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

 RSS

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

After-School Youth Program
Youngsters ages 11 to 16 are invited to participate in the newly re-opened free after-school program at The COVE, located in the basement of 3418 Gates Pl. The program will have recreation, dance/talent shows, trips, homework help, and it will teach participants how to create, film and edit their own videos. The program runs with open enrollment through May and takes place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. For more information or to enroll, call Doug Knepper at (347) 374-7928.

Give Art to the Park
The Mosholu Preservation Corporation is looking to bring an assortment of art to Bronx parks. Local artists who would like to donate art pieces for display in a park should contact Christin Cato at (718) 324-4461 or e-mail intern2@mpcbronx.org. If an art piece is chosen, the artist will be recognized by their name next to their art.

Teen Job Readiness Program
Teens ages 14 to 16 are invited to apply for a free 20-week “Job Readiness and Skills Building Program” at The COVE beginning in January. The program will teach teens interview skills, video production, photography and computer skills. Applicants who live in the Knox Gates neighborhood are eligible for a bi-weekly stipend. For more information about the program, attend the orientation on Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at 3418 Gates Place. Interviews for the program will take place by appointment on Jan. 7. For more information, call (718) 405-1312.

Youth Internship Program
Attend an information session, given in half hour intervals, Tuesdays (3:30 to 5:30 p.m.), Wednesdays (3:30 to 7 p.m.) or Thursdays (4 to 6 p.m.) between now and Jan. 15 to learn about the “This Way Ahead in School Youth Program” – a paid internship program for work at the Gap and Old Navy stores, paying $8.75 an hour. Applicants are required to become members of The Door, and should be ages 16 to 21. Apply at The Door, 555 Broome St. in Manhattan daily 2 to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays till 7 p.m. For more information, contact Chevon Sherrod at (212) 941-9090 ext. 3372.

Adopt a Pet
The ASPCA is bringing a Mobile Adoption Center to the Bronx on Jan. 16 at Petland Discounts at the Bay Plaza Shopping Center, 2100 Bartow Ave., from noon to 4 p.m. All dogs and cats at the adoption center are available for same-day adoption, are spayed or neutered and are up to date on vaccinations. Adoption fees are between $75 and $200. Adopters must bring a photo ID and another form of identification with their current address, such as a bill. For more information, visit www.aspca.org.

Free Small Business Classes
The NYS Small Business Development Center offers three free classes on small business skills such as legal aspects (Jan. 13), writing business plans (Jan. 20), and marketing (Jan. 27), from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at CUNY on the Concourse, 2051 Grand Concourse, 3rd floor. Seating is limited. Call (718) 960-8806 to register.

Medical Research Studies
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is inviting all interested parties to sign up for ResearchMatch.org, a new online medical research volunteer registry. Once registered, research institutions across the country can contact you to participate in various research studies based on your qualifications.

Scholarship Opportunity
The Albert Shanker College Scholarship Fund is looking for high school recipients for a $5,000 scholarship. Students interested in the opportunity should speak to their college advisors. The deadline is Jan. 31. 

Job Fair
Promoting Specialized Care and Health (PSCH) is hosting a job fair with on-the-spot job interviews every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. Those interested working in health and human services who have relevant requirements should attend one of the fairs, which are held at 30-50 Whitestone Expressway, Flushing, NY. For more information, call (718) 559-0576. Resumes can be e-mailed to Recruiter2@psch.org or faxed to (718) 358-6790.

Free ESL and GED Classes
MS 80 at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy. N. offers free ESL and GED classes. Applicants must be 21 years or older. For more information or to register, call (718) 405-6300.

Apply for a Bronx Artist Award
The Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Awards, hosted through the Bronx Council on the Arts, awards local artists for their work each year in dozens of fields. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 29. Applications can be found online or at any Bronx public library, the BCA Writers Center, or BCA’s Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College. Applicants are urged to attend one of several free workshops offered before the deadline. For submission guidelines and application assistance, please visit www.bronxarts.org or call (718) 931-9500. Eligible applicants must be 18 years or older.

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage

The Bronx Opera presents Die Drei Pintos, a musical tale of mistaken identity and secret romance in 17th century Spain, sung in English, at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 to $30. For more information, call (800) 838-3006.

The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents the following performances: Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet of San Francisco featuring contemporary dance on Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. (tickets are $25 to $35; $10 for students, seniors, and ages 12 and under); and Ultimate Doo Wop featuring classic hits, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $30 to $45). For more information, call (718) 960-8490/8833.

Events

The Harlem River Ecology Center, located at the southern end of Roberto Clemente State Park, presents Nature in the Urban Wild, Saturdays from 2 to 3 p.m., featuring live encounters and demonstrations with volunteer environmental educators of the Harlem River, followed by a movie matinee on the river from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The Ectoderms of NY State’s Estuary & Urban Watershed will be featured on Jan. 16, about reptiles that live in and along the Harlem River. For more information, call (347) 224-5687/5828.

Wave Hill, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, offers two family art projects: A Garden Vision for the New Year, to visualize your own garden, Jan. 2 and 3; and From Sheep to Shapes, to color and construct a yarn creation after seeing how wool fleece is spun and becomes natural dyed and knitted yarn, Jan. 9 and 10; both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

The New York Botanical Garden presents several events: The Holiday Train Show through Jan. 10 features a display of New York landmark replicas created out of plant materials, as well as large-scale model trains. A complementary program, in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Gingerbread Adventures, featuring a display of gingerbread houses, is a hands-on activity for children, including grinding and examining ingredients under a microscope, decorating pots with faces, and planting wheat seeds to take home. The entire family can enjoy a gingerbread jazz band, ice skaters, and farmer in the Discovery Center. The Little Engine That Could Puppet Show, presented by puppet master Ralph Lee, will take place daily through Jan. 1 at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall. Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Visits will take place from Jan. 2 to 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., to photograph your child with the engine and take home activity sheets, while supplies last. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

The Bronx River Art Center, together with the NYC Department of Transportation, present an abstract wooden art sculpture, Aurora, 14 feet tall, 11 feet wide and 11 feet deep, to be on view for 11 months at the center of West Farms Square Plaza located at the base of the West Farms Square/East Tremont Avenue subway station on the corner of East Tremont Avenue and Boston Road, one block away from BRAC which is located at 1087 E. Tremont Ave. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/urbanart.

Exhibits

The New York Botanical Garden presents Ex Libris: Treasures From the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, highlighting some rarely seen items demonstrating botany and horticulture from the 12th century to the present, through Jan. 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and The Presence of Trees, photographs of trees in all seasons, by Larry Lederman, in the Ross Gallery (ongoing exhibit). For more information, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

The Museum of Bronx History, located at 3266 Bainbridge Ave. (at 208th Street), presents The Bronx: Then and Now, a comparison of the Bronx of today with that of the 19th century, via prints and photographs; and Edgar Allan Poe – A Bicentennial Celebration,.to learn about Poe, his life and his time spent in the Bronx; both through April 15. For more information, call the Bronx County Historical Society at (718) 881-8900.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, presents an exhibition series commemorating the Grand Concourse’s centennial, through Jan. 4, featuring The Grand Concourse Commissions and The Grand Concourse Beyond 100. Originally called the Grand Boulevard, the Grand Concourse celebrates its 100th year in 2009. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 ext. 120, or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., in partnership with The Bronx Tourism Council, presents Robert Seyffert’s Water Paintings, through the end of March 2010, free, at the BP’s Art Gallery, Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse. For more information, call (718) 590-3989.

Library Events

The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents the following programs for preschoolers and school-aged children: Stories and Tales From Around the World, Jan. 2 at 2 p.m.; Preschool Story Time, Jan. 7 and 14 at 11 a.m.; films, Jan. 6 and 13 at 4 p.m.; Picture Frame Making, Jan. 7 at 4 p.m.; Family Time, Jan. 9 at 11 a.m.; and Chinese Dance Workshop, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

The Mosholu Library, at 285 E. 205th St., hosts Toddler Story Time, Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m.; Reading Aloud, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m.; and Preschool Story Time, Jan. 14 at 10:30 a.m.; all for preschool and school-aged children. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Arts & Crafts, Jan. 5 at 4 p.m.; Making Music, Jan. 8 at 11 a.m.; Reading Aloud, Jan. 8 at 4 p.m.; films, Jan. 12 at 4 p.m.; and Toddler Story Time, Jan. 15 at 11 a.m.; all for children. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS!
                                                                                                     
NOTE: Items for consideration may be mailed to our office or sent to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org, and should be received by Jan. 4 for the next publication date of Jan. 14.
 

Year in Review 2009: 2 Stories That Always Make List: School Crowding And the Filter Plant

By Alex Kratz

The problems with local school overcrowding and the Croton Water Filtration Plant are well-documented and, unfortunately, not going away any time soon.

These stories deserve their own space (and reporters assigned solely to cover them), but we’ve lumped them together because it appears city officials are finally starting to acknowledge the magnitude of the problems. Sadly, it’s unclear what they will be able to do about them.

The filtration plant being built in Van Cortlandt Park by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection is not only gobbling up invaluable green space, but is costing taxpayers billions more dollars than originally estimated.

The latest plan for the completed filtration plant structure and replacement of a piece of the Mosholu Golf Course, which will partially sit on top of the plant, calls for the taking of another chunk green space, this time a section of the heavily-used Sachkerah Woods Playground.

Earlier this year, the city’s Design Commission told the DEP to revise the plan so it wouldn’t intrude on Sachkerah Woods. But the DEP has yet to publicly release its redesign, despite the protests of community watchdogs and activists.

In September, the city comptroller’s office released its audit of the filter plant project’s rising costs. The audit said the DEP could not explain how and why the costs of the project had exploded because the agency couldn’t explain how it came up with its original estimate. This further fueled speculation by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and others that the DEP low-balled the cost estimate in order to have the plant built in the Bronx.

Unfortunately, plant-related construction won’t stop intruding on the community (see cover story) until 2012.

On the other hand, the community would love to see more school construction to help overcome overcrowding that has some students learning in hallways and maintenance closets. 

The good news is that a new 700-seat elementary school is slated to rise on Webster Avenue at 205th Street in place of a former parking lot.

The bad news is there are no other new schools in the pipeline. It’s also unclear if the new school on Webster Avenue will alleviate overcrowding at PS 8 in Bedford Park or the equally cramped PS 56 in Norwood.  
 

Year in Review 2009: Cabrera Unseats Baez

By Alex Kratz

Less than 18 months ago, Fernando Cabrera was a college professor living in Westchester County who spent his spare time leading the Morris Avenue church he founded two decades ago.

On Jan. 1 he will become a New York City councilman and recently, weeks before officially taking office, he played a central role in helping to stop one of the biggest development projects in Bronx history.

It’s been a long journey in a short period of time for Cabrera who defeated incumbent Maria Baez by just 70 votes in the September Democratic primary after emerging from a crowded field of challengers. Cabrera easily cruised to victory in the November general election and has since become the de facto Council member in the district as Baez has not shown up for work (and is reported to be seriously ill) since September.

Cabrera’s victory was a clear rejection of Baez’s leadership, as incumbents are notoriously difficult to defeat in local elections.

Over the past few years, she had come under fire for a series of controversies, including the fact that she held the worst attendance record of any City Council member. Last fall, she supported Mayor Bloomberg’s unpopular push to extend term limits for the city’s elected officials from two terms to three. Twice before, the public had voted to uphold the two-term limit.

By the time the Council had extended term limits and Baez had announced her re-election bid, Cabrera had already announced his intention to run. He stayed the course even as the crowd of challengers swelled to more than a half dozen.

In the late spring, Cabrera received two critical endorsements – from the Bronx County Democratic Committee and the Working Families Party – that put him in front of the pack of challengers. Soon, nearly every major union had jumped on board the Cabrera bandwagon.

Everyone except Cabrera and Yudelka Tapia, a city auditor and community activist, dropped out of the race to take on Baez in the primary.

All summer, Cabrera fended off attacks from his rivals who claimed he was a Republican (true, he voted in the 2008 Republican primary, but switched parties soon after) and that he lived in Westchester County (true, until he moved into a Sedgwick Avenue condo in August of 2008).

But it was also true that Cabrera had the devoted and relentless backing of his congregation at New Life Outreach International Church on Morris Avenue. The young, relentless and tech-savvy members of New Life were the backbone of his campaign and developed into a political force.

(Also, though he fell short and withdrew from the campaign before petitions were due, Yorman Nunez, a 20-year-old community organizer, built a strong campaign team of young volunteers who are now in the process of creating their own political action committee.)

At the end of a tense primary election night, Cabrera had a slim 90-vote lead that held up after an official recount lasting two weeks. Baez vowed to keep fighting, but hasn’t been heard from or seen since.

In December, Cabrera stepped into the void left by Baez’s absence, attending closed-door negotiation sessions on the fate of the Kingsbridge Armory (see story, p. 3). Not yet officially in office, he didn’t get to vote along with his colleagues to defeat the project, but by all accounts his firm stance mattered.

Beginning Jan. 1, he’ll get a vote and a paycheck for his efforts. His priority in his first year will be to pass living wage legislation so that developers seeking city subsidies will be required to incorporate higher wages into their plans.

Ed. note: Cabrera announced this week that he has opened a district office at 107 E. Burnside Ave., near the corner of Morris Avenue. He hopes to keep the same phone number as Baez’s old office.
 

Year in Review 2009: Quality of Life Issues Buck Downward Crime Trends

By Alex Kratz

The term “quality of life” can mean many things. It can range from the graffiti on your apartment building, to the dog poop on your sidewalk and even the blatant drug deal in front of your children. These are the negative things that bring down property values and affect the quality of your life.

In 2009, local residents in Community Board 7, from Bronx Community College to Woodlawn Cemetery, expressed deep concerns about quality of life issues in their neighborhoods.

At local community board and precinct council meetings, the top complaints were overwhelmingly related to quality of life issues.

In June, at a Community Board 7 meeting at the Botanical Garden, everyone who spoke brought up another quality of life issue. One resident even spoke of being embarrassed to come home, things had gotten so bad.

According to city statistics based on 311 calls, quality of life complaints in Community Board 7 — which is contiguous with the 52nd Police Precinct and the Norwood News coverage area — have remained steady for the past three years.

But, in addition to concerns aired by residents at meetings, noise complaints have spiked over the past three years and the number of complaints to the community board office has increased dramatically this year, according to District Manager Fernando Tirado.

Tirado said many of the problems seem to be cropping up in and around local parks. Graffiti and littering problems led police to set up video cameras around Williamsbridge Oval Park. Prostitution is rampant on the periphery of St. James Park. Police and park officials have battled gambling problems in Devoe Park all year.

Meanwhile, traditional crime hot spots are boiling over. The area around Our Lady of Refuge Church on 196th Street and Briggs Avenue is rife with blatant drug dealing and illegal late-night parties — a perennial problem. In this paper, a debate has raged on the letters page about whether and why Norwood is headed downhill.

