Neighborhood Notes

February 25, 2010

By Norwood News

MTA Public Hearing
A hearing on proposed changes in levels of service and fares will be held on Wednesday, March 3 at the Paradise Theatre, 2403 Grand Concourse at 187th Street. Registration to speak will remain open until 9 p.m. on the date of the hearing and all oral testimonies are limited to 3 minutes. To register in advance or for more information, go to www.mta.info or contact Douglass Sussman, Director of Community Affairs at (212) 878-7483.

Free Workshops on Marketing Your Business
Learn how to promote your small business and gain more customers by attending the free “Marketing for Smarties Challenge, 14 Steps to Sustained Growth” workshops, held by the NYC Small Business Development Center. Workshops will be held Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 25, March 11 and 25, and April 8, at CUNY on the Concourse, 2501 Grand Concourse, 3rd floor. To register, call (718) 960-8806 or visit clarence.stanley@lehman.cuny.edu.

MetroCard Vans Coming
MTA MetroCard buses and vans will make the following stops on Feb. 26: Van Cortlandt Village, 3880 Sedgwick Ave. from 9:30 to 11 a.m.; Fordham Plaza at the intersection of Fordham Road, and Third and Webster avenues, from 2:30 to 4 p.m.; and Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse from noon to 2 p.m. Seniors and the disabled can apply for the Reduced Fare MetroCard and all qualified applicants will receive their cards in the mail. You can also purchase or add value to your MetroCard. For more information or to find other locations, call (212) METROCARD or visit www.mta.info.

Free Classes at BCC
Bronx Community College’s Displaced Homemaker Program is offering a free Beginner’s Computer Class in Microsoft Office along with Job Readiness Workshops and Job Placement Assistance to all those eligible. Classes will be held Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., March 1 to 25 at BCC, 2155 University Ave. Students must be fluent in English and provide photo ID, proof of citizenship, social security card, and proof of income. Registration is required. For more information or to set up an appointment, call (718) 289-5828.

Youth Leadership Club
The 4-H Club youth organization, whose goal is to develop citizenship and leadership skills for ages 9 to 19, will hold meetings the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m., from March 1 through June 7 at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society of Ethical Culture’s Meeting House, 4450 Fieldston Rd. For more information, call (718) 548-4445.

Become a Better Parent
Continuing and Professional Studies at Bronx Community College, located at 2155 University Ave., at West 181st Street, is offering parenting courses that can help you become a more effective parent and decrease parenting stress. Courses will be offered Mondays from 7 to 10 p.m., March 15 through June 14. For more information, call (718) 289-5170 or visit www.bcc.cuny.edu/cps.

Free Tax Prep at UNHP
University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP) and Ariva will offer FREE income tax preparation services to low and moderate income residents at the Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave. Returns are e-filed, which means clients who opt for direct deposit will receive returns in as little as 10 days, without having to pay unnecessary Rapid Anticipation Loans (RAL), Pay Stub Loans, and/or costly tax preparation fees. Service is available for individuals and families whose gross income in 2009 was $56,000 or less on: Wednesdays, March 3 and 24, and April 7 (from 1 to 7 p.m.) and Saturdays, Feb. 27, March 27, and April 10 (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Appointments are required. Call UNHP at (718) 933-2539 to schedule an appointment or for more information.

Family Resource Day
The New York City Child Care Resource & Referral Consortium invites all families to come out to a free Family Resource Day in the Bronx on April 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bronx Library Center, Pre-Function Lobby, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. Parents can obtain information on summer camps and programs, childcare, enrichment programs and other community resources. For more information, call (888) 469-5999.

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.

Kindergarten Registration
PS/MS 20, located at 3050 Webster Avenue, is accepting Kindergarten registration applications for the 2010-2011 school year. Children must be five years old on or before Dec. 31, 2010. Documents required: birth certificate; record of immunizations; two forms of proof of residence. For more information, call Rosemarie Ryan (718) 515-9370, ext. 1153.

Flea Market Needs Donations
Donations are needed for the Bedford Mosholu Community Assn. Flea Market on March 6. Bring new and used items (except clothing) to the B.M.C.A. Office at 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy So. (Apt. B1-Lobby Floor) on the following dates: Wednesday, March 3 from 7 to 9 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 27 from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

Volunteers Needed at MS 80
MS 80 is calling on parents/guardians to volunteer as little as one hour per week. The school needs student mentors, math/reading tutors, cafeteria aides and part-time sports coaches. For more information, contact Mrs. Alejandro, Parent Coordinator, at (718) 405-6300, ext. 1131.

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.

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.

Paid Lifeguard Training Program
The Department of Parks and Recreation will be recruiting and training summer lifeguards for the city’s 54 outdoor pools and 14 miles of beaches. The paid training program consists of 40 hours of instruction in swimming and rescue techniques, First Aid and CPR, and includes a final swim test and written exam. First-year lifeguards will earn at least $13.57/hour, and work 48 hours a week. For more info, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/parks.

Quit Smoking Program
The Albert Einstein Cancer Center/Montefiore Medical Center will be hosting an 8-session Quit-Smoking program created by a licensed Health Psychologist. Groups are now forming at Montefiore’s North Division at 600 E. 233rd St. (between Bronx Boulevard and Carpenter Avenue). For more information or to register, call (718) 430-2697 or email besmartquitsmoking@gmail.com.

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. Registration takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Nov. 7. For more information, call Mrs. Alejandro, Parent Coordinator, at (718) 405-6300, ext. 1131.

Free GED Classes
Bronx Community College at 2155 University Ave. (at 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.

Children’s Baseball Sign-Up at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. is accepting baseball registration for ages 5 to 15 in divisions by age, and girls softball for ages 9 to 15. To register, stop by the Center with your child’s birth certificate weekdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., or Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information or to volunteer as a coach, call Chris Pinto (718) 882-4000, or visit www.mmcc.org.

Alcohol & Drug Use Council
The New York City Federation for Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services invites consumers to attend meetings to help shape the future of substance abuse services. MetroCards will be available to consumer program participants. Meetings are held at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center Conference Room 4, 234 E. 149th St. (between Park and Morris avenues) on March 17 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Free Classes for Immigrants at NAWC
The Bronx YMCA New Americans Welcome Center (NAWC) is a “safe haven” committed to serving the immigrant population to achieve literacy, cultural competence, and self-sufficiency. It is currently offering four free classes: English as a Second Language (ESL) Beginners; ESL Intermediate; Citizenship Preparation; and Computer Literacy and Job Readiness. Classes will be held at Ellis Preparatory Academy, 99 Terrace View Ave. For more information, contact Irma Salvatierra Bajar at ibajar@ymcanyc.org or call the Bronx YMCA at (917) 673-8688.

Theodore Roosevelt H.S. Reunion
Theodore Roosevelt H.S. is celebrating its 30 year class reunion, and will be honoring the classes of 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 on June 19. This event will take place at the Royal Regency Hotel at 165 Tuckahoe Rd., Yonkers, NY. Guests should call the hotel for discounted room rates. Tickets are on sale online at www.showclix.com/event/7922. For more information, call Diana Diffut at (917) 476-3458.

Networking and Career-Building Travel Experience in Turkey
The Atlantic Council of the United States, in partnership with the Istanbul Policy Center at Sabanci University, is seeking participants for a one-month exchange program in mid-2010. They are seeking Turkish and American young professionals, aged 22-30 who have started careers in the fields of public policy, business and journalism. All expenses for the program will be paid. For more information, and to be considered for the program, contact David Kirk at dkirk@acus.org.

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.

Participate in 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.

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 3 p.m. 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. Most class registrations are open until January 16, 2010.

Fall Into Fitness at MMCC
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. has begun its 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 through June of 2010 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.

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.

Healthy Women Needed for Two Research Studies
Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, 1695 Eastchester Road, are looking for healthy women between the ages of 18-40 to test a vaginal gel for 12 weeks that could help prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In addition, Doctors are looking for healthy women to test a vaginal gel for 14 days that could help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). In this research study, doctors want to learn about the cells that protect women from infection when using the gel. Participants will be compensated for time and travel in both studies. For information call Anna at: 718-430-3253.

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. 1131.

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 (718) 733-4260.

