhibit their health-related products and services, provide free health screenings, nutrition consultations and much more. The fair will be held at the Bronx County Building on 851 Grand Concourse from 11a.m. to 3p.m.
Bronx Ball 2009: The Bronx Tourism Council leads a welcome home celebration for Bronx celebrities on the eve of their induction into the Bronx Walk of Fame. The Ball will take place at the Great Hall of the new Yankee Stadium on 161st Street and River Avenue at 6:30p.m. For ticket information call (718) 590-2502.

Saturday, June 20

Bronx Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony: Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. unveils street signs on the Grand Concourse in honor of the 2009 inductees to the Bronx Walk of Fame. The procession will take place in front of the Bronx County Building at 851 Grand Concourse at 11 a.m.

2009 Bronx Day Parade: Bands, floats, and thousands of marchers will make their way up Mosholu Parkway showing off their Bronx pride. The parade will begin on Mosholu Parkway North and Kazimiroff Boulevard at noon.

Bronx Food & Arts Festival: Some of the Bronx’s most popular restaurants team up for a great outdoor festival that will include cuisines ranging from Thai to Italian, and Caribbean to Polynesian. The festival is free of charge, and will take place at Mosholu Parkway North and Van Cortlandt Park East from 1 to 6 p.m.

Bronx Week Grand Finale Concert: Live performances of merengue, salsa, steel drums, and much more, will close out Bronx Week at Mosholu Parkway North and Bainbridge Avenue. Also featured is Donnie Klang of the MTV hit reality show “Making the Band.” The concert is free, and will begin at 1:30 p.m.

Espada’s Gambit

By Editorial

It would be nice if we had a powerful and principled state senator representing all of our communities. But it seems we only have the former.

Pedro Espada, Jr., who has been in office representing the 33rd Senate District for only five months, has  already managed to catapult himself  to leadership  positions on both sides of the aisle of the state Senate by capitalizing on the razor-thin majority Democrats gained for the first time in 40 years.

On Monday, he abandoned the Democrats for the Republicans, and in so doing, shook up city and state politics in a way that makes Eliot Spitzer’s resignation look like a minor gossip-page item in comparison.

Now that Espada has essentially thrown power in the Senate to the GOP, thus bringing New Yorkers divided government once again, every single issue the state legislature was moving toward resolving this session is in jeopardy — gay marriage, mayoral control of the city’s school  system, rent laws, ethics reform, etc. 

Aside from the chaos, putting Espada in the driver’s seat of state government (and next in line to succeed Governor Paterson should he be incapacitated) is sending shudders through the body politic.
Espada has never been convicted of a crime, but a litany of ethical transgressions defines his life in public service.

He has refused to register his campaign committee from the last election, so there has not been a full reporting of his campaign contributions.

Three of the executives at his health center pleaded guilty to diverting $30,000 from family care and AIDS treatment programs to Espada’s 2001 bid for Bronx borough president.

He lives in Mamaroneck. He bought a co-op in Bedford Park last summer but few of his neighbors have ever seen him there.

He doesn’t have a district office, or even a local phone number, despite the listing of a Fordham Road address on his Web site.

You’d think the media glare on Espada’s power plays and his ethical lapses would have him lying low and putting his best — or least worst — foot forward.

Instead, Espada set up shell nonprofits with no discernable public purpose to receive member item money, according to The New York Times. Thankfully, State Senate officials refused to OK the allocation, which is said to be one of the reasons Espada defected.

In a district with over 101,000 registered Democratic voters , Espada won the Democratic primary last September (tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic borough) with only 4,988 votes.  That’s five percent of registered Democrats who pulled the lever for Espada. That kind of turnout is a recipe for a lack of accountability. Of course, local voters had the unenviable choice of voting for Espada, or the incumbent, Efrain Gonzalez, who was under indictment at the time.

Now we have another 15 months or so before the next Senate election. We can only hope that there are some good people in the 33rd District who are already plotting their candidacies.

Though his actions tell us he’s not much interested in hearing from his constituents, we all must hold Senator Espada accountable any way we can in the meantime. The phone number for his Albany office is (518) 455-3395 and we’ll get you the address for his district office — if he ever opens one.

DEP Conducts Drill for Chlorine Leak Possibility

By David Greene

The DEP recently conducted a drill to test emergency procedures in the case of a chlorine leak at the Jerome Park Reservoir Gatehouse #5 on Paul Avenue in Bedford Park, but it wasn’t without incident.