Compounding these issues is a significant drop in the number of police officers on patrol. The Five-Two has lost 90 cops – from a high of about 340 to the current level of about 250 — since the fall of 2008.

There is good news. Violent crime is on pace to drop again this year, with murders being almost cut in half, from 11 last year to six this year. But quality of life is suffering.

As James Alles, the recently-retired former commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct said in an interview this fall, “Not to make a slight on noise complaints, but violent crime always comes first.”

 

Year in Review 2009: Parks (Still) Mum on Harris Field Contamination

By Alex Kratz

The story of contamination at Harris Field appears in our top stories because it would not have been a story at all if a Norwood News reporter had not asked the simple question: what’s taking so long?

It also probably would not have been as big a story if the Parks Department, which is in charge of the renovations currently under way at Harris, had been more forthcoming about what kind of contamination they had found and what they were doing to fix the problem.

Here’s what we know: Sometime this fall, the Parks Department discovered heavy metals while digging up earth in one section of Harris Field. After telling the Health Department about it, construction crews dampened the contaminated soil and placed a tarp over it. Since then, they called in an independent consultant to tell them what to do with the contaminated soil.

Here’s what we don’t know: What kind of specific heavy metals contamination was found? (A Department of Environmental Protection staffer said at a local meeting that it’s lead, but the Parks Department hasn’t confirmed this.) What did the consultant find? When will the construction be completed? Why is the Parks Department being so secretive about this?

The Norwood News filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the Parks Department in October, and the agency responded that it would take them 60 business days to reply. The Committee on Open Government, the state agency created by FOIL, recommends that agencies respond to requests within 20 business days.

The immediate fallout of all this is that at least two baseball fields won’t be ready for little league play this spring. The long-term fallout may be a loss of trust in the Parks Department
.  

Year in Review 2009: Turning Apartment Buildings Into Shelters

By Alex Kratz

The year began with a furor in Bedford Park over the city’s new unannounced plan to house the growing homeless population. That anger spread to other Bronx neighborhoods and now the city is fending off lawsuits regarding its homeless housing program. 

But let’s rewind to the beginning.

A year ago, around the holidays, teachers and other faculty at PS 8, an overcrowded elementary school on Briggs Avenue at Mosholu, noticed extensive work being done at an apartment building across the street. New furniture, including several bunk beds, was being brought into the building.

We soon learned that most of the building’s units were being transformed for use as transitional housing for homeless families. Anger among PS 8 faculty and local residents erupted at a packed community board meeting.

Many objected to having a homeless shelter located across the street from an elementary school. They were also irate that no one had bothered to alert the community about what was happening and worried the new population would overburden the already overcrowded elementary school.

After the Norwood News ran a story on the new shelter and the community’s angry reaction, tenants at another building nearby, on Mosholu Parkway, said half their building was turned over to transitional homeless housing three months earlier.

Because the buildings were rent-stabilized, local housing advocates said the city’s new policy was gobbling up invaluable affordable housing units, which only compounded New York’s homeless problems.

Both rent-stabilized buildings had hundreds of outstanding housing code violations, which raised questions as to whether the landlords had neglected maintenance and repairs in an effort to get tenants to leave. They definitely had the motivation, as the operators of the shelters paid far more per unit than what they were receiving from existing tenants. Advocates and community leaders said this arrangement could set a dangerous precedent because it appeared landlords were being rewarded for neglecting existing tenant needs.

The policy attracted citywide media attention. The outrage that accompanied it led the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to revise its policy and withdraw from turning another Bedford Park building into a homeless shelter. It’s now DHS policy to inform the community prior to setting up a shelter, but only if they are using more than half of the building’s units.

Tenants at the Briggs Avenue building (only three of the 25 units house permanent tenants) said conditions had improved since the new arrangement began.

But tenants at the Mosholu Parkway building say their quality of life has dropped dramatically since the arrival of their new neighbors. In late July, Peter Rivera, the director of Aguila, Inc., which operates both shelters (and several others in the Bronx and Manhattan), said he would address complaints of excessive noise, trash and drug use at the Mosholu building.

For a week, tenants said there were very few problems, but the issues soon returned.

This fall, Westchester Square residents and business leaders took the city to court after DHS began housing homeless families at a new apartment building without notifying the community. The court ruled that the shelter could stay, but residents remain upset about the whole process. Nearly two-fifths of the city’s shelters are in the Bronx. 

With the city’s homeless population jumping 30 percent in the last year, DHS officials say expediency is their main concern, regardless of how their methods are affecting the community.
 

Rookie Espada Rockets to Senate Leadership

By Alex Kratz

Say what you will about Pedro Espada, Jr. — and don’t worry, it’s already been said — but there’s one thing everyone can probably agree on: the former boxer is a survivor who doesn’t shy away from a fight.

In January, Espada, who previously was a senator in the south Bronx, marched into office as the new state senator in the 33rd District (which includes the entire Norwood News coverage area) already dogged by controversy over his residency (despite buying a Bedford Park co-op just before the election, news organizations frequently found him at his house in Mamaroneck) and lingering legal issues relating to how he had financed past campaigns.

By the end of spring, he had upset local housing activists by cozying up to landlord lobbyists and stalling long-delayed pro-tenant legislation. The Senate leadership had denied his request to give nearly $2 million in state grants to two nonprofit organizations only recently created by two employees of his health clinic empire.

By the end of July, Espada became a political pariah after single-handedly holding up state business in Albany for more than a month. Oh, and he still didn’t have a district office or a local phone number that his constituents could call.

Despite all of that, Espada will end the year as the Senate’s majority leader, the state’s highest ranking Hispanic elected official and an apparent shoo-in for re-election in 2010. (If there are any challengers, they haven’t come forward yet.)
Last fall, Democrats wrested control of the Senate away from Republicans for the first time in more than 40 years. But the slim 32 to 30 majority was tenuous at best and Espada exploited it for all it was worth.

Before even taking his seat in Albany, Espada traded his support for Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith for a plum appointment as chair of the Housing Committee. He used that position to curry favor with landlord groups and, at the same time, avoided addressing many tenant protection bills that have long been favored by Democrats.

He then spent much of the spring plotting with Republicans to overthrow Smith. In June, with several crucial bills awaiting passage, Republicans, along with Democrats Espada and Hiram Monserrate (Queens), voted to return leadership to the GOP.

Smith and the other Democrats then shut down the Senate, first by turning off the lights and locking the doors and then by not showing up for work. Monserrate quickly returned to the Democrats, but Espada held out until Smith finally agreed to give him the title of Majority Leader, as well as money for his new district office in the swank Fordham Place building.

Espada said he did all this in order to pass certain reforms that, in essence, do balance the power somewhat between the majority and minority parties. But there’s no reason why those reforms couldn’t have been passed through debate. And they came at the cost of several important bills that deserved passage, critics say. 

Espada has spent the fall reconstructing his image as a champion of the poor and disadvantaged, taking on issues of immigrant rights, gay marriage and gun violence. He’s been holding Thanksgiving dinners and supporting local business leaders.

Clearly under pressure, he also told about 1,400 people at a Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition gathering that he would support efforts to repeal vacancy de-control. 
What Espada accomplished politically in 2009 was nothing less than a feat of opportunistic political brilliance. Whether it will be good for the community, city or state remains to be seen. 
 —Alex Kratz
 

Year in Review 2009: Rookie Espada Rockets to Senate Leadership

By Alex Kratz

Say what you will about Pedro Espada, Jr. — and don’t worry, it’s already been said — but there’s one thing everyone can probably agree on: the former boxer is a survivor who doesn’t shy away from a fight.

In January, Espada, who previously was a senator in the south Bronx, marched into office as the new state senator in the 33rd District (which includes the entire Norwood News coverage area) already dogged by controversy over his residency (despite buying a Bedford Park co-op just before the election, news organizations frequently found him at his house in Mamaroneck) and lingering legal issues relating to how he had financed past campaigns.

By the end of spring, he had upset local housing activists by cozying up to landlord lobbyists and stalling long-delayed pro-tenant legislation. The Senate leadership had denied his request to give nearly $2 million in state grants to two nonprofit organizations only recently created by two employees of his health clinic empire.

By the end of July, Espada became a political pariah after single-handedly holding up state business in Albany for more than a month. Oh, and he still didn’t have a district office or a local phone number that his constituents could call.

Despite all of that, Espada will end the year as the Senate’s majority leader, the state’s highest ranking Hispanic elected official and an apparent shoo-in for re-election in 2010. (If there are any challengers, they haven’t come forward yet.)
Last fall, Democrats wrested control of the Senate away from Republicans for the first time in more than 40 years. But the slim 32 to 30 majority was tenuous at best and Espada exploited it for all it was worth.

Before even taking his seat in Albany, Espada traded his support for Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith for a plum appointment as chair of the Housing Committee. He used that position to curry favor with landlord groups and, at the same time, avoided addressing many tenant protection bills that have long been favored by Democrats.

He then spent much of the spring plotting with Republicans to overthrow Smith. In June, with several crucial bills awaiting passage, Republicans, along with Democrats Espada and Hiram Monserrate (Queens), voted to return leadership to the GOP.

Smith and the other Democrats then shut down the Senate, first by turning off the lights and locking the doors and then by not showing up for work. Monserrate quickly returned to the Democrats, but Espada held out until Smith finally agreed to give him the title of Majority Leader, as well as money for his new district office in the swank Fordham Place building.

Espada said he did all this in order to pass certain reforms that, in essence, do balance the power somewhat between the majority and minority parties. But there’s no reason why those reforms couldn’t have been passed through debate. And they came at the cost of several important bills that deserved passage, critics say. 

Espada has spent the fall reconstructing his image as a champion of the poor and disadvantaged, taking on issues of immigrant rights, gay marriage and gun violence. He’s been holding Thanksgiving dinners and supporting local business leaders.

Clearly under pressure, he also told about 1,400 people at a Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition gathering that he would support efforts to repeal vacancy de-control. 
What Espada accomplished politically in 2009 was nothing less than a feat of opportunistic political brilliance. Whether it will be good for the community, city or state remains to be seen. 
 —Alex Kratz
 

American Studies H.S. Named No. 19 in Nation

By Molly Ryan

Celebrations are in order for the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, which was named among the top 100 high schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report for the third consecutive year.

This year, the esteemed high school, which has only been in existence for eight years, moved up 10 spots from last year to number 19 on the list. Many other New York City public schools made the list, including the Bronx High School of Science, long known as one of the city’s top schools.

The High School of American Studies was the top-ranked school in the Bronx and the second-highest ranked school in New York City. It allows students to attend lectures and take courses at Lehman College, where the high school campus is based. Since the school opened, all graduating seniors have gone on to attend college.

“This recognition is a result of hard work on the part of our students, teachers and parents, and is a result of our close collaboration with Lehman College and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, said the high school’s principal, Alessandro Weiss. 

Perry Avenue Block Gains Landmark Status

By Molly Ryan

The Landmarks Preservation Commission recently named a row of houses on Perry Avenue in Bedford Park as New York City’s 100th historic district.

The nine houses in the district, located between East 201st Street and Bedford Park Boulevard, were built between 1910 and 1912 in the Queen Ann Style. These unique houses are three stories, orange or red brick, have small front yards and slate roofs. Some houses have expansive three-sided porches.

Now that the houses on Perry Avenue are part of a historic district, the Bronx has a total of 10 historic districts.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission wanted to preserve these houses “to illustrate the remarkable range and depth of the borough’s architecture and history,” said Robert B. Tierney, the Commission chairman.

Year in Review 2009: Diaz Joins Activists to Block Mall at Armory

By Jordan Moss

Sometimes, the leader you become depends on the times you live in.

Ruben Diaz, Jr., is learning that firsthand.

The new borough president was propelled into office in April on a wave of political change that began in September 2008 with the toppling of the Bronx Democratic Party chair, Jose Rivera, and crested with the departure of Adolfo Carrion, Jr. for a new post in the Obama White House.

His arrival coincided precisely with the final innings of a community battle over the Kingsbridge Armory. Diaz took his time deciding whether he would vote in favor of the city’s plan to turn the landmarked Armory over to a developer which planned to transform it into a shopping mall. The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance were heavily lobbying him to reject any plan that did not include a requirement that retail employees be paid a living wage.

But when he finally decided to vote against the plan, he jumped in with both feet and presided over the drafting of a community benefits agreement that demanded the Related Companies require their tenants to pay employees a living wage ($10 an hour with benefits).

At the end of October, when Related still was not budging on the living wage or anything else, he told 1,400 cheering Coalition members that the push for a living wage at the Armory was part of “our new Civil Rights Movement.”

Diaz framed the battle as one that only began at the Armory.

“I do want to see new jobs created in my borough,” he said. “But these jobs must be created in the right way. The old model, that any job is better than no job, is no longer acceptable.”

Those words and others like them were widely cheered in the Bronx, but following the City Council’s near-unanimous affirmation of Diaz’s position, the city’s tabloid editorial pages and corporate titans hit back hard.

“Now the questions for Diaz,” brayed the Daily News editorial page, “as well as for his 48 job-killing Council colleagues, are: Where are you going to find employment opportunities at the level of pay you desire? And how will you put the Armory to productive use? They don’t have a clue.”

Diaz and KARA will indeed have to regroup to figure out what Plan B is for a facility that no one, regardless of what side they’re on, wants to see remain empty for very long.

Meanwhile, the city’s unions and local officials are using the Armory as a launching pad for a living wage law that will apply to all companies that receive public subsidies for development projects. The retail workers’ union has already pivoted from its Bronx victory to a similar wage battle at the Queens Center Mall.

While certainly not a total victory for even those who welcome the Council’s rejection of the plan (that would have only been achieved by a deal that included the living wage), the Armory was a political victory for Diaz, who managed to corral the entire Bronx City Council delegation into his corner on a highly contentious issue. The collaboration could bode well for Diaz’s other political priorities.

And it was a victory for the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition which more than a decade ago began etching its vision for the Armory onto blueprints for a mixed-use facility including retail but dominated by community uses.

Now they have a chance to put some of their old designs back up on the drawing board.

But this time their work won’t just be of local interest.  The whole city – its activists, politicians and power-brokers – will be watching and weighing in.

And, as usual, the Norwood News will follow it all every step of the way.

 

DEP to Dig Up Bainbridge, Worrying Embattled Merchants

By Molly Ryan

In late February, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has plans to tear up seven miles of roadway from the north to the south Bronx.

During construction, the DEP will install an underground force main, a pipe six inches in diameter, from the future site of the Croton Water Filtration Plant in Van Cortlandt Park to the Hunts Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. According to a DEP press release, the pipe will carry “inert, sandy by-products” from the filtration plant to Hunts Point for disposal. The scheduled completion date is March 2011.

Angel Roman, a DEP spokesman, said the agency plans to install the force main block-by-block “in an orderly and speedy fashion” starting at Van Cortlandt Park. The contractor has not yet approved the pipe’s route through the Bronx, but according to one published DEP map, the pipe will travel along Bainbridge Avenue, East 204th Street and Webster Avenue.