Programs for Teens, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
Mosholu Library, 285 E. 205th St., is offering various activities for children and teens. On Mondays at 4 p.m., teens can enjoy playing free Wii video games, and can meet on Wednesdays and 4 p.m. for “Teen Tech Time.” Toddler Storytime for children 1-3 years of age is held on the first Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. For children from 3 ½ – 5 years, Preschool Films is held on the second Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. 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.

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.

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
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.

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Out & About

February 25, 2010

By Judy Noy

Onstage

The Bronx Arts Ensemble presents BAE Gala Benefit, March 6 at 5 p.m. at the home of Bill and Paula Caplan, 761 W. 231st St. For more information, call (718) 601-7399.

The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents Ivo Tirado, Jr. & the Bronx Charanga, March 6 at 2:30 p.m.; and BombaBoricua, Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents the following performances: Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, featuring traditional music and dance from Mexico, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. (tickets are $25 to $35; $10/ages 12 and under); and “Coppelia” by the Moscow Festival Ballet, featuring dancers from Bolshoi and Kirov, March 14 at 4 p.m. (tickets are $25 to $35; $10/ages 12 and under). For more information, call (718) 960-8490/8833.

The Theatre Program at Lehman College, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents “The Bronx Vaudeville Company: Live at The Lovinger,” featuring a modern version of the old vaudeville shows of the 1920s and ‘30s, including music, song and dance, and comedic theatre, March 3 at 3:30 p.m., March 4 to 6 at 8 p.m. and March 7 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12/general admission; and $10/seniors/non Lehman students. For more information, call (718) 960-8025.

The Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Patience,” an operetta featuring full chorus, in the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Robbins Auditorium, Forchheimer Building, 1300 Morris Park Ave., March 7 at 2 p.m. Contributions are suggested. For more information, visit Einsteinorch.Tripod.com.

The Bronx Museum, located at 1040 Grand Concourse, hosts free First Fridays, to celebrate Women’s History Month. The public is invited to KALALU: A lyrical stew for wordsmiths of all walks, a program fully composed of words and sounds by and for women, March 5 from 6 to 10 p.m. in the South Wing Lower Lobby. For more information, call (718) 681-6000.

Events

Wave Hill, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, offers a family art project: Paper That Will Grow, to mix seeds with plant fibers and recycled paper to form handmade sheets and shapes that can sprout in the spring, Feb. 27 and 28, in the Kerlin Learning Center from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 549-3200 or visit www.wavehill.org.

The Bronx Historical Society presents a walking tour of the “Historic Croton Aqueduct” on Sunday, Feb. 28 at 9:30 a.m. The Croton Aqueduct is a marvel that helped 19th century NYC expand beyond the frontier, at the time mid-town Manhattan, and was the very first of its kind in the United States. Join tour leader Marcus Hickman on a trip along the Bronx portion of the historic Croton Aqueduct where remnants of the aqueduct are still visible today. Meet at Poe Cottage, located in Poe Park on East Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse.

The New York Botanical Garden is currently hosting Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures, an educational children’s program which takes place in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden where children learn the plant origins of these two sweet treats, as well as participating in hands-on activities and tastings. This program complements the upcoming Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower, scheduled to begin on Feb. 27. The flower show features plants of Old Havana and the Cuban countryside, and on weekends during the exhibition, there will be home gardening demonstrations and Q&A with experts. Both programs run through April 11. For more information and schedules, call (718) 817-8700 or visit www.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 until June 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 invites the public to Take a Walk Through History, a tour through different parts of the Bronx. On Feb. 28 at 9:30 a.m., meet at Poe Cottage on East Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse for a guide-led tour of the historic Croton Aqueduct. For more information, call (718) 8891-8900.

The Bronx Culture Trolley, a replica of a 20th-century trolley, transports visitors on the first Wednesday of every month (except January and September) to Bronx hot spots, ending at the Bruckner Bar & Grill with music, food, and drink. A reception is held at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse (at 149th St.) at 5 p.m., where rides originate, followed by three trolley departures at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. New attractions are added monthly; admission to most venues is free. Trolley ride is free. Riders can get on and off at any scheduled stop and spend as much time as they wish at any or all of the featured venues. The next trip is March. 3. For more information, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or log on to www.bronxarts.org.

Exhibits

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.

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.

The Lehman College Art Gallery, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents two free exhibits: State of the Dao: Chinese Contemporary Art – Dao is an ancient Chinese concept meaning ‘way,” “path,” or “natural working of the universe”; and Nature, Once Removed: Flora and Fauna in Contemporary Drawing, featuring work of 20 artists of animals, plants, and landscapes. Both exhibits run through May 4, and a reception will be held on March 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information and a schedule, call (718) 960-8731.

The Bronx Council on the Arts, located at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse (at 149th Street), hosts three exhibitions from March 3 through May 7: In the City: Memory, Places and Spaces, which includes works on migration and urban planning; Transmit-Transit: Hatuey Ramos-Fermin @ The Project Room, featuring traveling in the city and ethnic diversity; and Impractical Hats: Indie Crafts Reinvent Everyday Gear, featuring construction of hats in unorthodox ways. The March 3 opening reception will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. For more information, call (718) 931-9500.

Library Events

The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents the following programs for preschoolers and school-aged children: Mystery Masks Making, Feb. 25 at 4 p.m.; Toddler Story Time, Feb. 27 at 11 a.m.; Preschool Story Time, March 4 and 11 at 11 a.m.; Lion Book Making, March 4 at 4 p.m.; and films, March 3 and 10 at 4 p.m. Teens and young adults can enjoy Crafternoons, March 5 and 12 at 3:30 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, March 4 at 10:30 a.m.; Preschool Films, March 11 at 10:30 a.m.; and Yoga for Parents & Preschoolers, March 5 at 11 a.m.; all for children. Adults can attend Arts and Crafts: Knitting, Feb 25 at 3 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Arts & Crafts, March 2 at 4 p.m.; Making Music, March 12 at 11 a.m.; and films, March 9 at 4 p.m.; all for children. For teens and young adults, there is Crafternoons, March 4 and 11 at 4 p.m. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

NOTE: Items for consideration may be mailed to our office or sent to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org, and should be received by March 1 for the next publication date of March 11.

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Public and Community Meetings

February 25, 2010

By Norwood News

•    The State of the Borough Address will be held at Evander Childs High School auditorium, 800 E. Gun Hill Rd. at 11 a.m. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to sotb@bronxbp.nyc.gov..
•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at Fordham Methodist Church, 3543 Marion Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    For a list of Community Board 7 meetings, visit bronxcb7.info/calendar or call (718) 933-5650.

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Cabrera Opens Up Grant Application Process

February 25, 2010

By Alex Kratz

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who is in Israel this week on a junket with Speaker Christine Quinn, wants to open up the process by which nonprofit organizations receive discretionary grant allocations.

Each year, every Council member receives a certain amount of grant money that they dole out to local organizations.

For years, this was a secretive process. But, in the wake of several high-profile scandals involving these grants, including the recent indictment of Bronx Councilman Larry Seabrook, Cabrera is aiming to achieve full transparency in the grant application process.

To do this, he is encouraging nonprofit groups to call his office to receive an application. They are due on March 10.
Those interested can call Cabrera’s office, (347) 590-2874 or e-mail Greg Faulkner, Cabrera’s chief of staff, gfaulkner@council.nyc.gov.

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Bill Clinton Tells Bronx To ‘Face Future Together’

February 25, 2010

By David Greene

More than 1,000 invited guests jammed the Dreiser Loop Auditorium in Co-op City for Bronx/Queens Congressman Joseph Crowley’s 11th Annual Black History Month celebration, which this year featured keynote speaker former President Bill Clinton.

Less than a week after being briefly hospitalized, where stents were placed inside his arteries, Clinton would add, “People have been betting against America for over 200 years and so far everyone that’s bet against America, has lost money.”

Clinton recalled a conversation with an earthquake survivor digging through the rubble in Haiti, the man telling him, “I really have nothing else to do, my whole family was killed in the earthquake. I think the only way I can honor them is come out here and do this.’”

Offering more inspiration, Clinton concluded, “If a poor country like Rwanda, that has suffered more than we ever have, if they can do that (come back), then surely we can do this. We can understand that we must go forward together. We should support our leaders and be patient when they need more time.”

Before departing the crowd of well-wishers, Clinton added, “Face the facts, face the past, face the present and go into the future together.”