Last fall, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) was criticized when a chlorine leak occurred and very few local residents were alerted, including officials at the Bronx High School of Science, just across the street from the reservoir.

“Last October, there was a small [chlorine] release,” said acting DEP Commissioner Steven Lawitts, addressing that issue after the DEP’s drill on Sunday, May 31. “It was totally contained in that building, there were no injuries and no one was in danger, and while the chances of it happening are very small, we need to conduct exercises like this, so that if a real emergency occurs, we’ll be prepared.”

Lawitts added that the facility is not in use and no chlorine is currently stored at the location.

For the most part, the drill went smoothly, but despite alerts to the media and flyers issued by the DEP, the exercise was moved over one block, after it was learned that members of a church conducting a service at Bronx Science were not aware of it.

The drill kicked off just after 8 a.m. at the corner of West 205th Street and Goulden Avenue, as one DEP official got on his cell phone to report that a chlorine spill had overcome one worker and a second worker was missing.

At 8:20 a.m., an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) supervisor arrived on the scene, followed by a host of EMS and Fire Department units.

FDNY members removed a mannequin from a truck and took it inside as the potential patient. A firefighter was placed on a second gurney and brought inside. The firefighters would physically have to locate the victim in their oversized protective jumpsuits.

Members of New Day Church, which has held mass at the Bronx Science for months, were first informed of the drill shortly before it went into full swing.

An agent from the NYPD’s School Safety Division, parked outside the high school, responded, “What drill?” when told about the exercise.

“We knew about the church service this morning,” Lawitts said. “We chose Sunday morning for a drill like this, so it would have the least impact on the community.”

Jim Long, a spokesman for the FDNY, said during an actual leak, the school wouldn’t necessarily need to be evacuated. “That would depend on all of the variables: the weather, time of day and wind conditions. It’s not immediately necessary to evacuate because sometimes you can cause more harm than good, but that is something that is definitely reviewed and if it’s necessary, it will be done.”

Community Boards Protest Budget Cuts

By Molly Ryan

Despite the looming dark clouds above the steps of City Hall in Manhattan, a tough crowd braved the weather on Tuesday, June 9, to show support for New York City’s local community boards.

The 59 community boards throughout New York City are in crisis. In Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed budget for the new fiscal year, community boards will have their budgets cut by $35,000.

Community boards already have low budgets of less than $200,000, meaning a budget cut of this magnitude would most likely lead to the dismissal of one of two or three staff members on each board. With less staff, community boards will inevitably be less effective in helping locals access higher democratic institutions, resolve neighborhood issues and ensure proper land use.

At this morning’s rally, the borough presidents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx all voiced their appreciation for and support of local community boards. Manhattan BP Scott M. Stringer started off the protest by saying, “Enough is enough.” Community boards have not received a budget increase in 19 years, he said.

Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. further argued that community boards are the “frontline of service and democracy.” In the current economic downturn, these boards are necessary to “keep our neighborhoods clean and safe,” said Diaz.

Also present at the rally were the district managers of Bronx community boards 5 and 6, Xavier Rodriguez and Ivine Galarza, respectively. Galarza voiced her concern that the board cuts would “devastate” her community, while Rodriguez explained that “community boards are trusted more than 311.” Both believe that community boards remain an essential part of New York City’s democracy.

While Fernando Tirado, the district manager of Bronx Community Board 7 was unable to participate in the protest, he wholeheartedly supports the community boards of New York City because he believes that they give the community a voice. Without community boards, “people would only have a limited voice,” said Tirado.

Next Page »

Current Print Edition

Click here for PDF downloads of recent editions. Click here for all recent print edition stories.

Latest from Breaking Bronx

• Tomorrow: Live Coverage From The Bronx BP’s State of Borough Speech Wed, Feb 22 at 5:27pm
• Bronx Nabe Note: Become Your Own Boss Workshop, Thursday Night Wed, Feb 22 at 4:35pm
• Wednesday’s Bronx News Links Wed, Feb 22 at 3:17pm
• Local Initiative Puts Focus on Teens’ Reproductive Health Wed, Feb 22 at 12:33pm
• Bicycles and Basketballs Could be in the Armory’s Future Wed, Feb 22 at 5:58am

Archives

Copyright © 2007 Norwood News · Log in