The force main construction will cause “some limited impact on the community,” Roman said.

During construction on one-way streets, at least one traffic lane will remain open to the public. On two-way streets, a traffic lane will remain open in each direction, Roman said, adding that while construction should not affect the sidewalk, it will prevent parking on narrow streets.

As for noise concerns, “There will be mufflers as well as noise reduction equipment pursuant to New York City noise code and DEP will be monitoring that closely to ensure that,” Roman said. Construction will mostly take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but at some intersections it will occur at night.

The prospect of daily construction work does not excite local stores along the planned route. Gil Nunez, the manager of NHS Hardware on Bainbridge Avenue said, “We have a lot of competition and now [the DEP] made it harder for customers to get here.”

“People that come here need to park,” said Anna Alicea, the owner of Hair Shoppe, also on Bainbridge. “It is already hard for the elderly to get here. I get a lot of elderly customers.”

The combination of the havoc wrought by three recent fires on the merchant strip (see cover story) and the future construction “affects traffic and business at the same time,” said Fouad Ahmed, the owner of Green Valley Gourmet Deli on Bainbridge.

“We are going to have to take all the consequences. [But] we always have to hope for the best.”

Norwood in Shock: Third Fire in 7 Months

By Jordan Moss

A third fire in seven months devastated the Norwood merchant district and those who rely on it on Dec. 21, leaving merchants, residents and community leaders shaken and fearing the worst: that arson, which had devastated the borough in the 1970s, was returning to the Bronx.

On Halloween, a fire leveled 14 businesses on Bainbridge Avenue, including a bakery that had just been renovated after a previous fire in April.

The most recent fire was a 5-alarm blaze on East 204th Street that gutted Foodtown, the only supermarket on the strip – it had been renovated only six months ago – as well as the American Diner and a dental office. It took 168 firefighters to extinguish it. 

McKeon Funeral Home on Perry Avenue suffered some water and smoke damage but was back up and running in a couple of days.

The Fire Department is still investigating the two recent fires, and until last week it could not provide information about the cause for the April blaze at the bakery. Asked about it again last week, the agency’s press office told the Norwood News that it was “an accidental fire and it was connected to the oven, and the combustibles near it went on fire.” But in an interview, the owner of the Bainbridge Bakery, Anna Mirdita, said she finds that hard to believe since there was only smoke at the site, and firefighters had to rip up the floor to get at it. The ovens are on the ground floor and had been off for four hours, she said. (The Norwood News has filed a Freedom of Information Law Request to get all documents related to the investigation.)

The Katz family, owners of the destroyed supermarket, which they opened under another name in 1956, announced within 48 hours that they planned to rebuild and said they had already discussed taking over the diner and the dental office space with the landlord in order to expand its offerings. They also announced that they would be offering groceries on-line at www.foodtown.com which could be delivered or picked up at

Pricebusters on East 204th Street, another business the Katzes own. To order groceries by phone, residents can call (718) 293-3032.

We will continue to keep residents updated on the fire aftermath in the paper and on-line at www.bronxnewsnetwork.org.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Toy Drive
The American Latin Association of NY’s Bronx One on One (BOOM) mentoring program will be having its first annual Toy Drive on Dec. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Fordham Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2427 Morris Ave. between 183rd Street and Walton Avenue. This program seeks to make a difference in the lives of children of incarcerated parents and those in foster care. For more information, visit www.americanlatin.org or call Israel Rodriguez, (646) 260-3382.

Christmas Flea Market
The Church of The Mediator at 260 W. 231st St. will host a Christmas flea market on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Street table rental is $20 for one table or $35 for two tables. Proceeds will benefit the church. There will also be a health fair held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. offering blood pressure screening and glucose testing. For more information, call (718) 549-8660.

Donate Toys and Coats at the Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is hosting its annual holiday toy and coat drive with the help of Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. Those wishing to donate can drop items off at the Zoo Center, 2300 Southern Blvd. The zoo will collect toys and warm winter clothes until Dec. 31. Those who donate will receive a free pass for their next visit to the zoo. For more information, call (718) 220-5182/5189.

Scholarship Opportunity
The Albert Shanker College Scholarship Fund is looking for high school recipients for a $5,000 scholarship. Students interested in the opportunity should speak to their college advisors. Deadline date is Jan. 31, 2010.

Job Fair
Promoting Specialized Care and Health (PSCH) is hosting a job fair with on-the-spot job interviews every Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. Those interested working in health and human services who have relevant requirements should attend one of the fairs, which are held at 30-50 Whitestone Expressway, Flushing, NY. For more information, call (718) 559-0576 or email resumes to Recruiter2@psch.org or by fax to (718) 358-6790.

After-School Youth Program
Youngsters from ages 11 to 16 are invited to participate in the newly re-opened free after-school program, The COVE, located in the basement of 3418 Gates Place. The program will have recreation, dance/talent shows, trips, homework help, and it will teach participants how to create, film and edit their own videos. The program runs with open enrollment through May and takes place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at. For more information or to enroll, call Doug Knepper at (347) 374-7928.

Grand Ave. Closed to Traffic
As approved by NYC’s Department of Transportation, Grand Avenue between West 192nd and West 190th streets will be closed to vehicular traffic Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 31 for crane operation at a new Grand Avenue building. Vehicles must use alternate routes during this time.

Use LED Lights for the Holidays
Con Edison urges all Bronx residents to use LED lights for their holiday decorations instead of incandescent bulbs. LED lights use less energy and last longer than incandescent bulbs. When displaying outdoor holiday lights, use only exterior-rated extension cords, fixtures and bulbs, and only turn lights on in dry weather. For more information, call (212) 460-6599.

Free ESL and GED Classes
MS 80 at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy. N. offers free ESL and GED classes. Applicants must be 21 years or older. For more information or to register, call (718) 405-6300.
Free GED Classes
Bronx Community College at 2155 University Ave. (West 181st Street) offers free GED classes from Jan. 7 through March. Space is limited. For more information or to register, call (718) 289-5834.

Sponsor a Young Boxer
Do you know someone between the ages of 11 and 17 who wants to try boxing but can’t afford training? By making a donation to the World Class Boxing Gym’s Adopt-a-Boxer Program, you can provide someone with a free weekly personal trainer and individual workout sessions. To become a sponsor, please contact waleska@worldclassboxing gym.com.

LIFT Providing Free Services
LIFT’s NYC chapter, located at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave., is giving free one-on-one assistance in employment areas, such as housing support, resume creating, education/job training, referral services, and much more. There are no eligibility requirements. For more information, call (718) 733-3897.

Apply for a Bronx Artist Award
The Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Awards, hosted through the Bronx Council on the Arts, awards local artists for their work each year in dozens of fields. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 29, 2010. Applications can be found online or at any Bronx public library, the BCA Writers Center or BCA’s Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College. Applicants are urged to attend one of several free workshops offered before the deadline. For submission guidelines and application assistance, please visit www.bronxarts.org or call (718) 931-9500. Eligible applicants must be 18 years or older.

Free Classes at State University
The North Bronx Career Center of The State University of New York, located at 2901 White Plains Rd., offers free basic to advanced daytime and evening classes, including computer courses, college prep courses, and more. Some restrictions may apply. For more information and to register, please call (718) 547-1001.

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.

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.

Scouting for Girl Scouts
Girls from 5 to 17 years old looking to serve the Bronx community, make friends and learn life skills are encouraged to join the Girl Scouts of the Bronx. For more information about joining a Girl Scout troop, visit www.girlscoutsnyc.org or email webbx@girlscoutsnyc.org.

Winter Programs at MMCC
Sign-ups for winter programs at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center have begun. The center, located at 3450 DeKalb Ave., is offering a range of programs catering to all age groups, from break dancing classes for children to GED classes for adults. Saturday classes meet for eight weeks from Jan. 16 to March 6. A free finance seminar will be held on Monday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 p.m., and a free baseball/softball clinic will take place on Feb. 28. For more information or a schedule, visit www.mmcc.org or call (718) 882-4000.

School Salon Reopened
The School for Professional Beauty Care at Grace Dodge Career and Technical High School, located at 2474 Crotona Ave., has reopened its after-school beauty parlor, The New Image Salon, for the fall semester. The salon, whose services are reasonably priced, is open every Thursday from 2:45 to 5:30 p.m. and is staffed by graduating seniors of the school’s cosmetology program. To schedule an appointment, call (718) 584-2700.
 
PS/MS 20 School Shirts on Sale
PS/MS 20 requires that all students wear the appropriate uniform shirt. If parents wish, they may buy the shirts directly from PS/MS 20. Parents can call Rosa Rosado at (718) 515-9370 ext. 2154, to request an order form. Shirts for Pre-K to 5th graders are $10, and $12 for 6th to 8th graders.

Register for MMCC Classes
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., offers a variety of classes for all ages from infants to seniors, including daycare, after school programs and senior center activities. Fees vary. For more information, call (718) 882-4000 or visit www.mmcc.org.

Fall Into Fitness at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. has begun its fall fitness schedule. Classes range from step aerobics and zumba classes to belly dancing. For details and/or to register, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 256 or 280. 

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. 

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.

Foster Parents Needed
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.

Workshops: Children With Disabilities
The Jewish Child Care Association at 555 Bergen Ave. will host monthly workshops from November through June of next year for families and professionals requiring services for children with disabilities. For detailed information and to register, call (212) 677-4650 ext. 20 or visit jccany.org.

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.

Donate Backpacks to Homeless Kids
Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. is encouraging Bronx residents to donate backpacks and school supplies to “Operation Backpack.” “Operation Backpack” provides homeless children and students in New York City with backpacks and school supplies to help them succeed in school. To contribute, drop off a new backpack at the Bronx BP office at 851 Grand Concourse, Room 209. To find out more information about Operation Backpack or to make a donation, visit www.OperationBackpackNYC.org.

Self-Defense and Boxing at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. is offering self-defense classes on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting at 5:30 p.m. Its boxing program meets on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. for ages 7 and up. For more information, visit www.mmcc.org or call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0 or ext. 256.

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.

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.

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.

-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.

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.

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 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.
      
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.

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.

Adult ESL Level 1and 2 Classes
Beginning September 2009 through June 2010, P.S. 94x will be offering Level 1 and 2 ESL classes on Tuesday and Thursdays from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. For more information, contact Ms. Seminario, at (347) 563-4772 or (718) 405- 6345. You can also come to room 201 for more information and for sign up.
 

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage

The Pied Piper Children’s Theatre of NYC presents The Adventures of Dr. Doolittle, featuring music and dance, Dec. 19 and 26 at 3 and 7 p.m. and Dec. 26 and 27 at 4 p.m., at Holy Trinity Church, 20 Cumming St. in upper Manhattan. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and children under 16. For more information and travel directions, call (212) 544-2976.

Events

 The Metropolitan Opera will air a live broadcast of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, free, at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theatre, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. Tickets are required and may be reserved at (718) 960-8025. For more information, call (718) 960-8211.

 Wave Hill, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, offers two family art projects: Sparkle and Shine, to make gifts and decorations out of foil, beads, cones and spices, Dec. 19 and 20; and Calendar Creations, to paint a favorite view into your own calendar for the new year, Dec. 26 and 27, both in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

 The New York Botanical Garden presents several events: A complementary program to the Holiday Train Show, in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Gingerbread Adventures, featuring a display of gingerbread houses, is a hands-on activity for children, including grinding and examining ingredients under a microscope, decorating pots with faces, and planting wheat seeds to take home. The entire family can enjoy a gingerbread jazz band, ice skaters, and farmer in the Discovery Center. The Little Engine That Could Puppet Show, presented by puppet master Ralph Lee, will take place weekends through Dec. 20 at 2 and 3 p.m., and daily from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

 The Bronx River Art Center, together with the NYC Department of Transportation, present an abstract wooden art sculpture, Aurora, 14 feet tall, 11 feet wide and 11 feet deep, to be on view for 11 months at the center of West Farms Square Plaza located at the base of the West Farms Square/East Tremont Avenue subway station on the corner of East Tremont Avenue and Boston Road, one block away from BRAC which is located at 1087 E. Tremont Ave. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/urbanart.

Exhibits

 The New York Botanical Garden presents Ex Libris: Treasures From the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, highlighting some rarely seen items demonstrating botany and horticulture from the 12th century to the present, through Jan. 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and The Presence of Trees, photographs of trees in all seasons, by Larry Lederman, in the Ross Gallery (ongoing exhibit). For more information, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

 The Museum of Bronx History, located at 3266 Bainbridge Ave. (at 208th Street), presents The Bronx: Then and Now, a comparison of the Bronx of today with that of the 19th century, via prints and photographs; and Edgar Allan Poe – A Bicentennial Celebration,.to learn about Poe, his life and his time spent in the Bronx; both through April 15. For more information, call the Bronx County Historical Society at (718) 881-8900.

 The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, presents an exhibition series commemorating the Grand Concourse’s centennial, through Jan. 4, featuring The Grand Concourse Commissions and The Grand Concourse Beyond 100. Originally called the Grand Boulevard, the Grand Concourse celebrates its 100th year in 2009. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 ext. 120, or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

 Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., in partnership with The Bronx Tourism Council, invites the public to the free opening wine and cheese art reception for Robert Seyffert’s Water Paintings, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. at the BP’s Art Gallery, Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse. The free exhibit will run through the end of March 2010. For more information and to confirm your attendance, call (718) 590-3989.

Library Events

 The Bronx Library Center, located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents Preschool Story Time, Dec. 17 at 11 a.m.; and films, Dec.23 and 30 at 4 p.m.; both for children and preschoolers. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

 The Mosholu Library, located at 285 E. 205th St., hosts Arts & Crafts for school-aged children, Dec. 18 at 3:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

 The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Toddler Story Time, Dec. 18 at 11 a.m.; and Reading Aloud, Fridays at 4 p.m.; for children. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR READERS!
                                                                                                     
NOTE: Items for consideration may be mailed to our office or sent to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org, and should be received by Dec. 21 for the next publication date of Dec. 31.

More Support for Local Business Districts

By Ashley Villarreal

For the first time in 10 years, holiday lights can be seen running along Kingsbridge Road. With help from Senator Pedro Espada, support from local merchants, and backing from the Montefiore Medical Center (and its affiliate, the Mosholu Preservation Corporation, the publisher of the Norwood News), both Kingsbridge Road and Gun Hill Road-Jerome Avenue business districts will be receiving more resources this holiday season.

Based on the success of the city’s Clean Streets pilot program, shepherded by the Mosholu Preservation Corporation, MPC has been given an Avenue NYC contract for 2010. This will provide extra economic development funding and new services for the Kingsbridge Road and Gun Hill Road-Jerome Avenue business corridors.