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Bill Clinton Tells Bronx To ‘Face Future Together’

February 25, 2010

By David Greene

Before departing the crowd of well-wishers, Clinton added, “Face the facts, face the past, face the present and go into the future together.”

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Carlos Gonzalez Steps Out Of Father’s Shadow

February 25, 2010

By Alex Kratz

It’s not easy being the son of a former politician who is best known for being indicted by federal prosecutors. But Carlos Gonzalez, the son of ex-State Senator Efrain Gonzalez, is determined to make his own name for himself in Bronx politics.

The younger Gonzalez recently created an exploratory campaign committee in order to start raising money for a possible run for public office, sparking speculation that he could challenge one of two longtime Bronx politicians.

Gonzalez, 41, lives in the Bronx’s 78th Assembly District, where Jose Rivera holds office, as well as the 33rd Senate District, which is represented by Pedro Espada, Jr. Both are up for re-election this fall.

In an interview on Monday night, Gonzalez repeatedly said he didn’t know if or against whom he would run, if he decides to run.

“I’m also in the 14th Councilmanic District,” he said.
Gonzalez did say that if he does decide to run, he wants to change the culture of politics.

“We need to think on and beyond and start thinking about having new leaders,” Gonzalez said. “People seem to be secondary when we think about politics.”

While not naming any names, Gonzalez did talk about the type of politicians he felt were in the way of progress. “There are elected officials who work really hard and those that try to ride this out and talk about what they’ve done over the last 20 years, Gonzalez said. We need to have a more critical strategy. I’m talking about the future of our lives.”

Gonzalez said there’s no “blueprint” for progress, especially for those struggling in the west Bronx, which he says is in far worse shape than the east Bronx. “This is about the struggling poor in our communities,” he said. “These families are on the brink of catastrophic collapse. On the brink of losing everything.”

For years, the younger Gonzalez has worked for the Democratic conference in the State Senate. Ironically, he began his career in the mid-1990s working for the man who unseated his father in 2008, Espada. “Not that many people know that,” he said.

Lately, Gonzalez said he’s been helping bring more transparency to Albany as the Senate’s director of media services. His office, he says, is working to bring what happens in Albany to the Bronx and everywhere else in the state by streaming video of Senate proceedings on the internet. “We have cameras everywhere now,” he said.

For now, Gonzalez said he’s not worried about being elected to office, he just wants to brings his ideas of progress and change to the forefront. “If it starts a conversation and starts bringing people together, then that’s what we need to do,” he said.

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Prioritizing Community Space at Armory

February 25, 2010

By None

I write in response to Don Bluestone’s op-ed (“What We Lost in Defeat of Armory Proposal”) in the Feb. 11 edition of the Norwood News.

Surely everyone realizes that defeating “The Shops at the Armory” is a bittersweet victory. Sweet in that our City Council voted as we the voters asked them to, as they did not when they voted on the filtration plant and the new Yankee Stadium; bitter, in that we are back to the drawing board in our 10-year effort to have the Armory appropriately developed.

The arguments about the living wage have been rehearsed many times. Suffice it to say that the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, and the other members of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance, felt that if $60 million in public benefits, and a landmark building, were being given to a developer, the least we could expect is that the jobs offered there would lift people out of poverty.

But the most important part, I think, of Don’s letter, is his sorrow that in defeating the Armory proposal, we lost the opportunity to have a 20,000-sq.-ft. Boys and Girls Club at the Armory. Let me say, there could be no bigger fan of Mosholu Montefiore’s youth programs than I. My daughter attended pre-school there, went to camp there last summer and will go again this year, and has just finished “winter break” week, going on trips with MMCC counselors. She thoroughly enjoys herself, and we know she is safe and happy, and learning new things. And the programs are either affordable or free. Our neighborhoods would benefit greatly if there were more MMCC-run youth programs, at the Armory or elsewhere.

But out of the 500,000-plus-square-feet available, the developers were offering 20,000 for such programs — we had asked for 60,000. And they weren’t offering it for free — they were asking $20 a square foot, and late in the process, they began to say that they would use the profits from the community space to subsidize wages in the stores — which might have increased the rent they were willing to charge a community program.

Having defeated “The Shops at the Armory,” KARA — an alliance that includes the Coalition, churches, unions — is now moving forward diligently to redevelop the Armory by setting up three committees. One committee will focus on having schools built on the 195th St. side of the Armory, one will urge passage of a living wage bill, and one will envision a new plan for development of the main Armory building. We especially welcome the participation of Don Bluestone and Mosholu Montefiore in figuring out how to use a significant part of the space for community programs, and we welcome all interested persons to participate.

To reach the coalition, call (718) 584-0515 ext. 316, or email ava@northwestbronx.org.

Margaret Groarke

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Shame on Parks Dept.

February 25, 2010

By None

The Parks Department and the Department of Environmental Protection have once again shown their disrespect and disregard for our community. Harris Field, a much loved and much used park with six ball fields has been closed to use due to a long-promised renovation and restoration. We have been patient. We have seen the cost go from the original $6.6 million to $8.7 million, but we have been silent and we have been patient. But we now learn that due to the discovery of lead contaminated soil, the cost will add an additional $5.2 million. We are losing our patience. Since the discovery of the toxic material, there have been no fences put up to prevent people from using the park on the weekend. There are no signs informing the public of the dangers of toxic material. Why not? Why is this information kept from our community? We are the ones who will bear both the financial costs and potential health costs. We have the right to know the total cost of renovation, the cost of cleanup, of dangerous material and the cost of replacing grass with synthetic turf. Shame on you for keeping this all a secret.

Sonia Lappin

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Bronx Science Mourns Legendary Coach

February 25, 2010

By Alex Gibbons

Recently, the Bronx High School of Science mourned the loss of its legendary boys basketball coach, Ralph Bacote, who passed away on Feb. 7.

Up until this season, Bacote had coached the Bronx Science boys for the past 31 years.

Aside from his tenure at Bronx Science, Bacote left behind a legacy of his playing days as a New York City basketball legend.

He tore up the court as a high schooler at DeWitt Clinton, played college ball at Northern Illinois, and attracted the interest of the Atlanta Hawks and European teams. His prominence as a shooter earned him the nickname “The Durango Kid.” As a freshman at Northern Illinois, Bacote averaged mind-boggling 40 points a game.

Sammell Brown, the current head coach at Bronx Science, said Bacote was the “ultimate factor” in Brown’s decision to coach at Bronx Science rather than Franklin D. Roosevelt High, a notable basketball school. Brown said he reached out to Bacote while he was still coaching at the Eagle Academy for Young Men. During the summer of 2009, the two formed a close friendship. “I wanted to learn what he was giving to the kids,” Brown said.

Bacote added a “sense of toughness” to the Bronx Science basketball program, Brown said. He often brought his players to Manhattan’s street ball Mecca, Rucker Park, his old stomping grounds and home to a legendary court that has seen the likes of Pee Wee Kirkland, Julius Erving, and Wilt Chamberlain.

‘’There’s the myth that smart kids can’t be good athletes,’’ Coach Bacote told the New York Times in 2000 during a particularly successful season. ‘’But we smashed the myth.’’

When his health began to wane toward the end of the summer, Bacote asked Brown to step up as the team’s head coach. He wanted to remain an active part of the team, and planned to return as head coach next season. When Bacote missed Bronx Science’s last regular season game against Alfred E. Smith, Brown thought little of it. He was unaware that his friend and mentor had slipped into a coma that he would not come out of.

Bronx Science will surely remember Coach Bacote this week as they enter the city playoffs seeded 33rd, just the type of odds Bacote would relish.

“He did so much for the Bronx,” Brown said. “He needs to be recognized.”

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Espada: Housing Bill Will Freeze Rents for Poor

February 25, 2010

By Jeanmarie Evelly

A new housing bill introduced by State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada, Jr., which proposes to freeze rent increases for close to 300,000 qualifying city households, has riled some housing advocates who say the bill is pro-landlord legislation in disguise.

Espada said his bill would provide relief to rent-stabilized households that make less than $45,000 a year and spend at least a third of their annual income on rent. But many housing advocates say the bill could actually work against tenants and is typical of Espada, who serves as Senate housing chairman but has earned a reputation for being cozy with landlords.

“It does not surprise us that Senator Espada is holding water for the landlords,” said Michael McKee, executive director of Housing Here and Now.