In addition, Espada will provide funding for improved security cameras in the Jerome-Gun Hill Business Improvement District, holiday lights for 204th Street and Bainbridge Avenue, and street cleaning for Bedford Park Boulevard.
—Ashley Villarreal

 

Bedford Park’s New Latin Flavor

By Molly Ryan

A young waitress carries two steaming plates of rice, red beans, vegetables and meat a few steps from a backroom kitchen into the cozy, small seating area of El Rinconcito, a new Latin Restaurant at 254 E. 204th St. in Bedford Park. She gracefully places the food on a table in front of two customers, turns to go back to the kitchen and returns with two creamy batidos—smoothie-like drinks. The customers waste no time digging in to their plentiful meals.

That’s just how Elvis Saen has always imagined it happening, in his mind.

“It was a dream of mine [to open a restaurant],” said Saen, one of the partners who owns El Rinconcito. He previously worked in a restaurant in the Dominican Republic for five years before moving to the United States and pursing his goal of opening up his own restaurant. “It is a good experience.”

El Rinconcito opened its glass doors to the public around six weeks ago. Since then, the restaurant has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and delivering quality Latin food to the surrounding Bedford Park area.

Exposed brick walls, upbeat Latin music and a never-ending array of colorful dishes provide a lively, yet comfortable atmosphere to the small restaurant.
Although there are only about five tables in the one-room restaurant, the extensive menu appears as if it was prepared for a 200-seat eatery. Saen said that his favorite dishes are those with steak and lobster, but the most popular dishes are the grilled chicken with red beans and rice and plantains.

The chef, Rafael Pichardo, said that he can whip up anything from octopus mofongo to broiled oxtail to spaghetti carbonara. Even American favorites such as fried chicken and barbeque ribs find their way onto the endless menu.

Noteworthy mentions on the menu include the sweet fried plantains, which were crispy on the outside and soft and warm in the middle, along with the fruit batidos. These sweet-but-not-too-sweet creamy drinks will have customers slurping down to the very last drop.

All dishes have large portions and are reasonably, if not cheaply, priced. However, customers might have a problem ordering these dishes if they do not speak Spanish.

In the future, Saen hopes to obtain his alcohol license and expand his restaurant’s popularity across the Bronx.
 

Council Should Endorse an Open Internet

By None

By Joshua Breitbart

For many of us, the diversity and abundance of information on the Internet has become part of our daily lives. We assume that we will always be able to view the Web sites of our choosing and even upload our own photos and videos onto the Internet.

However, as an organization that teaches radio journalism to immigrants and public school students, we can’t take net neutrality – the principle that prohibits discrimination of content and applications on the Internet – for granted. People’s Production House includes lessons on net neutrality as part of our year-long courses in public schools because without it, our students could soon be making entertaining and informative radio pieces without the ability to share them online.

With the recent introduction of Resolution 712, the New York City Council has taken up this important issue. While we don’t hear much about it in the news, the current debate over net neutrality will determine the future of how we communicate. Two companies alone – Verizon and AT&T – have spent over $20 million on federal lobbying this year trying to thwart The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009, a bill in Congress that would enshrine net neutrality in law. Resolution 712, if the Council passes it, would endorse this bill.

Net neutrality was the law of the land until 2005 and it brought us many benefits. Skype is an Internet-based voice service that is extremely popular among the recent immigrants we teach who wish to keep in touch with family around the world. Skype competes with the voice services of cable companies like Optimum and Time Warner. Without net neutrality, those companies could have kept Skype from launching by blocking it or charging the companies exorbitant fees that would be passed on to users.

Opponents of net neutrality point to the existing variety of online voice services as evidence that the system works. They call net neutrality a “solution in search of a problem,” but the problem is staring anyone who owns an Internet-enabled mobile phone right in the face. As it is now, most cellular phone companies – who have so far been exempt from net neutrality – block Skype from operating on their networks so people are forced to use their minutes for calls rather than their data connections.

This is particularly harmful to poor people, people of color, and seniors who are all more likely to have a mobile phone than a broadband-enabled personal computer or laptop. While laptop users can use whatever chat or voice service they want – thanks, so far, to net neutrality – mobile phone users can only access the parts of the Internet that their service providers approve. We need to extend net neutrality protections to wireless networks, not allow these kinds of discriminatory practices to spread.

At a Nov. 20 hearing on Resolution 712, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association – big cable’s lobbying wing – argued that we should trust them to manage the Internet without government oversight and resolve any problems on a case-by-case basis. But in 2007, when cable television and Internet service behemoth Comcast was found to be blocking a service called Bit Torrent that is popular for downloading movies, the company at first denied it. Then they went to court to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s ability to intervene. Now that Comcast is buying NBC Universal, it will have even more reason to block competitors’ content from reaching their 15 million Internet service subscribers.

For journalists like the immigrants and public school students that we teach at People’s Production House, this is a scary thought. The NBC corporation has been broadcasting its content since 1926, while our trainees are just now finding the power of distributing their own media through the Internet. They’re finding new ways of engaging in civic life, new job skills, and a new sense of community, locally and globally. Without net neutrality, Comcast and other corporate giants could take that power away.

The full City Council will likely vote on Resolution 712 at the next full meeting on Dec. 21. With passage of the resolution, New York can send a powerful message to our representatives in Washington that we need an open Internet. We need net neutrality.

Joshua Breitbart is the Policy Director for People’s Production House in Manhattan. For more information about net neutrality, visit www.savetheinternet.com.

Yes, A Victory for Armory

By Editorial

While the defeat of the Related Companies’ proposal to build a giant shopping mall at the Kingsbridge Armory was not a final victory by any means for community residents, it was a victory nonetheless.

It was a victory for local residents who went to years of meetings, rallies and planning sessions and laid out their vision for a redeveloped Armory that addressed community needs like schools, recreation and community programs. Now they, and anyone else who wants to get involved, have a chance to see their collective vision realized. It’s important to remember that there would have been no new roof on the Armory, no request for proposals, and no City Council vote at all were it not for more than 16 years of local efforts to put the Armory on the radar screen of City Hall. Participation matters.

It was a victory for the political process and community organizing. Faced with a strong local coalition of residents and community leaders, Bronx politicians were encouraged and emboldened to take up this  cause and bring it across the finish line. We hope this sets a precedent for the Bronx delegation whose unity convinced every other borough’s delegation to join them. 

It was a victory for residents in every borough who want their voices heard in the planning of their communities. Though the city’s land use review process does not prioritize the views of the neighborhoods most affected, concerned citizens now know it’s not impossible to fight City Hall.

It was a victory for workers citywide who may soon see a boost in their incomes if Bronx Council members follow through on their promise to introduce legislation to require a living wage at projects subsidized by taxpayers.

It was a victory for the Bronx which has set the tone for development in Mayor Bloomberg’s third term. Stadiums and cookie-cutter malls can’t be the only tools in the economic development tool kit. 

We understand the frustration of some who worry that the Armory will stay vacant for a long time. But in addition to the far-reaching community and economic development implications, we agree with Council Member Tony Avella of Queens who said, “If we’re gonna do it, why not do it right?”

And there’s one aspect of this project we probably can all agree on. Public schools, part of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance’s original vision, must be built on the Armory grounds. District 10 is still incredibly overcrowded and the National Guard units in the non-landmarked buildings to the rear of the Armory still need to be relocated to make room for classrooms. This does not have to wait for the full redevelopment of the Armory itself.

Ronn Jordan, a University Heights resident, who has been active since the beginning of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition’s Armory campaign, got involved because of how the overcrowding crisis affected his kids. Christopher, his son, was not even in kindergarten then. He’s 18 now.

Let’s get to work.

Public and Community Meetings

By Norwood News

•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. at the cafeteria at the New York Botanical Gardens, 200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    The Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. at the DEP community offices, 3660 Jerome Ave. For more information, call (718) 231-8470.
•    For dates and locations of all Community Board 7 committee meetings, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
 

Bronx Reps Want U.S. Out of Afghanistan

By Katie Riordan

Two Bronx lawmakers have made it clear that they do not support President Obama’s escalation of the war effort in Afghanistan.

In press releases, both Congressman Eliot Engel, who represents the 17th District, and Congressman José Serrano, who represents the 16th District, expressed their favorable views of the President, but said they disagreed with his current strategy for Afghanistan, which includes sending 30,000 more troops into the embattled country. 

“I am with the President on many issues, but on Afghanistan, we don’t see eye-to-eye,” said Serrano. “Besides my concerns about strategy, I believe that it is a cost that our nation can ill afford, both in lives and dollars.”

Serrano’s denunciation of the President’s course of action is centered on his distrust of the country’s current government and the U.S.’s lack of success against Al Qaeda.

“I understand that a resurgent Taliban could provide a safe haven to Al Qaeda, but during the past eight years, we have not eliminated the terrorists but merely pushed them across the border and to other regions,” he said. “We need to focus on eliminating the terrorists as a firm goal for our counter-terrorism strategies — not solely on pacifying one unstable nation.”

In a question and answer session during a recent House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Engel also critically dissected new policies and condemned what he believes will turn into an “open-ended” war. 

“I saw the President’s speech last night (Dec. 1) and am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Engel said, “but my fear, as is the fear of so many others, is that we could easily get bogged down in an endless war. What happens if this doesn’t work?” Engel questioned in front of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Gates replied, “The President gives the orders, but every man and woman that is deployed overseas is deployed over my signature. And if I came to conclude that we were bogged down and we were stalemated and we were sending young men and women into a maw, with no purpose and no hope for success, I wouldn’t sign any more of those orders.”

Engel has called for a “clear mission and goal outlined by the administration to go along with any troop deployments.”

Greener Building Plan Passes

By Molly Ryan

Last week, the City Council passed legislation that will effectively reduce greenhouse gases emitted by New York City buildings.

“The Greener, Greater Building Plan,” co-sponsored by Bronx Councilman Oliver Koppell, will require buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to participate in energy audits, upgrade to energy-efficient lighting technology by 2022, require any new building renovations to include only energy efficient equipment, and more.

In a press release, Koppell said the bill “will go a long way towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and will also help New York City become a center for green jobs and innovation.”

However, a New York Times editorial disagrees, claiming the bill is a “weakened version” of a previous plan and, under the passed bill, building owners are not required to make the renovations suggested in the energy audits.

Norwood News and Sister Paper Take Home Awards

By Norwood News

Earlier this month, the Norwood News and the Mount Hope Monitor (the News’ sister paper, both are part of the Bronx News Network) took home three awards at the New York Community Media Alliance’s 8th annual Ippies awards dinner Thursday night.

Norwood News managing editor Alex Kratz was recognized for his article, “Armory Could Bring More Than a Shopping Mall,” which explored community benefits agreements in other cities and what the lessons were for big city development projects like the recently shot down shopping mall planned for the Kingsbridge Armory (see front page article).

Mount Hope Monitor editor James Fergusson won first prize in the photo category for his shot of a group of youngsters participating in a “lie-down” to remember the victims of gun violence. James was also recognized in the education category for his article about the lack of gyms in Bronx public schools.

The New York Community Media Alliance is the only association of ethnic and community media in New York City. (Norwood News editor Jordan Moss is a founder of the organization.)

In October, the Norwood News was named the “Best Little Newspaper That Beat the Odds” by the Village Voice. The Voice writes: Since 1988, “local residents have had access to some of the finest and most clear-eyed reporting on local politics and events anywhere in the borough.”

Thanks to NYCMA and the Voice. This recognition only strengthens our resolve to continue bringing our readers the best, most in-depth coverage possible.
 

Poe Park Welcomes New "Bird-Shaped" Visitors Center

By Katie Riordan

The raven has landed and found a permanent home in Poe Park.  

“It’s supposed to look like a raven taking off,” said Zach Hudson, an education assistant at the Bronx Historical Society, referring to the design of the Kingsbridge Road park’s new visitors center. The structure’s floor plan pays homage to the ‘The Raven,’ the famed poem by Edgar Allan Poe, the park and center’s namesake. 

The 2,700-square-foot, single-story building, which the Parks Department expects to complete by March or April of next year, will have a V-shaped roof and exterior walls covered with overlapping feather-like shingles, to give it a bird-like essence. 

The center will also house a large glass window at the north end that frames a view of Poe Cottage, the poet’s last home, which sits 50 yards away. 

To further mirror Poe’s supernatural tone, entrances are hidden to “promote a sensation of sliding in between walls,” according to the Parks Department.

The Toshiko Mori Architecture firm won the 2007 New York City Art Commission Design Award for the building’s concept. 

“It’s enough to catch people’s eye,” Hudson said. “It fits in with the theme of borough history and of Poe.”

Like many public spaces in the Bronx, Poe Park is no stranger to urban blight. But, the public park has undergone major renovations within the last decade and is experiencing a renaissance.  Thanks in large part to the advocacy of the non-profit organization, the Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, the visitors center will be the latest addition in a long list of improvements aimed at promoting the area, including the current children’s playground and restored band shell at the south end of the park.

“The park in good shape and has been for quite some time,” said Kathy McAuley, the director of Poe Cottage, “and the visitors center will make it that [much] more appealing and provide that many more amenities for [the] community and visitors.”

The exact programming of the visitors center is still a pending discussion with the Parks Department, McAuley said, but is envisioned as a space for community groups to host art, cultural, and educational activities. Classroom space and computer stations are expected to be available for research. 

“It will be a tourism center as well for the borough,” she added, hoping that the information desk in the building will serve as a reception area for local and international groups that already visit Poe Cottage. 

Rosemary Morales, an 8th grader at PS 105 in Queens, whose English class recently toured the cottage and looks forward to the completion of the center, said, “It’s one of the coolest field trips I have ever done.”

In addition to the center’s potential for promoting the Fordham community, Rosanna Viera, a park supporter at the Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, is most excited about a more practical use of the visitors center. 

 “[Visitors] need a place to go the bathroom,” said Viera, referring to the international tourists, local children and immediate community that will all benefit from the visitor center’s new comfort stations.  Despite the numerous school and private tours that pass through the park weekly, the area currently lacks bathroom facilities. 

The over $4.1 million visitors center received funding from the mayor and the Bronx Borough President’s office, but the majority of the project’s financing came from Councilmember Joel Rivera.

Although the Parks Department originally estimated for the center to be open for business by the end of December, McAuley still says, “It will be very exciting once it’s all done and open to the public.”
 

Bronxites Shed Some Serious Pounds

By Katie Riordan

This fall, local trainer Todd Belin sent out dozens of e-mails and text messages a day telling his clients to eat better and exercise harder.

“I’m trying to motivate them, get them fired up!” said Belin, the program director of Belin Sport and Fitness, who sent out motivational texts and e-mails to ensure his fitness camp participants reached their goal of collectively losing 100 pounds in one month.

“I felt like Jillian Michaels on the [NBC show] ‘Biggest Loser,’” said Belin, who runs his weight loss courses for women of all ages at St. Brendan’s Catholic School in Norwood. “I wasn’t sure [we’d reach our goal] to begin, but then we pulled it off.”

With hour long cardio workouts, a nutritionist-approved, structured eating plan that included lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, his “boot camp style” methods do resemble a “Biggest Loser”-type approach.

“When you change your eating habits, it’s really hard, but after a week I knew it was good for me,” said Isolina Urena, a camp participant who lost 10 pounds during the challenge and says she now thinks twice before eating junk food. 

Cheryl Greene said it wasn’t just the healthy eating and cardio that helped her lose 10 pounds. She credits the camp’s holistic method that included some elements of spirituality. “You can do it physically, but you have to have your mind in the same place.”

Michele Green attributes her success to the “family setting” of the camp where the women constantly joked with each other and engaged in lighthearted games. “The accountability is motivating,” she said. 

Belin is starting another challenge in January, but this time he’s upping the ante to 201 pounds.

“I will be there in January come hell or high water,” promised Greene. “I am not letting go of what I accomplished.

Ed. Note: For more information on Belin Sport and Fitness, call (917) 476-9352 or visit BSandF.net.

After Postal Victory, Final Decision Still Looms

By Katie Riordan

The Bedford Park community is giving themselves a pat on the back and rightfully so.  After months of petitioning, rallying elected officials, and pleading their case to postal agencies, they accomplished their mission of removing their local post office, the Botanical Station located on Webster Avenue, from the national list of post offices being considered for consolidation.   

“We are delighted,” said Barbara Stronzer, president of the Bedford Mosholu Community Association, who spearheaded anti-closing efforts by collecting close to 700 petition signatures from neighborhood residents and local merchants.   

“I feel that the entire community worked together, not only the community centers that drove the petitions, but help from elected officials, local institutions, The Botanical Garden, and Fordham University,” Stronzer said. 

Fernando Tirado, the district manager of Community Board 7, echoed Stronzer’s sentiments. “I am relieved and happy to see that the residents were able to rally around their post office and convince them to keep it open,” he said.

The fate of the Botanical Station initially came into jeopardy last fall when the United States Postal Service, facing a $7 billion dollar deficit and a decline in mail volume, announced the possible consolidation of services nationwide, including 15 New York City offices, seven of which were in the Bronx. 

Since that time, Tirado and other community members have testified on the Botanical Station’s behalf numerous times, including in front of the Postal Regulatory Committee, in an effort to convince the advisory agency that the loss of their post office would be a devastating blow to the community, especially its elderly citizens.

“It is used much more frequently than we’re led to believe by the post office,” said Tirado.  He also believes that the area’s upcoming rezoning initiative, to attract more residents, will ensure the Botanical Station’s future.  “We are looking to rezone all of Webster Avenue and therefore generate the traffic that the postmaster says was not there.”

Despite the Bedford community’s relief, Darleen Reid-DeMeo, a USPS spokesperson, would not confirm the Botanical Station’s immunity despite its removal from the infamous closure list. 

“I would hate to mislead people, so I cannot confirm it,” she said. “I would draw the same conclusions, (that if it’s not on list, it will stay open), but I cannot confirm it.” All final decisions will be made in January.    

However, the pending outcome hasn’t overshadowed Tirado’s certainty. “I feel confident that we have the station saved,” he said. “There was too much justification to keep it open. It wouldn’t make sense to reverse the decision now.”

Three other Bronx offices were also removed from the consolidation list: Clason Point, Hillside and Melcourt. The Crotona Park, Van Nest, and Oak Point offices are still on the list.
 

School Overcrowding Crisis Needs ‘Volcanic Intervention’

By Alex Kratz

After listening to the Department of Education’s underwhelming report on new school construction, Deria Senac called for an intervention of supernatural proportions to solve the northwest Bronx’s overcrowding crisis.

“They have all kinds of reality shows where they have interventions to solve problems. There are drug interventions, weight loss interventions,” said Senac, a parent leader with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. “We need a volcanic intervention to create more land for schools.”

A volcanic intervention may be the only way a local community beset with overcrowding problems will be getting new schools anytime soon. With the exception of a new 700-seat elementary school being planned for Webster Avenue and 205th Street in Norwood, no new schools are in the pipeline. 

Each year, the DOE amends its five-year capital plan for renovations and new school construction. This year, despite acknowledging the overcrowding problems in Norwood, Bedford Park and Kingsbridge, the DOE added no new plans for school construction.

This is especially vexing to parent activists like Senac who remember when the DOE took away 1,700 new seats planned for the northwest Bronx in a 2006 amendment. At the time, the DOE reasoned that demographic projections would lead to a decline in local enrollment.

Last year, however, the DOE changed its tune, saying the area was indeed overcrowded and in need of new schools. They added the new 700-seat Webster Avenue site and are planning for another 400 total seats in the Riverdale area.

At the meeting, held inside the auditorium of PS 9 on 183rd Street, Senac said DOE officials were full of excuses for why they couldn’t build new schools – no land, no money, bad economy – but no solutions.

“They’re going to cry broke,” said Marvin Shelton, the president of  the Community District 10 Education Council, which hosted the meeting at PS 9. 

The DOE says it’s doing all it can under budget constraints.
Meanwhile, Shelton said, “They’re using playground space to build new schools.” At PS 95 and PS 94, the DOE is constructing new buildings where kids used to play during recesses. “It’s counterintuitive,” Shelton said, citing the district’s other big problems: childhood obesity and diabetes.

But until there’s a volcanic intervention, Senac said, “They’re still not meeting the needs of the community.”
 

Joy and Indifference for Local Merchants

By Molly Ryan

During the holiday season on Kingsbridge Road, colorful, festive items from local mom and pop shops spill out onto the sidewalk as passersby cheerfully make their purchases. However, many feet above the holiday crowds, the empty towers of the Kingsbridge Armory loom over the street like an eerie castle—and they will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

On Monday, the City Council voted to reject a proposal that would develop the Armory, which has been vacant for more than 15 years, into a mall.

Many area merchants celebrated the City Council’s vote. These merchants feared a mall in the Armory would bring competition from big-box stores and cause unappealing traffic congestion.

A few local business owners were upset that the Armory is not going to be turned into a mall. They said a mall would bring more customers to their stores and an extra boost in these tough economic times.

Others were indifferent.

“I don’t know how to feel,” said Steve Deats, the owner of Furniture Outlet, who said he believed most merchants, like him, were indifferent about the Armory. “They have been talking about [the Armory] for 15 years and nothing has been done. There are a lot of stores that would be hurt, although the [foot] traffic might help some.”

Johnny Ramon, an employee of Forever Young, a health store across from the Armory, had a strong opinion. “It’s great news. Small businesses usually suffer when a mega-business comes in,” he said. “I just feel that anything that threatens small business is not a good thing because small business owners are the lifeblood of the economy.”

Not all merchants were joyous or apathetic about the vote. “I feel bad. We need business here,” said George Vangelatos, the manager of New Capitol Restaurant. “If there are more people [in the area], there is more business for everyone.”

As for the future of the Armory, different merchants on Kingsbridge Road had different ideas for how to best fill the empty space. But they all agreed that something should be there. Deats said, “It is a waste of real estate if it is sitting there and doing nothing.”

City Council Defeats Armory Mall Proposal, 45-1

By Jordan Moss

The City Council voted nearly unanimously on Monday to defeat a developer’s proposal, backed  strongly by Mayor Bloomberg, to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall.

The vote was 45 to 1. Only Helen Sears of Queens dissented. Council members said it was the first time they had defeated an economic project backed by the Bloomberg administration.

Though they tried not to use the word victory, as the Armory will likely remain vacant now for at least a few more years, it was the desired outcome of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), a coalition of Bronx community groups organized by the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (the Coalition) and the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). The vote was also celebrated by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and the borough’s delegation to the City Council, which took up their cause.

That cause was ensuring that workers employed by retailers at the mall paid their employees a living wage, $10 an hour with benefits, or $11.50 without benefits.

The mayor, developer and building trade union groups said the defeat set a dangerous precedent that would cost the Bronx jobs and could deter developers from coming into the borough in the future.

Though the Armory drew citywide attention in recent months because of the high-stakes negotiations, it has been a top item on the local civic agenda since 1993 when the National Guard vacated the landmark facility and handed the keys over to the city. 

That year, District 10 school officials floated the idea of turning the landmark into a school complex to help relieve chronic overcrowding in the area. A few years later, the Coalition organized local residents and worked together with architects at the Pratt Institute to come up with a blueprint heavy on community uses, like schools, a movie theatre, restaurants, sports facilities and a greenmarket. Following years of community meetings and rallies, the city eventually replaced the roof and pushed plans by its chosen developers. But those plans, including the most recent by the Related Companies, called for turning the building into a mega shopping mall.

In this context, the living wage requirement became the bare minimum local activists and community and religious leaders were willing to accept – a clear line in the sand.

Taxpayer Subsidies

Because Related was receiving an estimated $50 million in city and state tax breaks, as well as a highly discounted purchase price of $5 million (it cost $30 million just to replace the roof), KARA members and many elected officials said that Related had a special responsibility to make sure that retailers paid wages that could support workers and their families. In Los Angeles, Related has complied with a local law requiring the living wage.

Diaz, whose firm stance on the living wage issue was a sharp break from his pro-developer predecessor, Adolfo Carrion, Jr., said private companies can pay what they want, but not when they’re receiving taxpayer money. “If you want to create a mall on your own dime, [then go ahead and pay what you want],” he said. “If you want a subsidy, then the community deserves a subsidy as well.”

Bloomberg, who left for the international climate talks in Copenhagen on the day of the vote, did not agree.

“From early in the planning process, we made clear we would never add mandatory wage requirements which would make the project unviable, and that was a line we were never going to cross,” he said in a statement. “It’s not the role of the public sector. As a result of today’s vote, we can say one thing for sure: there will be no wages paid at all at the Kingsbridge Armory for the foreseeable future.”

In a statement, Related spokesperson Joanna Rose said, “This was never about the money involved, but about outside groups imposing artificial wage demands that do not exist anywhere else in New York City or New York State that were then adopted by the Bronx Borough President and Bronx Council delegation without any independent critical analysis.”

It was a major defeat for the mayor as he enters his third term. At the same time, many hoped it would set a citywide tone for development proposals going forward.

“This is not just about the Kingsbridge Armory,” said Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, a Fordham Hill resident and a leader in the Coalition and KARA. “It’s about every development in every borough in New York City.”

Referring to legislation being proposed by Bronx Council Members Oliver Koppell and Annabel Palma as a result of the living wage campaign at the Armory, Pilgrim-Hunter added that the Council’s overwhelming vote “gives us momentum to push for a living wage ordinance for New York City,”

RWDSU head Stuart Appelbaum went even further in his remarks on the City Hall steps. “The Bronx is leading the way for all of New York and the entire country [in the] creation of middle class, retail jobs,” he said.

Meanwhile, the mayor, Related and representatives for building and construction trade groups said it was the Bronx that was the biggest loser in this battle. “Retailers will continue to operate elsewhere in New York City, the suburbs and neighboring states where no such mandates exist and residents of the Bronx will have to continue to have to travel to meet their shopping needs,” Rose said.

“[Monday’s] vote by the New York City Council on the Kingsbridge Armory is simply bad public policy,” said Louis J. Coletti, president and CEO of the Building Trades Employers Association, in a statement. “Not developing the Armory will only extend the economic and jobs crisis in New York City, especially in the Bronx. 
 
Council vs. the Mayor

Some Council members said the vote reset the balance of power in the Council.

“It’s about time the Council stood up to the mayor,” said Council Member Tony Avella, who heads the Council’s Zoning and Franchises Subcommittee. “It’s a great day for democracy. We’re an equal partner with the mayor. [This sets] a precedent for the future.”

In the last week, negotiations with the administration centered on whether, instead of requiring a living wage (which Related said would make it impossible to lure retailers), a fund to subsidize salaries could be created from the $5 million purchase price and portions of the rental income from some of the community space at the Armory.

Bronx Council members were reportedly weighing the deal over the weekend, but, according to Rivera, that possible solution fell apart when the city’s top lawyer, the corporation counsel, advised that such an arrangement could violate the state Constitution.

That decision removed the only hook, which didn’t have KARA’s support, for any potentially sympathetic Bronx Council members to hang their hat on.

The issue before the Council technically had nothing to do with the wage issue. It was essentially a change in zoning for the Armory, which would allow its use as a mall, but it would have also transferred the deed to the building over to Related.

Ultimately, Rivera, who has been a leader in the Council on this and has called Related’s plan “an economic exploitation project,” and Council Speaker Christine Quinn, cited legitimate (but not project-killing) traffic and health issues as the main reason for their decision to reject the plan. They cited a study commissioned by KARA which found the project would drastically increase truck and car traffic in the area.

That didn’t stop Council members from framing the vote as historic.

“Today we honor the dream that people who work hard will be able to provide for their families,” said Letitia James of Brooklyn. She also congratulated the Bronx delegation for “sticking together,” which other delegations usually honor with their support.

The mayor can veto the Council’s action anytime before Dec. 21, which he said on Tuesday was his plan. But he would need one-third of Council members to change their minds, which Quinn and other Council leaders said was highly unlikely.

Meanwhile, it’s back to the drawing board on the Armory. To move ahead, the city will have to draft a new Request for Proposals (RFP). The last one was issued in October 2006, so even if another one were issued in 2010, it could take another three years to get to the Council again.

KARA leaders say they now have the opportunity to push once again for their grander vision. Pilgrim-Hunter calls it the Armory Center, “where culture, commerce and education can come together.”

“There’s nothing wrong with retail, but it should not be the whole project,” she said.

Elders Group Marks 15 Years

By Norwood News

The Fordham Hill Committee on Elders celebrated its 15th anniversary on Sept. 25. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. (pictured above with committee members Gloria Marshall, left, and Joye Clark, right) attended the event, proclaiming Sept. 25 as Fordham Hill Elders Day.

The proclamation commended the committee’s efforts to serve senior citizens in the Fordham Hill community. The committee was established in 1994 to provide a shared center for Fordham Hill’s senior community, providing many programs and recreational activities for seniors.

Milestones at MMCC

By Norwood News

At Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s annual dinner on Nov. 11, several people celebrated milestones with the organization.

Carmen Tirado, Marilyn Hernandez, and Carmen Barbosa marked 10 years with the center.

Josephine Perez, Qaiser Shujinddin, Donald Bluestone, Margie Medina, and Dr. Reva Gershen-Lowy all celebrated two decades with the organization.

Precinct Council Honors Officers, Civilians

By Norwood News

At the 52nd Precinct Community Council’s 6th annual Recognition Fellowship Breakfast on Nov. 13, a host of officers and civilians were honored for their service.

Several officers, including Mahmud Abdul Jabbar, Ernesto Martinez, Felipe Babales, Daniel Baca, Mar Carlino, Marco Trujillo, Sgt. Vincent Spinola, Jeremy McGee, Frank Pacella, Lt. Stephen Phelan and Det. Hardy Hill, were awarded for making major arrests.

Community Affairs officers Yvette Palermo-Ortega and Wilson Hernandez were also honored for their work in the community.

Civilians receiving awards included Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, Anne Marie Hoppin, the precinct’s administrative secretary, Leah Tikantzas, an assistant district attorney who works with the precinct council, auxiliary officer Warren Gore, and law enforcement Explorer Jennifer Landron.