Espada proposes to compensate landlords for the rent freezes by providing them with tax exemptions, which he estimates will cost the city $77 million.

That money would come from property owners who could voluntarily refund tax breaks they’ve received through what’s known as a J-51, a subsidy for landlords who renovate their buildings. In exchange, the buildings must be rent-stabilized.

Housing advocates say that landlords who think they’ll make more money charging market rate will opt out of the J-51 program, and huge numbers of tenants—the ones who don’t qualify for Espada’s rent freeze—would see their rents go up.

“He’s going to freeze the rents of some people and strip all the protection of an entire class of other people,” said Mario Mazzoni of the Met Council on Housing. “Somebody whose rent depends on a J-51—they’re going to be out of an apartment.”

Last fall, in a case against Stuyvesant Town owners Tishman Speyer, a state judge declared it was illegal for landlords to hike rents while receiving these tax breaks.

McKee said Espada’s bill would let landlords like Tishman Speyer, who were illegally deregulating apartments while getting tax benefits, “off the hook” by simply letting them pay back their J-51’s.

Espada defended his bill at a press conference on the steps of City Hall on Feb. 17.

“This isn’t about taking money out of anybody’s pocket, except those rich landlords,” he told reporters.

Those landlords, though, don’t seem to have a problem with the bill, at least according to Frank Ricci of the Rent Stabilization Association, a trade group that represents property owners throughout the city.

“As long as it’s voluntary, we support it,” he said of the J-51 refunds, adding that the group has been happy so far with Espada’s role as Housing chairman, a sentiment that not everyone would agree with.

“After seeing what happened last summer, there is a high amount of skepticism,” said Gitanjali Dadlani, an organizer for the advocacy group Tenants and Neighbors.

What happened then was the infamous State Senate coup, led by Espada, which paralyzed the Senate for a month. The crisis started on June 8—just a day before the Housing Committee was set to review legislation that could have repealed vacancy decontrol, which lets landlords hike rent prices once tenants vacate a rent-stabilized apartment.

The coup, and its effect on this legislation, left a stale taste in the mouth of most housing advocates, some of whom even petitioned unsuccessfully to have Espada removed from his post as Housing committee chair.

“He’s been a disaster,” said McKee. “He bottled up every single pro-tenant bill.”

But to some, like Bronx senior Frances Thomas, Espada’s proposed rent freezes sound like a lifeline in a city that’s become largely unaffordable. Thomas stood on the steps of City Hall to lend her support to Espada at his press conference.

“They have to make the rent lower,” she said.

Thomas pays $951 a month for her apartment on the Grand Concourse, and her rent is scheduled to go up in April.

“I’ll have to pay it,” she said. “But it means I’ll have to eat less.”
Ed. Note: This article first appeared in the Tremont Tribune.

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Bronx Black History Exhibit Ends Sunday

February 25, 2010

By Norwood News

The Bronx County Historical Society’s exhibition at the Museum of Bronx History documenting the history and heritage of Bronxites of African descent, presented during February’s Black History Month, will end on Sunday, Feb. 28.

The museum is located in the historic landmark Valentine-Varian House, 3266 Bainbridge Ave. at East 208th Street. The museum is open Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. (Group tours are available during the week and on weekends by appointment.) Admission is $5 for the general public and $3 for children, seniors and students. For more information, call (718) 881-8900.

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Assessing the Bronx’s ‘Most Dangerous Road’

February 25, 2010

By Alex Gibbons

In 2006, Ellen McHugh, 66, was struck by a city bus while crossing the intersection at Bainbridge Avenue and Gun Hill Road. She died soon after. Six weeks before that, another senior, Kenneth Filacchione, was killed in a hit-and-run accident at the same intersection. A total of five pedestrians were killed on Gun Hill Road in 2006 and 2007.

Because of this cluster of deaths and a total of 57 serious accidents between 2006 and 2008, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) named Gun Hill the most dangerous street in the Bronx, with the intersection at Bainbridge Avenue being particularly perilous.

The Grand Concourse and Broadway (where two women were struck by a vehicle last Friday) were named the Bronx’s second and third most dangerous roads, respectively.

While acknowledging the inherent dangers associated with Gun Hill Road, some local observers contend the traffic safety issues are compounded by impatient drivers and pedestrians putting themselves and others in harm’s way.

The Gun Hill Road corridor snakes, east to west, through the north Bronx for 3.5 miles, ending just short of Mosholu Parkway.

Along this route are several schools, a Metro North stop, a hospital, a nursing home, and over 250 businesses.

Cars, trucks and buses jockey for position on the busy 4-lane road while hurried pedestrians cross during lulls in traffic, regardless of whether or not they see a “walk” sign.

Maribele Gonzales, a crossing guard with the 52nd Police Precinct who oversees the corner of Kings College Place and Gun Hill Road, observes the congestion every day. “There’s too much traffic, in the morning and in the afternoon,” says Gonzales.

Roberto Garcia, the senior director of community affairs at Montefiore Medical Center, acknowledged the hazardous nature of Gun Hill. Garcia said ensuring traffic runs safely and smoothly on Gun Hill Road is a priority for Montefiore, which has its main campus located on the busy street. He says the city is doing all it can to make the road safer.

“Montefiore has been working with the Department of Transportation (DOT) for many years,” said Garcia, “Commissioner [Constance] Moran has done everything she could do to help.”

A spokesperson for the DOT, Nicole Garcia, refrained from making any remarks concerning Gun Hill Road, but did mention recent efforts made by the DOT to make New York streets safer. “The DOT has undertaken the largest traffic-calming initiatives in the nation to target our most vulnerable pedestrian groups,” she said.

Crosswalk lights with countdown signals, repainted lines that make lanes more clear and the removal of certain parking meters to add clearance to certain intersections are examples of improvements made with traffic safety in mind, Roberto Garcia said.

According to him, drivers and pedestrians account for a large part of the safety issues on Gun Hill Road.

“The biggest issue I see is that people can be impatient,” he said. “That can mean putting yourself at risk.” He recalls seeing people cross Gun Hill Road with walkmen or ipod headphones on, oblivious to oncoming traffic. He’s seen drivers ignore ambulances and other emergency vehicles heading towards Montefiore and impatient drivers making U-turns.

Many can see the problems on Gun Hill Road, but some say they’re not affected, or see the traffic as a non issue. Jose Arpi, who runs a hot dog stand on the corner of Gun Hill Road and Bainbridge, seemed skeptical when told of the study’s results.

“There’s a lot of traffic, but it’s not that big of a deal,” Arpi said. “I’ve never seen any accidents.”

Frank Vasta, a Norwood resident, shared a similar reaction. “I can see how it could be a problem,” Vasta said, “but, personally, I’ve had no problems with traffic.”

Still, problems remain. Pedestrians can regularly be seen jaywalking, dodging cars and trucks, many of which drive too fast to begin with. When Gonzales sees pedestrians in violation of safety rules, she brandishes her trusty whistle to grab their attention. “A lot of people don’t listen to me,” Gonzales said, “so, that’s what the whistle’s for.”

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Costly Cleanup Stalls Harris Field Project

February 25, 2010

By Alex Kratz

Sonia Lappin looks out over Harris Field from her Bedford Park apartment building and sees a glorious past — a community space used by generations of local families for everything from ball games to picnics — and an uncertain future.

Lappin, a longtime local resident and activist who lives in Scott Tower just across the street from Harris, is not alone. She and others wonder how long the next generation will have to wait before the fields will be ready and safe for use after lead soil contamination was discovered at Harris in 2009.

The contamination was unearthed by construction workers doing a massive renovation of the heavily-used park sometime in 2009 and the repair is going to cost an additional $5.2 million of taxpayer funds, bringing the total cost of the project to $13.9 million. The original cost estimate for the renovation, which was being paid for by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and carried out by the Parks Department, was $6.6 million.

Unanswered questions surrounding the contamination and renovation efforts have infuriated local residents like Lappin.

“Everyone is really upset about the stalling and the cover-up,” Lappin said.

Since the Norwood News broke news of the contamination and how it was stalling the project back in October, the Parks Department has been cautiously tight-lipped about Harris Field, which lies between Lehman College and the Bronx High School of Science near the Jerome Park Reservoir.