Father Frank Scanlon of St. Ann’s Church was also awarded for his service on the precinct council.

Local Police Lieutenant Remembered

By Norwood News

Lieutenant Carlos Ocasio, Jr. recently passed away on Nov. 21 in his Norwood home after over a yearlong battle with colon cancer. Ocasio was 49 years old.

As a resident of Norwood for 20 years, Ocasio was a volunteer coach for the Mosholu Montefiore Little League and a member of the Norwood Organic Food Cooperative. Ocasio was a member of the NYPD for over 24 years. His highest rank was Lieutenant Special Assignment.

Ocasio’s funeral was held at St. Ann’s Church on Nov. 25. The police department expressed their respects for Ocasio through an honor line that stretched for multiple blocks along Bainbridge Avenue. Ocasio is survived by his mother, two sisters, his wife and his two children.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Homeowner Resource Fair
The University Neighborhood Housing Program is hosting a Homeowner Resource Fair on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at the Concourse House, 2751 Grand Concourse, from 6 to 8 p.m. Topics to be discussed include how to lower your energy costs and how to modify your mortgage. The fair will also give away free weatherization kits and free food. Supplies are limited. For more information or to RSVP, call (718) 933-2539.

After-School Teen Program
Youngsters from ages 11 to 16 are invited to participate in the newly re-opened free after-school program at The COVE, located in the basement at 3418 Gates Place. The program will have recreation, dance/talent shows, trips, homework help, and it will teach participants how to create, film and edit their own videos. The program runs with open enrollment through May and takes place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. For more information or to enroll, call Doug Knepper at (347) 374-1928.

Public Hearings on School Changes
The Department of Education released statements on proposals for two important school changes in the Bronx area. PS 246 Poe Center will alleviate overcrowding by undergoing grade configuration to become a K-5th grade-only school. PS 56 Norwood Heights will be split-sited to move some classes to the new location of PS 94 Kings College School, also reducing overcrowding, as well as increasing the number of zoned students. Public hearings will be held on Dec. 9 at 5:30 p.m. at 2641 Grand Concourse, and at 341 E. 207th St. on Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (212) 374-5049.

Donate Toys at the Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is hosting its annual holiday toy and coat drive with the help of Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. Those wishing to donate can drop items off at the Zoo Center, 2300 Southern Blvd. The zoo will collect toys and warm winter clothes until Dec. 31. Those who donate will receive a free pass for their next visit to the zoo. For more information, call (718) 220-5182/5189.

Menorah Lighting Ceremony
This Chanukah, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. invites the public to join him in celebrating the holiday at the annual menorah lighting ceremony, Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 1:30 p.m. at the Bronx County Building’s Memorial Hall, 851 Grand Concourse. Seating is limited and refreshments will be served. For more information, call (718) 590-3989.

Grand Ave. Closed to Traffic
As approved by NYC’s Department of Transportation, Grand Avenue between West 192nd and West 190th streets will be closed to vehicular traffic Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 31 for crane operation at a new Grand Avenue building. Vehicles must use alternate routes during this time.

Cancer Patient Programs
The Bronx Oncology Living Daily (BOLD) Program is offering workshops for cancer patients, survivors and their families. There will be workshops on nutrition (Dec. 9 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, 2nd floor conference room, 3415 Bainbridge Ave.); crocheting; collage making; and a reiki healing circle. For more information, locations, and to register, call (718) 430-3613.

Use LED Lights for the Holidays
Con Edison urges all Bronx residents to use LED lights for their holiday decorations instead of incandescent bulbs. LED lights use less energy and last longer than incandescent bulbs. When displaying outdoor holiday lights, use only exterior-rated extension cords, fixtures and bulbs, and only turn lights on in dry weather. For more information, call (212) 460-6599.

Free ESL and GED Classes
Middle School 80 at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy. N. offers free ESL and GED classes. Applicants must be 21 years or older. For more information or to register, call (718) 405-6300.

Free GED Classes
Bronx Community College at 2155 University Ave. (West 181st Street) offers free GED classes from Jan. 7 through March. Space is limited. For more information or to register, call (718) 289-5834.

Sponsor a Young Boxer
Do you know someone between the ages of 11 and 17 who wants to try boxing but can’t afford training? By making a donation to the World Class Boxing Gym’s Adopt-a-Boxer Program, you can provide someone with a free weekly personal trainer and individual workout sessions. To become a sponsor, please contact waleska@worldclassboxinggym.com.

LIFT Providing Free Services
LIFT’s NYC chapter, located at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave., is giving free one-on-one assistance in employment areas, such as housing support, resume creating, education/job training, referral services, and much more. There are no eligibility requirements. For more information, call (718) 733-3897.

Holding Soccer Tryouts
Be part of the Bronx Bombers. The Girls Riverdale Soccer Club Travel Team is holding competitive tryouts for the spring 2010 season. Eligible players must be girls born after Aug. 1, 1998 (birth certificate required). Tryouts will be held on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 9:30 a.m. sharp at the Van Cortlandt Park Nature Center located at 246th Street and Broadway. Bring birth certificate and drinking water. Also encouraged are shin guards, cleats and a soccer ball. For more information and fees, call (917) 854-5494.

Apply for a Bronx Artist Award
The Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Awards, hosted through the Bronx Council on the Arts, awards local artists for their work each year in dozens of fields. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 22, 2010. Applications can be found online or at any Bronx public library, the BCA Writers Center or BCA’s Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College. Applicants are urged to attend one of several free workshops offered before the deadline. For submission guidelines and application assistance, please visit www.bronxarts.org or call (718) 931-9500. Eligible applicants must be 18 years or older.

Free Classes at State University
The North Bronx Career Center of The State University of New York, located at 2901 White Plains Rd., offers free basic to advanced daytime and evening classes, including computer courses, college prep courses, and more. Some restrictions may apply. For more information and to register, please call (718) 547-1001.

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.

Free Personal Finance Course
The University Neighborhood Housing Program is offering a free course in finance at the Concourse House, 2751 Grand Concourse, Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., Nov. 18 to Dec. 16. It will cover banking, goal setting, budgeting, debt management, credit, and more. Upon completion of the course, students will receive a certificate that can be used at any credit union to open a savings account. RSVP by calling (718) 933-2539.

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.

Scouting for Girl Scouts
Girls from 5 to 17 years old looking to serve the Bronx community, make friends and learn life skills are encouraged to join the Girl Scouts of the Bronx. For more information about joining a Girl Scout troop, visit www.girlscoutsnyc.org or email webbx@girlscoutsnyc.org.

School Salon Reopened
The School for Professional Beauty Care at Grace Dodge Career and Technical High School, located at 2474 Crotona Ave., has reopened its after-school beauty parlor, The New Image Salon, for the fall semester. The salon, whose services are reasonably priced, is open every Thursday from 2:45 to 5:30 p.m. and is staffed by graduating seniors of the school’s cosmetology program. To schedule an appointment, call (718) 584-2700.

PS/MS 20 School Shirts on Sale
PS/MS 20 requires that all students wear the appropriate uniform shirt. If parents wish, they may buy the shirts directly from PS/MS 20. Parents can call Rosa Rosado at (718) 515-9370 ext. 2154, to request an order form. Shirts for Pre-K to 5th graders are $10, and $12 for 6th to 8th graders.

Register for MMCC Classes
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, 3450 DeKalb Ave., offers a variety of classes for all ages from infants to seniors, including daycare, after school programs and senior center activities. Fees vary. For more information, call (718) 882-4000 or visit www.mmcc.org.

Fall Into Fitness at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. has begun its fall fitness schedule. Classes range from step aerobics and zumba classes to belly dancing. For details and/or to register, call (718) 882-4000 ext. 256 or 280.

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.

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.

Foster Parents Needed
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.

Workshops: Children With Disabilities
The Jewish Child Care Association at 555 Bergen Ave. will host monthly workshops from November through June of next year for families and professionals requiring services for children with disabilities. For detailed information and to register, call (212) 677-4650 ext. 20 or visit jccany.org.

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.

Donate Backpacks to Homeless Kids
Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. is encouraging Bronx residents to donate backpacks and school supplies to “Operation Backpack.” “Operation Backpack” provides homeless children and students in New York City with backpacks and school supplies to help them succeed in school. To contribute, drop off a new backpack at the Bronx BP office at 851 Grand Concourse, Room 209. To find out more information about Operation Backpack or to make a donation, visit www.OperationBackpackNYC.org.

Self-Defense and Boxing at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. is offering self-defense classes on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays starting at 5:30 p.m. Its boxing program meets on Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. for ages 7 and up. For more information, visit www.mmcc.org or call (718) 882-4000 ext. 0 or ext. 256.

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.

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.

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.

-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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Adult ESL Level 1and 2 Classes
Beginning September 2009 through June 2010, P.S. 94x will be offering Level 1 and 2 ESL classes on Tuesday and Thursdays from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. For more information, contact Ms. Seminario, at (347) 563-4772 or (718) 405- 6345. You can also come to room 201 for more information and for sign up.

 

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage

The Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, located at 841 Barretto St., presents Los Nutcrackers: A Christmas Carajo, a self-proclaimed “queer,” comedic play centered on a couple’s journey through Christmases past.  Tickets are $20 and runs Dec. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 at 8 p.m.  For more information, call (718) 842-5223.

The Bronx Library Center, located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, hosts Latin Jazz with Chris Washburne and the SYOTOS Band, Dec. 5 at 2:30 p.m.; and Doo Wop with the Valentinos, Dec. 12 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46.

The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., presents Navidad para el Pueblo, featuring the legendary Yomo Toro, along with “El Topo” Antonio Caban Vale, Zon del Barrio and folkloric dance troupe Danza Fiesta, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. ($30 to $45). For more information, call (718) 960-8833.

The Mass Transit Street Theatre presents Ain’t Easy, a play featuring film and rap based on true stories about lives of Bronx teens and their involvement with violence, to be held at the Hostos Center for Arts & Culture, 450 Grand Concourse (at 149th Street), Dec. 3 and 10 at 10 a.m. and noon. Tickets are $6. For more information or for tickets, call (718) 512-8519 or visit ainteasytheplay@gmail.com.

Events

The Harlem River Ecology Center, located at the southern end of Roberto Clemente State Park, presents Nature in the Urban Wild, Saturdays from 2 to 3 p.m., featuring live encounters and demonstrations with volunteer environmental educators of the Harlem River, followed by a movie matinee on the river from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Living Dinosaurs of the Urban Estuary will be featured on Dec. 5. For more information, call (347) 224-5687/5828.

Lehman College alumnus Steven M. Ackerman, professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston will deliver the keynote address at the 30th annual Arthur Sweeny, Jr. Memorial Lecture, free, on Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. in room 306 of Lehman’s Music Building, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. For more information, call (718) 960-8146.

Wave Hill, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, offers two family art projects: Seasons Greeting, to make holiday cards with pop-up scenes, Dec. 5 and 6; and It’s a Wrap, to make special wrapping paper, Dec. 12 and 13; both in the Kerlin Learning Center. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

The New York Botanical Garden presents several events this fall: The Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden offers Gardens ‘Round the World featuring Caribbean Garden, a pinwheel-shaped plot garden featuring Caribbean crops. The Holiday Train Show will take place through Jan. 10 and features a display of New York landmark replicas created out of plant materials, as well as large-scale model trains. A complementary program in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Gingerbread Adventures, featuring a display of gingerbread houses, is a hands-on activity for children, including grinding and examining ingredients under a microscope, decorating pots with faces, and planting wheat seeds to take home. The entire family can enjoy a gingerbread jazz band, ice skaters, and farmer in the Discovery Center. The Little Engine That Could Puppet Show, presented by puppet master Ralph Lee, will take place weekends through Dec. 20 at 2 and 3 p.m., and daily from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

The Bronx River Art Center, together with the NYC Department of Transportation, present an abstract wooden art sculpture, Aurora, 14 feet tall, 11 feet wide and 11 feet deep, to be on view for 11 months at the center of West Farms Square Plaza located at the base of the West Farms Square/East Tremont Avenue subway station on the corner of East Tremont Avenue and Boston Road, one block away from BRAC which is located at 1087 E. Tremont Ave. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/urbanart.

The Bronx County Historical Society presents Forgotten, But Not Gone, an urban archaeology tour-led trek of the original Bronx River Parkway, which lies hidden within the park systems of the Bronx, will take place on Dec. 12 Wear comfortable shoes for this 5-mile walk, which may be slightly muddy in places. Meet at the Rainbow Diner, 2195 White Plains Rd. (south of Pelham Parkway), leaving promptly at 10 a.m. The tour, which runs about two hours, is $10 for BCHS members and $15 for non members. For more information and to reserve, call (718) 881-8900.

Exhibits

The New York Botanical Garden presents Ex Libris: Treasures From the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, highlighting some rarely seen items demonstrating botany and horticulture from the 12th century to the present, through Jan. 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and The Presence of Trees, photographs of trees in all seasons, by Larry Lederman, in the Ross Gallery (ongoing exhibit). For more information, call (718) 817-8700 or visit nybg.org.

The Museum of Bronx History, located at 3266 Bainbridge Ave. (at 208th Street), presents The Bronx: Then and Now, a comparison of the Bronx of today with that of the 19th century, via prints and photographs; and Edgar Allan Poe – A Bicentennial Celebration,.to learn about Poe, his life and his time spent in the Bronx; both through April 15. For more information, call the Bronx County Historical Society at (718) 881-8900.

Beyond Appearances, an exhibition bringing together a group of approximately 40 artists, includes painting, drawing, sculpture, video, and installation, will be on display Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Dec. 11 at the Lehman College Art Gallery, Fine Arts Building, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W. For more information, call (718) 960-8731.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th Street, presents an exhibition series commemorating the Grand Concourse’s centennial, through Jan. 4, featuring The Grand Concourse Commissions and The Grand Concourse Beyond 100. Originally called the Grand Boulevard, the Grand Concourse celebrates its 100th year in 2009. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 ext. 120, or visit www.bronxmuseum.org.

Library Events

The Bronx Library Center has events for all ages:
For children and preschoolers, there is Preschool Story Time, Dec. 3, 10 and 17 at 11 a.m.; films, Dec. 9 and 16 at 4 p.m.; and Family Time, Dec. 12 at 11 a.m.
Also, for school-aged children, there is Rudolph Card Making, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m.; Perfectly Penguin, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.; “A Christmas Carol,” Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.; and Sled Ornament Making, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m.
The Center is located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road. For a detailed schedule, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

The Mosholu Library, located at 285 E. 205th St., hosts Toddler Story Time, Dec. 3 at 10:30 a.m.; Reading Aloud, Dec. 7 and 14 at 4 p.m.; and Preschool Story Time, Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m.; all for children. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Yoga for Parents and Preschoolers, Dec. 4 at 11 a.m.; Arts & Crafts, Dec. 8 at 4 p.m.; Making Music, Dec. 11 at 11 a.m.; films, Dec. 15 at 4 p.m.; Toddler Story Time, Dec. 18 at 11 a.m.; and Reading Aloud, Fridays at 4 p.m.; all for children. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.
 
A HAPPY AND HEALTHY CHANUKAH TO ALL OUR JEWISH READERS!
                                                                                                     
NOTE: Items for consideration may be mailed to our office or sent to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org, and should be received by Dec. 7 for the next publication date of Dec. 17.

Westchester Sq. Fire Aftermath a Model of Resilience

By Molly Ryan

Bainbridge Avenue merchants affected by a devastating Halloween morning blaze can take heart in the experiences of another set of Bronx business owners who were left homeless earlier this year.

On March 22, a three-alarm fire sent five established Westchester Square businesses and one future business bursting into flames.

Now, more than seven months later, the affected businesses are settling into new locations and coming to terms with the fire, which police say was a case of arson by a local man.

“Fortunately for us, because we have a strong merchants association, we have a lot of connection to the city agencies and a good rapport with city officials that once the tragedy happened, we more or less had all of them at our beck and call,” said Joe Regina, the secretary of the Association of Merchants and Business Professionals of Westchester Square.

After the fire, the Merchants Association brought together the emergency unit from the Department of Small Business Services and other city agencies, including the Department of Buildings, to sit down and help each individual business find their bearings.

These agencies, along with pro bono lawyers, helped obtain $1,000 emergency grants from the city for each business and helped the five previously existing businesses relocate.

Unfortunately, the business that was under construction—a Latin nightclub—did not have insurance and the owner did not have enough savings to start a new business.

The other five businesses have all relocated in the neighborhood, and two of these businesses still remain in Westchester Square. On the Square Flowers moved into another flower shop across the street from their burned store and Peking House, a Chinese restaurant, moved just down Tremont Avenue in Westchester Square.

“Right away, for all the employees, [the Merchants Association] offered help for unemployment, emergency funds,” said Joanna Tozaj, the owner of On the Square Flowers, “They are the ones that made all of the connections.”

As for the site of the fire, Regina said the owner, Chatham Management Company, who rented out the business units, intends to rebuild and use the space for commercial properties. However, Chatham said they do not know what kind of tenants they will have in the future.

Unfortunately, for the affected Bainbridge businesses, there is no merchants association in place, though the local community board organized a similar meeting with city and state agencies.

It’s still early, but so far, only one of the businesses left homeless in the Bainbridge blaze—L & M European Mini Market—has relocated. The market is now located just a couple of blocks down the road, at 371 E. 204th St.

Another affected business, the salon Betty’s Place, plans to temporarily relocate across the street, but the owner did not know when she would be able to open her new shop. And many of the owner’s store supplies, such as hairdryers, were recently stolen from her old, fire-damaged location.

End the War

By None

The following was written as an open letter to President Obama before his speech at West Point on Tuesday night.

Have courage! Stand up to the generals and War Machine. Explain what you know is true, and young people who voted for change, and the majority of Americans who now say “bring home the troops,” will stand with you.

Explain what you know is true:

The strength of Al Qaeda is broken; what remains in Afghanistan and Pakistan can be monitored. The Taliban cannot be beaten by military means. We have tried for nine years, and the Taliban grows stronger as we send more troops, and more drone attacks kill more civilians.

Your ambassador, a military man, says no more troops until Karzai ends corruption. Does anyone believe Karzai will reform? The recent election made clear war criminals and drug czars keep him in power.

Women in Afghanistan say Karzai, his warlords, and his recent Shiite Personal Status Law are no better for women than the Taliban.

How many more Americans will die, or come home maimed in body and mind, living in pain? How many more Afghans and Pakistanis will die, or live maimed and in pain? For what?

How will we pay for health care reform? Or transformation of our economy and good, green jobs for all Americans?

You know another way. The advisors you asked for advice in transition to office set out another approach. We pray you call on their wisdom now.

They say the US must:

- abandon the idea a decades long “counterinsurgency” can defeat the multi-headed insurgency in Afghanistan; give up prideful effort to reform Afghan tribal systems, “modernize” its religious outlook, free its women; declare the original goal to dismantle Al Qaeda organization in Afghanistan accomplished, establish an unconditional timeline for withdrawal of US and NATO troops, defer to a UN convened conference in which all Afghan stakeholders hammer out for themselves an Afghan future; end unilateral aid, and with the international community create a humanitarian Marshall Plan to help Afghans rebuild their war devastated economy; initiate a “diplomatic surge to persuade, cajole, and bribe Taliban supporters and opponents to support this complex effort.

So little gained, so much lost if you choose more of the same. Diplomacy is your strength. Go for it! If you explain in your clear way what you feel is true, I believe the majority of Americans will stand with you.

Lyn Pyle

Help Stop the Violence

By Editorial

An explosion of street violence upended three Bronx communities in recent days, taking the lives of two teenagers and severely injuring a girl, all of whom appear to be ordinary kids guilty only of crossing paths with errant gunshots. (On Thanksgiving, three people were shot on the Grand Concourse, near Fordham Road.)

Crime is indeed down, but that doesn’t change the realities of these tragically truncated lives or the neighborhoods that have not benefited equally from otherwise welcome statistical trends.

There is no single answer to solving this problem, but there are many things that can help and we should try them all and more.

Here are just a few:

• Whatever your opinion of Mayor Bloomberg, he is a national leader on the gun control issue. We should support his efforts any way we can.

• As stated above, there are neighborhoods where the city’s statistical drop in crime has not been felt on the street. When the inevitable budget cuts are proposed to cope with the economic downturn, cuts to youth programs and police should be a last resort, especially in neighborhoods where crime has gone the opposite way of the citywide trend. In fact, we need to find a way to increase funding for youth programs, whether that comes from the city, state or federal government.

• Advocate for jobs that pay a living wage. Poverty is a major determinant of community safety, and even wages of $10 an hour, like those being sought at the Kingsbridge Armory, still barely pull a family of four above the poverty line.

• Just pay attention. Get to know your young neighbors by name. Ask them how they’re doing. Help them with their homework. Volunteer at a local youth program.

Last week, Heidi Hynes and her staff at the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center in Crotona gathered an impressive array of community leaders, elected officials and youth together for an emergency meeting after a daytime shooting spree alongside the Center’s playground led to a troubled apartment building where a 19-year-old died.

In attendance were Council Member Joel Rivera, Fordham University president Joseph McShane, and Chauncey Parker, who directs a program overseen by the federal drug czar.

A number of programs were discussed but no new resources were yet offered. It was obviously just a beginning. But these discussions are important and they must continue.

We all need to be a part of the solution by taking action in ways large and small, and advocating loudly for the resources our neighborhoods need.

Public and Community Meetings

By Norwood News

•    Community Board 7 will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at Dallas BBQ, Downstairs Ballroom, 281 W. Fordham Rd. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
•    For dates and locations of all Community Board 7 Committee Meetings, call (718) 933-5650 or visit www.bronxcb7.info.
•    The Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. at Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge Avenue. It is sponsored by Community Board 7 in conjunction with the borough president.
•    Community District 10 Education Council will meet on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m. For location or more information, call (718) 741-5836 or e-mail CEC10@schools.nyc.gov.
•    The Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. at the DEP community offices, 3660 Jerome Ave. For more information, call (718) 231-8470.

Bills Would Tighten Driving Regulations

By Katie Riordan

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s office recently boasted of the state assembly’s passage of two pieces of road safety legislation: one banning the use of portable electronic devices (PEDs) while driving, and the other cracking down on drunk driving.

According to a press release from the assemblyman, “Under the (first) new law, drivers are prohibited from composing, sending, reading, viewing, accessing, browsing, transmitting, saving or retrieving email, text messages, or other electronic data while driving. The measure also bans viewing, taking, or transmitting images and playing games. Motorists found in violation of the ban could face a maximum fine of $150.   Fines are allowed to be imposed only as a secondary offense, when the driver is pulled over for a violation of another law.”  

The law also requires data to be produced indicating the effects of using PEDs while driving.

The other piece of legislation, which Dinowitz calls the “toughest” in the country, creates a first-time felony for driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a child passenger. A person charged with this first-time felony will be very limited in their ability to plea bargain, according to a press release. 

“The deadly decision to drive drunk is not one to be taken lightly,” Dinowitz said.  “It’s a serious crime that destroys lives.  This law will go a long way toward keeping our children and our roadways safe from reckless drunk drivers.”
The bill also requires the installment of ignition interlock de

Gonzalez Gets New Lawyer, Reprieve

By Alex Kratz

Former State Senator Efrain Gonzalez, awaiting sentencing following a conviction on fraud charges, will remain a free man into 2010.

Gonzalez, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegally funneling state money into his own pockets, was originally supposed to be sentenced in mid-August. That date was then pushed to November.

But now Gonzalez has acquired new legal representation and the U.S. Attorney’s office is giving his new court-appointed lawyer Lance Croffoot-Suede some time to get familiar with the case.
Gonzalez’s previous lawyer, Murray Richman, told the Daily News that the former senator from the 33rd District (now represented by Pedro Espada, Jr.), was having second thoughts about his guilty plea.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office said a conference hearing is scheduled for Jan. 29. It remains unclear when Gonzalez will be sentenced.

Hector Ramirez to Challenge Nelson Castro in 86th Assembly District

By Alex Kratz

District Leader Hector Ramirez is actively drumming up support for a 2010 run against 86th District Assemblyman Nelson Castro, the Norwood News has learned.

Though Ramirez has yet to make an official announcement, two sources close to him who requested anonymity, said that Ramirez was working to position himself for a run at Castro’s seat, which he will have to defend come next election season.

On Thursday night, Dec. 3, a fund-raising event for Ramirez’s candidacy was scheduled with tickets going anywhere from $25 to $500. The event was being organized by Fernando Aquino, a longtime Democratic Party operative who played a strong role in Fernando Cabrera’s upset primary victory over incumbent Council member Maria Baez in September.

The sources also said that if Ramirez does run, he will enjoy the backing of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., who was also influential in Cabrera’s ascension to the City Council.

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, Ramirez looked the part of campaigning candidate as he handed out Thanksgiving turkeys to local residents with Diaz in University Heights.

Diaz spokesperson John DeSio would only say that the borough president has handed out a lot of turkeys (some 4,000, DeSio says) and that it was Ramirez who brought the gigantic banner that prominently features both Ramirez and Diaz, Jr. Clearly, Diaz, Jr. didn’t object to the photo op. But for now, DeSio said he couldn’t comment further.

Ramirez, a Dominican-born Bronx resident since 1995 and a professional accountant, was elected district leader in the 86th Assembly District, which includes parts of University Heights, Mt. Hope, and Morris Heights, in 2002 and has been re-elected three times.

In August of 2008, when Castro’s predecessor, Luis Diaz, left his position and took a job with Gov. David Paterson, the Bronx Democratic County Committee passed over Ramirez, a longtime party loyalist, and chose Castro, a relatively new face in Bronx politics, to fill the vacancy. Many, including Luis Diaz and Castro himself, were surprised by the decision made by then-Democratic County boss Jose Rivera.

In the end, Castro, a former registered Republican who moved to the Bronx from Washington Heights a few years ago, became the first Dominican assemblyman from the Bronx, not Ramirez.
But now, with Rivera out and Assemblyman Carl Heastie running the County party, it looks like we could be in for a serious fight between Democratic rivals in the 86th.   

4 Line Express Back On

By Molly Ryan

After a brief stint in June, the MTA is once again trying out express service for the Bronx 4 line. The new express program has more trains, one more stop and will last seven weeks instead of three weeks.

The MTA launched the original pilot program to evaluate commuter response to morning express trains. The express trains stopped at Woodlawn, Mosholu Parkway, Burnside Avenue and 149th Street, and skipped the nine stations in between these stops. Customers who traveled between Woodlawn and 149th Street saved an estimated 3.5 minutes during their commute, according to a manager from Interborough Rapid Transit East.

Charles Seaton, an MTA spokesperson, said the results from the first pilot “were incomplete because it wasn’t deemed to be long enough.”
The second pilot is running through Dec. 11. Express trains will leave from the Woodlawn station every 20 minutes on weekdays from 7 to 8:20 a.m.

Customer suggestions from the first pilot were used to improve the second pilot. According to an MTA press release, “Bedford Park Boulevard was added to the express stops for the new pilot as a result of numerous requests from customers on the 4 line.”

At stations with express train stops, customers said they generally approved of the program. “It’s good, it is always punctual,” said Robert Danzo, who travels from Mosholu Parkway to 149th Street for work.

Customers who use 4 Line stations that do not have express trains are less enthusiastic about the program. Betty Powers, a Kingsbridge resident who uses the Kingsbridge Road stop, said, “Kingsbridge [Road] is a major stop, I would like to have an express.”
 

Subway Cuts Leading to Anger, Unsafe Conditions

By Molly Ryan

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Christina Rodriguez entered the B/D subway station on Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse looking to buy a MetroCard. The problem was, she only had a $20 bill and the MetroCard machines were not accepting cash.

Rodriguez scanned the station for assistance, but no one was in sight.

Rodriguez’s experience at the Kingsbridge Station was not unique. Since the MTA discontinued all of its Station Customer Assistants (SCAs) at all New York City subway stations on Sept. 20, MTA customers must now turn to intercoms instead of nearby MTA employees for assistance.

According to James Anyansi, a spokesperson for New York City Transit, the main function of an SCA was to “look around the station and help customers with travel directions.”

An MTA employee at the Kingsbridge B/D station who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, said SCAs also fixed the MetroCard machines and called the police if a customer was in distress.

Now, customers must use a “Customer Service Intercom” for assistance. The intercoms are labeled with a large red sign and they connect directly to the Station Agent at another entrance to the subway station.

These Station Agents are present at one entrance of every subway station and they “sell MetroCards, give directions and give out maps,” said Anyansi. Now, they will also help customers over the intercom.

Despite the intercom assistance, MTA customers throughout the Bronx are frustrated with these changes.

“There should be someone there to answer questions,” said Kisha Rodriguez as she struggled to get her son, who was on crutches, through the turnstile at the D train station on 205th Street. Rodriguez could not open the emergency exit door for her son because they are now only open at full-time station entrances with a Station Agent.

“We are paying for no service,” said Ronald Williams, a frequent MTA customer. “At night it is unsafe to be here.”
While MTA customers bemoan a lack of service, the MTA claims that subway stations will still provide reliable customer assistance and remain safe. 

“The NYPD patrols the system,” said Anyansi. “Undercover police are all over the place. We do feel things are safe.”

Gene Russianoff, the staff attorney for the Straphangers Campaign, a campaign to improve New York City Transit, disagrees. “An MTA motto is ‘If you see something, say something’—to who? No one is there. If you saw a suspicious person, would you call the intercom or would you run out of the station?”

“It is not safe back there [on the other side of the station],” said one MTA Station Agent in the northwest Bronx. “Police aren’t going to be there forever. I get complaints all the time.”
As for the effectiveness of the intercom, the Station Agent said,

“Sometimes people use the intercom, but they don’t like it when I tell them they have to come over [to this entrance].”
One common complaint is that the MetroCard machines are not working. Without SCAs, customers at un-manned stations are unable to buy tickets.