It remains unclear when the contamination was discovered, what levels of contamination were found and when the fields will finally be ready for use.

[In October, the Norwood News filed a Freedom of Information Law request asking for all of this information. The Parks Department responded, saying they would need 60 business days to compile the information. It has now been more than 90 days and the Parks Department still has not responded.]

“[The Parks Department] doesn’t seem to be talkative about the future of the field,” said Barbara Stronczer, the head of Community Board 7’s parks committee.

After the contamination story broke, the agency twice sent representatives to the Board’s Parks Committee meetings at Stronczer’s request. They said they didn’t have anything to tell the committee about what was happening at Harris Field.

In January, a Parks Department representative finally told Stronczer’s committee that the agency was taking steps to “cap” the contaminated soil with a layer of synthetic containment lining (called “geo-textile”) and then a foot of fresh, contaminant-free topsoil.

Parks Department spokesperson Jesslyn Moser said in an e-mail, “We added into our plan removal of the contaminated soil and the addition of one foot of clean fill where needed.”

Stronczer said the Parks Department told her committee that work on the field would resume when the weather warmed up, probably sometime in March. They didn’t say when the fields would be ready for play, but said they wouldn’t be ready for this spring or summer.

Unfortunately, that’s when local little leagues count on the use of Harris Field.

Originally, in August of 2008, the Parks Department said construction would be completed by the spring of 2009, in time for little league play.

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s little league teams have used Harris for years, but last year, with construction still ongoing, they were forced to play elsewhere and down-size their league from 1,000 kids to around 500.

Geoffrey Croft of the nonprofit group New York City Park Advocates said the problems should have been taken care of long ago.

“Knowing the history of the site, the contaminates should have been known about before the job went out to bid,” Croft said. “It’s outrageous that the Parks Department continues to block the release of the contamination results and when they first found out about the hazardous materials. This is a basic public health and safety issue.”

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Out & About

February 11, 2010

By Judy Noy

Onstage

JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center at 3880 Sedgwick Ave. will host Fiesta Latina: Dinner and Performance by El Duo, on Feb. 11. Dinner, which includes Spanish-style chicken stew, begins at 5:15 p.m., and will be followed by entertainment featuring a variety of Latin music on guitar and bass at 6:15 p.m. Suggested contribution is $4. For more information, call (718) 549-4700.

The Bronx Arts Ensemble presents Baroque Chamber Music, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m., at Fordham University Church, McGinley Center on the school’s campus. For more information, call (718) 601-7399.

The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents Orlando Marin Quintet, Feb. 13; and Tony Terrell Caribbean Jazz Quartet, Feb. 20; both at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents the following performances: Disco Valentine, featuring a variety of performers, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $35 to $50); Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra, featuring Russian classical music, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. (tickets are $15 to $25; $10/ages 12 and under); and Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez, featuring traditional music and dance from Mexico, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. (tickets are $25 to $35; $10/ages 12 and under). For more information, call (718) 960-8490/8833.

Lehman College, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents classical music, performed by the Lehman Chamber Players, Feb. 17 at 12:30 p.m., free, in the Recital Hall, Music Building, 3rd floor. For more information, call (718) 960-8247.

Events

Lehman College, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents Women’s Studies Spring Lecture Series, “To Be Human: Nothing More, Nothing Less,” in Carman Hall, room 221. For more information, call (718) 960-1160.

Wave Hill, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, offers two family art projects: Hearts and Flowers, to make lacy flower-full Valentine cards, Feb. 13 and 14; and A Desert Under Glass, to paint and sketch the exotic desert dwellers that live in Wave Hill’s Cactus House, Feb. 20 and 21; 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 Friends of Van Cortlandt Park invites the public to: Great Backyard Bird Count in Van Cortlandt Park on Feb. 13. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them and meet at 10 a.m. at the VC Golf House; enter the park at Bailey Avenue and Van Cortlandt Park South. For more information, call (718) 601-1460; and Winter EcoCrafts Workshop on Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Amalgamated Housing Building 9 community room on Gale Place. This free program includes hot chocolate and cookies and creating crafts using natural and recycled materials. For more information, call (718) 601-1553.

The New York Botanical Garden presents Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures, an educational children’s program which complements the upcoming Orchid Show scheduled to begin on Feb. 27. The kiddy program runs from Feb. 6 through April 11 in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden where children learn the plant origins of these two sweet treats, as well as participating in hands-on activities and tastings. For more information and schedules, call (718) 817-8700 or visit www.nybg.org.

Exhibits

The Lehman College Art Gallery, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. E., presents State of the Dao: Chinese Contemporary Art through May 4. Dao is an ancient Chinese concept meaning ‘way,” “path,” or “natural working of the universe.” A reception will be held on March 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information, call (718) 960-8731.

Library Events

The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents the following programs for preschoolers and school-aged children: Preschool Story Time, Feb. 11, 18 and 25 at 11 a.m.; Heart Animal Making, Feb. 11 at 4 p.m.; Family Time, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m.; Year of the Tiger, hand puppet show on Feb. 13 at 2 p.m.; films, Feb. 17 and 24 at 4 p.m.; Tacky the Penguin and Other Frosty Tales, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m.; The Peanut Prince: George Washington Carver, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m.; and Mystery Masks Making, Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. Teens and young adults can enjoy Night Creatures, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

The Mosholu Library, at 285 E. 205th St., hosts Preschool Films, Feb. 11 at 10:30 a.m.; and Valentine Crafts, Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m.; both for children. Adults can attend Arts and Crafts: Knitting, Feb 11, 18 and 25 at 3 p.m. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

The Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Making Music, Feb. 12 at 11 a.m.; Toddler Story Time, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m.; and Tales With Nzinga, Feb. 23 at 4 p.m.; all for children. For more information, call (718) 549-5200.

NOTE: Items for consideration may be mailed to our office or sent to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org, and should be received by Feb. 15 for the next publication date of Feb. 25.

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Neighborhood Notes

February 11, 2010

By Norwood News

Peace Poets Workshop
The Mosholu Preservation Corporation is taking on a new arts initiative called the Peace Poets workshop. This free workshop is designed to teach the youth of our society how to think creatively and critically about our city, societies, homes, schools, streets, and most importantly, ourselves. Spoken word is a powerful tool that can be used to promote social awareness and civic engagement. This workshop will train young poets how to write and perform their poetry. Young artists will have the opportunity to perform their work and also have their work published in three different community Bronx newspapers.

We are accepting applications by fax or e-mail/mail. The deadline to submit materials is Feb. 22. First day of classes start March 1, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. All that is required is two poems, attached to a paper with the applicant’s name, school, age, contact information and a brief description of his/her background. Send materials to Christin Cato, 3400 Reservoir Oval East, Bronx, NY 10467, or intern2@mpcbronx.org, or fax them to (718) 324-2917. For more information, call (718) 324-4461.

Free Tax Prep at UNHP
University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP) and Ariva will offer FREE income tax preparation services to low and moderate income residents at the Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave. Returns are e-filed, which means clients who opt for direct deposit will receive returns in as little as 10 days, without having to pay unnecessary Rapid Anticipation Loans (RAL), Pay Stub Loans, and/or costly tax preparation fees. Service is available for individuals and families whose gross income in 2009 was $56,000 or less on: Wednesdays, Feb. 17, March 3 and 24, and April 7 (from 1 to 7 p.m.) and Saturdays, Feb. 27, March 27, and April 10 (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Appointments are required. Call UNHP at (718) 933-2539 to schedule an appointment or for more information.

College Fair
The Bronx Educational Opportunity Center College Office is hosting a college fair on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1666 Bathgate Ave. For more information, call (718) 530-7043.

St. Brendan’s Blood Drive
In conjunction with the Hudson Valley Blood Bank, St. Brendan’s Parish is holding its annual blood drive on Sunday, Feb. 14, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the School Cafeteria on E. 207th St. (near the corner of Hull Avenue). Photo ID is required. For more information, call (718) 547-6655.

Flea Market Needs Donations
Donations are needed for the Bedford Mosholu Community Assn. Flea Market on March 6. Bring new and used items (except clothing) to the B.M.C.A. Office at 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy So. (Apt. B1-Lobby Floor) on the following dates: Wednesdays, Feb. 17 and 24 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and March 3 from 7 to 9 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 27 from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

Free “Family Resource Days”
The New York City Child Care Resource & Referral Consortium will hold information sessions on summer camp, childcare and enrichment programs on five separate days and locations. The Bronx date will be April 24, 2010 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Bronx Public Library Center Pre-function Lobby, 310 East Kingsbridge Road. For locations and dates of the other boroughs, or for more information, please call (888) 469-5999.