Some able-bodied customers might choose to hop over the turnstiles. Winston Calvo, a frequent subway rider said, “If I come here and the machine doesn’t work, I skip over the entrance.”

Other customers may choose to buy tickets from “Swipers,” according to another MTA Station Agent. “Swipers” buy a few unlimited tickets, jam the MetroCard machines and sell entrance “swipes” to customers without MetroCards.

Although one MTA employee said SCAs had “no authority” to stop “Swipers” or turnstile-hoppers, they could fix the machines and help ensure that customers were paying the MTA.

Considering the combined problems of “Swipers,” and fear for customer safety, the MTA employee concluded the discontinuation of SCAs “is horrible for people who live around here.”

Historic Theater Reopens with Grand Hopes

By Elizabeth Bridges

It was a sight unseen along the Grand Concourse for more than two years: a buoyant throng of people waiting in line outside the iconic Loew’s Paradise Theater.

Braving a steady rain and defying a dreary economy, nearly 3,000 people turned out for the reopening of the classic theater on Oct. 24.

“It hurt when it closed,” said Lisa Phillips, 46, who was among the crowd waiting to see a performance by Charlie Wilson of the GAP Band. “That’s why I’m so happy now. It’s going to bring a lot of money, and we won’t have to take our money to Manhattan.”

The theater’s return marks a rare economic bright spot for the neighborhood. About 90 people from the neighborhood found jobs there, and studies show that art institutions can often stimulate broader local economies.

One of Loew’s new managers, Derrick Sanders, said that the economic climate made reopening more of a priority, particularly given the 13.3 percent unemployment rate in the Bronx. “Jobs are the most important thing,” Sanders said.

Reopening in the midst of a recession was oddly appropriate, given that its doors were first opened in 1929 when the stock market crashed. It operated successfully for more than 40 years, before a string of closures and re-openings.

The theater underwent a massive renovation in the early 2000s, when painstaking attention was given to restoring the smallest details on ceiling murals and nude Greek statutes. A new manager, Joe Gentile, took it over in 2007, but it closed within months amid allegations of mismanagement. Several promoters claimed that Gentile, husband of actress Cathy Moriarty-Gentile, failed to pay them, according to news reports.

Since then, the empty 45,000-square-foot theater has loomed over the Grand Concourse with bolted doors and a shuttered box office.

As recently as early August, locals speculated that it would not reopen anytime soon. But in early September, Sanders, a concert promoter, partnered with fellow Bronx native and On The Rocks Entertainment promoter Shelby Joyner, and businessman Gabriel Boter, with the mission of reopening the theater within a month.

Jasmine Lopez, 28, a recently hired usher at the theater, said she was unemployed until the theater reopened.

“I looked a long time, over a year” Lopez said. “I even went down low. I applied to McDonald’s. Now, this is like a Madison Square Garden in the Bronx.”

Even locals who had jobs were glad to see opportunities become available in their neighborhood. Yarisa Figueroa, a 21-year-old bartender, said that working in the neighborhood will enable her to spend more time with her baby.

“I worked at LaGuardia [Airport] before,” Figueroa said. “You always have to apply out of the Bronx to get a job.”

A cultural center in the Bronx could play a vital role in stimulating the local economy. A report by the Center for an Urban Future, a think tank focused on improving New York City, states that the cultural economic sector has the potential to “bring benefits that go far beyond direct employment.”

“Among [the creative economy’s] greatest strengths is the ability to attract other businesses and jump start neighborhood development… by giving local economies their ‘soul,’” the report states.

Based on results from opening night, Sanders, Joyner, and Boter believe that the theater will grow, realize its soulful potential and revitalize the local economy. More than 2,800 of the 4,000 seats were filled that Saturday.

“Being that there was a storm, we did excellent,” said Joyner. “It was great, but like every operation, you can learn from it. With the mistakes we had, we’re only going to get better with time. We’re in a great place right now.”

-Article first appeared in the Mount Hope Monitor.

Day of Outrage’ Sheds Light on Gun Violence

By Calvin Snyder

One by one, six tearful mothers and fathers stepped up to a podium on Nov. 23 in a candlelit room at the Bronx County Courthouse. With trembling voices, they told the crowd about their murdered children.

The vigil, hosted by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., was part of the National Day of Outrage, a campaign against gun violence organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. Similar events were held in more than 20 cities across the country, including an afternoon rally in Times Square.

In the Bronx County Courthouse, the dead children’s parents stood together, surrounded by teenagers holding placards inscribed with the names of murder victims. Nearly everyone in the crowd of hundreds held a small white candle.

The evening underscored recent gun violence that has claimed the lives and health of innocent Bronx bystanders whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

David Pacheco, Sr. recalled the Easter Sunday in 2006 when a stray bullet killed his 2-year-old son, David Pacheco, Jr., as he sat in the back seat of his family’s minivan. The vehicle was passing through Morris Heights when it was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight.

Yvette Montanez mourned her 25-year-old daughter, Aisha Santiago, who was killed in Mott Haven by a stray bullet in September. “I struggle to get up in the morning to go to work,” she said. “I have problems sleeping because I still see her body laying there, covered with the white sheet and the blood and her hand with the black nail polish.”

At the vigil, members of the clergy, teenagers, activists, artists and politicians railed against numerous factors they say contribute to the killings – a culture of violence, lax gun control laws, poor parenting, video games, a lack of male role models. They called for stricter gun regulation, more community involvement and better communication between parents and children.

Bronxites Want Action on Foreclosure Crisis

By Kim Velsey

Bronx community activist Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter left the Federal Reserve’s foreclosure forum at New York’s Trinity Church earlier this fall feeling frustrated. As a member of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, she and other local leaders had pressed the Fed for greater consumer protections and lender accountability.

The Fed had listened, but Pilgrim-Hunter just wasn’t sure that they were doing much else.

New York City has seen an uptick in home foreclosures during the past three years. Between 2006 and 2009, there has been a 50 percent increase, with citywide foreclosure filings moving from about 10,000 in 2006 to a high of 15,055 during the first three quarters of 2009.

A disproportionate number of those foreclosures come from Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. In 2009, Bronx foreclosure filings continue to climb. So far, the year has seen 1,729 filings, compared to a total of 1,628 in 2008, according to the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.

Although not all filings result in foreclosures, they are indications of homeowners in serious distress.

During the meeting Pilgrim-Hunter attended in October, three Fed representatives, including Anna Alvarez Boyd, an associate director of consumer and community affairs, dutifully took notes and promised to report back to the board of directors.

“For all the non-profits working on the front lines,” said Boyd, “you’re doing heroes’ work. You’re heroes.”

Pilgrim-Hunter, a Bronx resident for the past 25 years, had hoped for more than encouragement. She wanted a commitment from the Fed to build greater protections into the Community Reinvestment Act, which was created in 1977 to give residents in minority and low- and middle-income neighborhoods access to credit. She also wanted more transparency in home mortgages as protection against predatory lending that often leads to people taking on loans they often don’t understand and ultimately can’t afford.

She’s witnessed the toll these loans have taken, firsthand.
At Fordham Hill, the University Heights condo complex where she is president, Pilgrim-Hunter said a number of tenants stopped paying the maintenance fees. Then the foreclosures started, two to five a week, in the 1,119-unit complex, she said.

It was stunning, she said, because her complex is considered upper-middle class. She has seen seniors with paid-off properties swindled into taking out new mortgages with ridiculous rates and a neighbor who couldn’t keep up with building fees when his sales commissions trickled off.

“If it’s happening in our buildings, you know that everyone else in the community, they don’t stand a chance,” she said.
In an attempt to help the situation, Pilgrim-Hunter, alongside the nonprofit group National People’s Action, requested a meeting with Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, which regulates the country’s banks. After a series of refusals, he changed his mind when the group planted 600 people on his lawn.

The Fed has since held meetings with community groups across the county over the past several months. The meetings fluctuate between presentations, personal accounts, and pleas for increased regulation and oversight.

At the New York meeting, stories of hardship in the Bronx were shared by local activist Heidi Hynes, who plowed through her list of requests before turning to the Fed.

“None of the pastors, none of the people sitting in this room caused this mess. We are the cleanup crew and we’ve had it!” she shouted.

The Fed’s Boyd said the meetings were transformative. “No one can walk through the crisis we’ve been through and not think about what can be done differently,” she said.

Boyd pointed out a number of new initiatives that the Fed has undertaken: eliminating pre-payment penalties, posting more consumer information online, and buying movie ads around the country to warn people about foreclosure scams.

“Have we done enough, soon enough? No,” Boyd admitted.
Community groups weren’t the only ones unsure whether the meetings would amount to much. Andrew Caplin, an Economics professor at New York University specializing in housing finance, doubted anything useful would come from the exchanges.

“It’s all anecdotes,” said Caplin in a telephone interview. “I don’t think anyone brings any facts to the table aside from bad things happened to good people.”

Where Caplin sees anecdotes, Pilgrim-Hunter sees systemic problems that need to be addressed by a federal government that allowed them to happen.

“Right now things aren’t happening fast enough to stop the damage,” she said. “People are losing their homes every day, losing their jobs every day. There’s a lot of conversation on how the Fed will report back. We need to know, when is the actual doing.”

Thankful for Chance to Give Back

By Molly Ryan

The day before Thanksgiving, the Lutheran Church of the Epiphany in Norwood, as it does every year, opened its doors to provide a free hot meal for anyone in want of a filling turkey dinner.

“The Lord tells us to feed the hungry and to give drink to the thirsty,” said Pastor Robert Rainis, known affectionately as Pastor Bob around the church. “Christianity is an active word—you have to engage the community.”

Anthony Bopp, the director of Epiphany’s St. Stephen’s Meals program, which serves hot meals for those in need three days a week (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday), organized the Thanksgiving feast in Epiphany’s basement.

“I’m glad to have the opportunity to serve people,” Bopp said. “With the hard financial times, some people don’t have dinner.”

The cook at Epiphany, Willie Simmons, prepared four turkeys and enough stuffing, corn, potato salad and green beans to feed the crowd of more than 60 local patrons.

“I enjoy this, just seeing people come down and enjoy themselves,” Simmons said. “This is a way to give back.”

Simmons’ food not only brought together a crowd of local residents, it also brought together multiple families. Joe McNally, who does all of the church’s repairs and helps out with the St. Stephen’s program three days a week, brought along nine of his family members to help serve the Thanksgiving meal.

“This is a community service. We are feeding those that are less fortunate,” said McNally’s wife, Christine. “Everyone just chipped in and helped out. We all have a part.”

Earlier this year, none of this service would have been possible. A devastating fire destroyed the church basement last January, shutting down the kitchen and the meal program for eight months.
Joe McNally and host of volunteers stepped up and repaired the church’s basement for free.

“We scrubbed everything,” said McNally, who put in new floors, lights, doors, windows, tables and chairs in the basement.

“[The renovation] is a big improvement,” said Richard Miranda, who has come to Epiphany’s Thanksgiving for the past four years with his wife and son. “There is a lot more light, the ceiling is better, it looks cleaner.”

Among the Thanksgiving patrons was a group of around 10 people from the Institute for Applied Human Dynamics, a mentally handicapped group that cleans the room after eating lunch. “It’s like a family away from home,” said one employee.

Other diners were happy to sit back, relax and enjoy the meal with the company of others. “I’m very grateful [for the meal],” said Mary Kelly, who regularly frequents the church for meals. “I don’t have any family and it’s nice to have places like this to come.”

Council Ready to Vote Down Armory Plan

By Molly Ryan

Despite meeting face-to-face on at least two recent Saturdays, the Bronx City Council delegation and the Related Companies are not budging on the issue of living wage in the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project.

This standstill might just be the kiss of death for the development.

Related insists that including a living wage requirement will deter retail companies from setting up shop in the mall. They believe the community will benefit from the 2,200 jobs created during and after construction of the mall, regardless of wage level.

Meanwhile, the Bronx delegation, along with an apparent majority of the Zoning and Franchising Subcommittee, insist that guaranteeing living wage jobs ($10 an hour plus benefits) is a small fee for Related to pay, since they stand to make a bundle off the development in addition to receiving tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. They say the jobs currently being offered at the proposed Armory mall would do nothing to lift a community mired in poverty.

If both factions refuse to back down, the Council appears poised to reject Related’s proposal and start from scratch.

On Thursday, Dec. 3, the City Council Zoning and Franchising Subcommittee, as well as the Land Use Committee are scheduled to vote on whether or not to recommend approval of the project once it goes in front of the full Council, which is scheduled for Dec. 9.

Without a community benefits agreement guaranteeing living wage jobs, the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), a coalition of unions, clergy and community groups, which has advocated for responsible development of the Armory for the past three years, is urging the Council to reject Related’s shopping mall proposal.

“The plan needs to be voted down,” said KARA’s Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter. “[Related has] not come to the community to negotiate a community benefits agreement. Most problems [with the development] cannot be solved.”

Another option would be for the subcommittee to vote to modify the proposal and, in return, gain 15 days for the Bronx delegation to negotiate with Related. Last week, Bronx Councilman Joel Rivera, who sits on the Zoning and Franchising Subcommittee, said he would like to push the final City Council voting deadline from Dec. 9 to Dec. 21. “In this case bureaucracy works in our favor,” said Rivera.

But Pilgrim-Hunter said Rivera has changed his mind since last week and will not push for a delay. 

KARA fears that delaying the vote will only allow the Bloomberg administration, which is in favor of the development and against living wage guarantees, more time to influence Council members.

“[Related has] had well over two years to negotiate,” Pilgrim-Hunter said. “They met with the Bronx delegation twice and they have left them empty-handed.”

Rivera could not be reached for a comment about Thursday’s vote, but it is clear that he will not cast his final vote in favor of the development without a living wage condition. “It is not like the community is desperate for retail,” Rivera said last week. “I would rather [the Armory] sit vacant and hold out for a better deal.”

After the subcommittee votes on the proposal, perhaps as early as Thursday morning, the proposal will be voted on by the Land Use Committee, possibly immediately following the subcommittee vote. Those are both advisory votes for the full Council. The next City Council meeting is on Dec. 9. “Generally the Council will follow the subcommittee’s recommendations,” said Michael Yellin, a KARA member.

In other words, what happens on Thursday will ultimately determine the project’s fate.

John DeSio, a spokesperson for Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr., who has openly expressed his support for providing living wage guarantees, said Diaz is still holding out for a last-minute agreement. “We understand that the votes are there [to reject the proposal without a living wage], and we hope we can come to an agreement with Related,” DeSio said in an e-mail on Tuesday.

On Thursday morning, on the steps of City Hall, KARA will hold a prayer vigil to remind Council members that developments like the Armory should benefit the community, not just the developer.

“We want [the Armory] redeveloped, but we want it done responsibly,” said Pilgrim-Hunter. “This particular plan, I believe, is going to be voted down and it will make way for a better developer who will work with the community and serve the community.”

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