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 baseball/softball clinic will take place on Feb. 28. A Driver’s Safety Program will be held from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information or a schedule, visit www.mmcc.org or call (718) 882-4000.

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DeWitt Clinton Opens Student Business Center

February 11, 2010

By Alex Gibbons

DeWitt Clinton High School in Bedford Park hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for its brand new business center last Thursday.

The new Cantor Business Center, located in a section of the school’s library, is named after late alumni Gerald B. Cantor, founder of notable financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald. His philanthropic group, the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, funded construction of the project.

Modeled after a real boardroom, the site features an interactive Smart Board, computers, scanners, a conference table and a collection of the library’s business books. Students who opt to take the school’s business electives can use the space—which includes private workrooms set off by glass windows—to collaborate on projects, practice mock interviews and give presentations.

“I was a business major in college, so I wish we had something like this when I was here,” said Alumni Association president Duane Burrell, a graduate from the class of 1982 whose two sons also attended the school.

Construction took a year to complete, with the school’s custodians volunteering their time to convert a former storage space into the new center.

“What we’re really trying to do with the center is take the classroom to the next step — the boardroom,” said teacher Vincent DiGaetano.

Clinton, which houses about 4,000 students, has smaller “learning communities” where students can take electives in specific topics like health careers and business enterprise.

The school’s business students have made a name for themselves by scoring wins in the city’s Virtual Enterprise program—where students hold virtual jobs and simulate all aspects of running a business—and for getting paid internships at big name companies like Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan.

“I appreciate the work of the alumni and virtual enterprise for starting such a beautiful program that empowers us, the future CEOs,” said Clinton senior Julian Addy at the center’s opening.

The school is known for its successful alumni. In addition to B. Gerald Cantor, other former attendees include Ralph Lauren, writer James Baldwin and actor Tracy Morgan.

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Monte Team Back From Haiti

February 11, 2010

By Amber Rodriguez

In the wake of a series of devastating earthquakes in Haiti, four clinicians from the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx took part in the rescue efforts.

The team was made up of nurse Rachael Jones; Dr. Dominique Jan, chief of pediatric surgery; Dr. Alexandra Bastien, an anesthesiologist; and Lynoid Wallerson, a trauma technician. Upon arriving at the Lambert Clinic in Pétionville, Haiti, the four joined with the non-profit organization, Surgeons of Hope.

The team left Kennedy Airport for the Dominican Republic and arrived in Pétionville by U.S. Army airlift on the Monday following the earthquake. Carrying their own supplies, they set up shop at the Lambert Clinic.

Designed specifically to stand the shock of an earthquake, it was one of the few hospitals left available to care for the masses of patients lining up for immediate treatment. Despite the crowds of sick and injured Haitians, Bastien said he was impressed by the organization of the medical care efforts.

“There were tents outside the clinic, used for post-operative patients,” Bastien said. “Scores of people were waiting to be seen. Remarkably, it was not pandemonium.”

Supplies were in abundance, Bastien said. When Montefiore’s team ran out of their own, they were quickly replaced by the supplies brought in by other countries’ medical teams making their way through.

Nurses were in short supply, however, and the doctors recruited family members to remain vigilant of the patients’ condition.

During the first week, the doctors treated the most urgent of cases. Jan remorsefully compared the operations to “war surgery,” and was well aware that their stay would encompass mainly temporary treatment until more help arrived.

Jan and Bastien expressed their amazement and optimism about the widespread aid that Haiti has received. “This is the first time I’ve seen so many countries from all around the world join to help a country,” Bastien said. “We met people from Japan, China, Israel, the USA, Europe, South America – the whole world came to help Haiti. I can’t imagine that the help will stop.”

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Bx. Science Hoopsters Win and Shed Stereotypes

February 11, 2010

By Alex Gibbons

Fans and visitors entering the Bronx High School of Science gymnasium are greeted with a huge placard featuring the faces of seven stoic looking men arranged underneath the text “Alumni Winners of the Nobel Prize.”

It is impressive, but probably not to opposing athletic teams coming in to face the “Bronx Science” Wolverines on the basketball court.

Bronx Science is indeed a campus of learned adolescents. The stereotype is that students there are not jocks. They might tell jokes about parabolas and physics equations. They’re probably used to hearing the term, “nerd.”

But to believe that brains would inhibit the Bronx Science basketball team’s ability to play would be a gross underestimation. These boys may spend their days with their heads buried in textbooks, but on the court they play ball like mad dogs.

Coach Sammel Brown says the team’s academic reputation attracts all types of jeers and trash talking from opposing fans.

“I’ve heard it all,” Brown says. “I provoke it…we hear the jeers, I tell [the team], ‘this is what they’re saying, so let’s make them feel destroyed.’” Brown invites the negativity. “We feed off it,” he says.

One of only a handful of New York City public high schools that requires an entrance exam from prospective students, Bronx Science has an inherent disadvantage when it comes to athletics. Without a large pool of students flowing into the school, athletic talent is harder to come by.

“It is a disadvantage,” Brown says, “but I think if you prepare the kids in the same way, they pick it up faster.”

This season, the team has picked it up especially fast. Their final regular-season record, 12-7, boasts more wins than the team has collected in the last two seasons combined.

Much of this improvement can be attributed to Brown, the team’s new coach. Brown, who spent three years coaching at the Eagle Academy for Young Men, came to Bronx Science in 2009. Brown brought with him a philosophy that the team, no matter how disadvantaged, could play with anybody.

Brown also brought new tactics. He scrapped the passive zone defense of years past and now employs relentless full-court pressure. The “press” is a staple of basketball strategy and favors smaller teams with less talent.

For example, in a game against Evander Childs on Jan. 22, Bronx Science’s pressure defense forced a tidal wave of turnovers, which led to easy fast break baskets. Bronx Science’s style looked like controlled chaotic fun compared to Evander Childs’ deliberate, structured offense.

Brown even had his team on the verge of a post season brith and having his Wolverines competing in the Federation State Championship tournament in Glens Falls.

A birth in the tournament seemed a long shot after a tough January loss to local rival DeWitt Clinton.

Brown says that loss forced the team to focus on their priorities.

“We sat there for an hour after the game talking about the season,” said Brown. “And there we decided we will be upstate at Glens Falls competing for the title.”

After the Clinton game, Bronx Science ripped off four straight wins, knocking off Evander Childs, Christopher Columbus, Walton, and Grace Dodge, in that order.

Their last opponent, however, Alfred E. Smith Tech, proved too formidable for Bronx Science, defeating the Wolverines, 79-57 on Feb. 5.

Though they failed to make the postseason, Bronx Science’s success has already shattered a placard’s worth of stereotypes.

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Youth Haven Back With Renewed Focus

February 11, 2010

By Hannah Dreier

Twice a week after school for the past few months, a group of preteens have gathered in a brightly-painted basement youth center beneath the gray streets of the Knox-Gates neighborhood to create multimedia “time capsules” about their lives.

The multimedia-focused program is managed by the Knox-Gates Neighborhood Association, which recently recovered responsibility for running the COVE youth center, after handing it off to the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC) just two years ago.

The program is thriving for now under its new (old) leadership, but its future remains uncertain.

The Knox-Gates Neighborhood Association founded the COVE youth center in 1988. But funding and management issues forced the association to ask MMCC, the largest community center in the area, to take over the program in 2007.

This past fall, MMCC asked the association to take the program back, although he MMCC will still provide financial management.

Historically, the COVE has been open five days a week for after-school free play, and has run separate programs for young children and teenagers, with each serving about 30 kids. Now, due to limited funding, the COVE will only be running a program for teens and preteens.

New COVE Director Wayne Hodge said they devoted resources to Knox-Gates adolescents instead of schoolchildren because “they are at that age where we’re losing them to the streets.”

The COVE program for 11- to 14-year-olds has been up and running two days a week now for several months, and a program for older teens which matches participants to stipended internships began with an orientation last week on Feb. 4.

The younger group is currently using video cameras and FinalCut Pro, the latest in editing software, to make multi-media “time capsules” that communicate something about themselves to the larger world.

Mahagony B, a COVE assistant, hopes the project will encourage kids to “look at the COVE as not just a place to relax and do homework, but also a place to express themselves creatively.”
She and Hodge plan to string these capsules together to create “a larger portrait of the community.”

That immediate community is inside the Knox-Gates triangle, a densely populated, low-income neighborhood bordered by bustling Jerome Avenue to the east and parkland to the north and south. Neighborhood cliques, like the M-MOB, and rival drug dealers in the area, are always recruiting new young people.

Two years ago, Michael Santiago, a 17-year-old former COVE participant who had become wrapped up in the neighborhood’s thriving drug trade, was shot in the back just across the street from the COVE entrance.

Matthew Searles, a preteen who has been coming to the COVE for five years, is grateful to the center for keeping him off the streets.

“It’s a nice place to hang out, and to keep myself from getting in trouble,” Matthew said. “Usually when I’m outside, I get into trouble. When I’m here, I don’t do those things.”

Co-founder Lyn Pyle said local youth have difficulty participating in nearby programs because of the rival cliques.

Hodge, who is trained as an artist, hopes that in being a safe haven, the program will teach them the value of creative work.

“We want them to learn skills, but also attach importance to that work,” he said.

While the COVE has managed over the years with a combination of city funding and private grants, its survival is uncertain.

Winston Johnson, the owner of the building where the program is located, provides the COVE with free space for the time being. Program funding, from Councilman Oliver Koppell and St. James Church, is only temporary.

One hope is that the program will benefit from a new partnership with CTM Dreams, which is connected to the celebrated Harlem TRUCE program. However, both Hodge and Pyle are uncertain about where funding for future programs will come from.

For now, Hodge is just working hard to engage the kids he currently has, saying, “We’ve done our best to cultivate a safe space.”

For more information on the COVE, call Wayne Hodge at (718)?405-1312.

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Coupon Survey Needed

February 11, 2010

By None

Since the Foodtown supermarket burned down, we have been forced to shop in other local stores. Could you please consider a story on how area managers deny residents the use of manufacturers’ coupons on sale items?

Foodtown was an exception and CVS even promotes the use of coupons in its sale flyers. Please consider sending a reporter out to C-Town, Fine Fare and Leroy Pharmacy to check out their coupon policies.

Margaret Gawley

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What We Lost in Defeat Of Armory Proposal

February 11, 2010

By None

By Don Bluestone

Now that the dust has settled and everyone is celebrating the wonderful victory over the evil developer who was about to be given such a wonderful resource that we had such great use of — The Kingsbridge Armory — I find myself asking, “What has been lost and what has been gained?”

We lost the renovation and rebirth of a gigantic, historic eyesore.

Yes, it was a monument that we could march in if the roof was not in danger of falling in. But we lost a building that has been off limits to the entire community for decades. We lost what could have been a wonderful shopping center filled with all types of stores including larger food and clothing stores that now everyone goes elsewhere for — Cross County, Co-Op City, downtown, etc. We lost the opportunity to have a youth center located in the Armory. My Center had been negotiating with the developer, the Related Companies, to build a 22,000-square-foot Boys & Girls Club in the space at no cost to the community.

Hundreds of part-time and full-time jobs in an economically depressed area have been lost. Yes, most would not be starting at $10, $11 and $12 an hour but neither do most other jobs in the neighborhood, or in Westchester, Co-op City or the Yankee Stadium area. I think residents should choose whether they want the jobs or not, and the fact that many community residents would have been able to walk to work would have been a great financial savings. Finally, the amount of taxes generated both by the businesses and sales would have helped our city’s economy and, in the long run, all of us who live here.

What has been gained? I think what we gained is that we saw that we have a borough president who is not afraid to stand up for what he thinks is right. That is a good thing. The next time, I hope he listens to all the voices, not just the ones who make the most noise.

Let’s hope people with good intentions don’t just sit back thinking they have won a great victory and that they move quickly so we don’t sit for another 20 years with a giant, empty, unused building on Kingsbridge Road.

Don Bluestone is the executive director of the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.

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Precinct Commander’s Task

February 11, 2010

By Editorial

In this issue, we profile the energetic new commander of the 52nd Precinct, John D’Adamo.

Deputy Inspector D’Adamo is getting off to a good start fighting crime and opening lines of communication with local residents (he has attended several meetings at Community Board 7). If he can take a big bite out of chronic criminal activity like the prostitution on Jerome Avenue and other major problems that have plagued the precinct for years, then he will be a local hero.

D’Adamo tracks crime by placing colored pushpins on a map in his office. This method indicates what kinds of crimes cluster where. He then deploys the appropriate teams to those areas.

It’s a critical tool. If the Police Department released this information to the public, it would be even more useful. The CompStat reports provided to the public only indicate the level of crime precinct-wide. It does not, like the map in D’Adamo’s office, tell you whether a spike in car thefts stems from a problem on your block or a mile away.

We have received stats for particular sectors in the 52nd Precinct, but only after filing repeated Freedom of Information Law requests with NYPD headquarters.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

Every New Yorker has the right to know how prevalent a particular crime is on their block, especially since the NYPD is already collecting this data. Arming residents with this info is like adding a no-cost crime-fighting tool on every block in the precinct.

A lot of crime is preventable, like making sure you have a Club on your steering wheel, or not walking alone in areas where there have been muggings.

We are going to continue to urge the Police Department to release the sector stats and even make them available on their Web site.

Since the corruption scandals of the 1970s, precinct commanders are required to rotate out of their commands every two and a half years or so. That’s not a lot of time to get to know a community and to act upon all you’ve learned.

That said, D’Adamo appears to have to hit the ground running, applying the knowledge he has gained throughout his career. We hope when he gets to the finish line in the 52nd Precinct (probably in 2012), he will have left a legacy of success in areas where his predecessors

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Norwood Murder Precinct’s First in Months

February 11, 2010

By Alex Kratz

A man identified as Victor Anderson, 26, of Brooklyn, was murdered early Saturday morning, Jan. 30, on Dekalb Avenue, just north of Gun Hill Road in the Norwood section of the Bronx.

Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo, the commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct, says that no suspects have been identified, but his investigators are actively pursuing the case and tracking down some promising leads.

He also said that despite the area’s reputation for drug activity, the murder “is possibly not narcotics related.”

It is the first murder in the precinct since D’Adamo took over command of the precinct on Oct. 27.

Police say they responded to reports of a man shot in front of 3535 DeKalb Ave. at 12:55 a.m. They found Anderson with a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to North Central Bronx Hospital just two blocks away, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Neighbors say police were knocking on doors at nearby apartment buildings until at least 2:30 a.m. and spent the next day pleading for witnesses to come forward.

For years, the stretch of DeKalb Avenue, north of Gun Hill Road, has been a hotbed for the drug trade. Two years ago, federal authorities took down an extensive network of drug traffickers and associated gang members several blocks north of

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Five-Two Cops Suspended for Beating Suspect

February 11, 2010

By David Greene

Two cops from the 52nd Precinct have been suspended without pay after a video surfaced of them pounding and kicking a handcuffed suspect after a failed drug bust near the corner of Davidson Avenue and Fordham Road in early January.

After the video was made public by the suspect’s defense attorney on Jan. 20, the two officers, identified as William Green and John Cicero, were almost immediately suspended.

NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and 52nd Precinct Commander John D’Adamo both denounced police officers’ actions and said the Internal Affairs bureau was investigating the incident.

“We simply are never going to tolerate something like that,” Kelly told reporters during a press conference. “We’re going to take swift and firm action when we see activities of that nature.”

At a precinct council meeting a week later, D’Adamo addressed the situation with local residents and struck a similar tone. “It was an unfortunate incident,” he said, “but this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

The incident unfolded at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday. Detectives on a drug raid chased at least one suspect into the courtyard at 2473 Davidson Ave.

According to the NYPD, three plainclothes detectives chased the suspect into the courtyard where they encountered several other men. Someone released a pit bull and one of the detectives fired one shot that hit the pit bull in his paw. Bullet fragments injured two of the detectives. Both were treated for their wounds and released.

The video, shot by a resident from a nearby apartment building, was made public by lawyer Jeff Emdin, whose firm is representing six of the eight men arrested that night. Emdin gave the video to prosecutors who handed it over to Internal Affairs.

According to Emdin, charges against one suspect were dropped at arraignment, charges against a second individual were dropped when a grand jury refused to indict, and two other cases are pending. The others were issued double parking summonses after being held in police custody for more than five hours.

The video, which clearly shows a uniformed officer beating a handcuffed suspect while he is lying face down on the sidewalk, also shows two sergeants who were in view of the beating, but did nothing. The two sergeants were stripped of their guns and badges and placed on modified desk duty pending the outcome of the investigations.

“I get these [police brutality] cases all the time,” Emdin said, “but it’s not newsworthy unless there is a video.”

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New Boss Brings New Approach to the Five-Two

February 11, 2010

By Alex Kratz

With the black netting shroud now removed after months of brick pointing work, the exterior of the 52nd Precinct headquarters on Webster Avenue looks relatively fresh and vibrant. The commander’s office, inside the landmarked building, with its new couches and a giant flat-screen TV, also looks refurbished.

“It’s a new look, a new era,” says Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo, the office’s new occupant and the precinct’s new commanding officer.

Along with the headquarters’ new look, D’Adamo is implementing his own approach to leadership and fighting crime. It may not be exactly “new,” but so far it has proved effective and has earned D’Adamo rave reviews.

“He’s very impressive,” said Steve Bussell, a Bedford Park resident and longtime member of the 52nd Precinct Community Council.

“I think he’s done a great job so far,” said Fernando Tirado, the district manager of Community Board 7, which is contiguous with the 52nd Precinct.

On Oct. 27, D’Adamo, 39, assumed command of the precinct, replacing James Alles, who retired from the Police Department to spend more time with his family. On his way out, Alles said he recommended D’Adamo to be his successor.

Most recently, D’Adamo was commanding officer of the 50th Precinct, which includes Riverdale and Kingsbridge Heights and is about half the size (in terms of manpower) of the Five-Two. His ascension to the rank of deputy inspector in August was just the latest promotion for a career cop who may as well have been born with a badge.

“I followed in my father’s footsteps,” D’Adamo says.

Upon entering the force in 1990 at 20, D’Adamo became a housing cop, just like his dad who retired from the NYPD in 1995.

After five years working city housing complexes, D’Adamo became a detective with the Bronx narcotics unit where he stayed for about two and a half years.

He moved back to housing after becoming a sergeant. In 2000, he became a lieutenant and did his first stint at the 50th Precinct, a job that would only last four months. From there, he joined a mobile anti-crime unit that attacked troubled housing complexes throughout the city. He then rose to captain and became the executive officer in the 43rd Precinct, where he stayed for 32 months before moving to taking over command of the 50th.

D’Adamo, who lives in Rockland County with his wife and daughter, says his latest promotion is exactly where he wants to be.

“Being [commanding officer] is the best job in the Police Department for me,” says D’Adamo, one of 76 COs in the NYPD. “You really get to see how good the cops are in the NYPD.”

Since arriving in the Five-Two, D’Adamo has made it a point to know all the cops under his command by name and to let them know his door is always open. “Cops know they can come and talk to me at any time,” he says.

One of his top cops, Lieutenant Ray Herasme, D’Adamo’s director of special operations, is on board with his boss’s leadership style.

“He brings lots of energy, a very positive vibe, and he passes it on to us,” Herasme says.

He has also made it a point to channel that energy when attacking problem areas in the precinct.

In his office on a recent afternoon, D’Adamo pointed to the wall facing his desk where a series of precinct maps are mounted. Each map is dotted with push pins – the “famous D’Adamo pins,” he says — of various colors, each color representing a different crime and each pin a separate incident. When like-colored pins begin to cluster, D’Adamo sends in the troops.

For instance, in December, a series of burglaries began cropping up in the Norwood area, near Williamsbridge Oval Park. D’Adamo increased patrols in the area, searching buildings for vagrants and drug dealers, making arrests and handing out summonses for various offenses. In January, there were decidedly fewer burglary pins in that area on D’Adamo’s map.

That “strategic strike” was based on statistical analysis, but D’Adamo also says he wants to address problems the community brings to his attention.

On Davidson Avenue, south of Kingsbridge Road and just east of St. James Park, residents have complained about prostitution for years. In the past few months, they said the problem had exploded.

D’Adamo implemented a strategy called “Operation Losing Proposition,” which aims to stamp out the sex trade by having officers observe prostitutes and johns and then arresting them when they arrange transactions. D’Adamo says his teams were making 10 arrests a night. “Has the problem gone away completely? No, but we’re addressing it and making an impact there,” D’Adamo says.

The prostitution crackdown shows that the new commander is using community input to fight crime, says Tirado. “He listens,” Tirado says.

“The community is a wonderful partner,” D’Adamo says. “Who knows better what’s going in their neighborhoods than the people who live there?”

So far, so good. Compared to this time last year, crime is down nearly 20 percent for the seven major categories and arrests are up 46 percent — from 501 at this time last year, to 733 this year.

Lately, however, D’Adamo’s leadership has been tested.
In mid-January, two of his cops were shown on video beating a suspect in handcuffs (see sidebar). Two weekends ago, a man was shot to death in Norwood (see sidebar), the first murder under D’Adamo’s watch in the Five-Two.

These will not be the last challenges D’Adamo faces, but Herasme for one believes his boss will persevere. “He’s always coming up with new ideas,” he said.

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Activist Emerges as Espada Challenger

February 11, 2010

By Alex Kratz

Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, a Bronx activist who became the face of last year’s strong community push for living wage jobs at the Kingsbridge Armory, is exploring the possibility of making a run at the state Senate seat occupied by Pedro Espada, Jr.

In the past two weeks, in preparation for a possible run, Pilgrim-Hunter has begun assembling a team of advisors and has quietly reached out to potential donors and supporters.

“The next few weeks will basically be a stress test to see what kind of support is out there for me,” Pilgrim-Hunter, 53, said in an interview over the weekend. “But I am taking steps to prepare myself should I decide to run. Because one thing is for certain: if I get in, I’m getting in to win. And it’s as simple as that.”

So far, Pilgrim-Hunter said she has received positive feedback, including this accolade from the head of the retail workers union.

“Desiree is someone I know well from the Kingsbridge Armory campaign, where for years she fought for community benefits including living wages and workers’ rights,” said RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum in a statement provided through a Pilgrim-Hunter advisor. “She has proven herself to be a strong and effective advocate for the community. The RWDSU is proud to have worked with her.”

Pilgrim-Hunter was reluctant to offer specific criticism of Espada, who became Senate majority leader last summer after siding with Republicans in an ugly power struggle that highlighted the state legislature’s dysfunctional political culture. (Espada was rewarded with the title of majority leader in exchange for returning to the Democrats.)

But she did not have a problem attacking Albany’s sinking reputation.

“No one is happy with what’s gone on in Albany over the past year or so. People are angry and distrustful of the process,” Pilgrim-Hunter said. “But my message would be, in spite of these feelings, we cannot simply just look away. Because if we don’t pay attention to politics, we get the candidates we deserve.”

In 2008, Espada defeated incumbent Efrain Gonzalez who was, at the time, awaiting trial on federal corruption charges. Espada soundly defeated Gonzalez, but garnered less than 5,000 votes.

In a statement released after Pilgrim-Hunter announced her intentions to explore a possible run for the seat he holds, Espada said his focus was on “the residents of my district through these difficult economic times.”

He added that, as chairman of the housing committee, he was pressing forward with legislation that would freeze rents for 300,000 households and had distributed some $2.5 million in grants to local organizations, “whose services and programs have become a vital lifeline to residents during these difficult times.”

This would be Pilgrim-Hunter’s first foray into politics. She does, however, have some experience running for office.

Three years ago, Pilgrim-Hunter led a successful campaign to replace the executive board at Fordham Hill, a large co-op development near Fordham Road, which counts among its 4,000 residents Assemblyman Jose Rivera and former City Councilman Israel Ruiz, Jr. In the process, Pilgrim-Hunter was elected board president and has helped stabilize the co-op’s shaky finances.

For the past five years, as a vocal leader for the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, the area’s oldest and largest grassroots organizing group, Pilgrim-Hunter has fought to alleviate school overcrowding, taken on Wall Street for its role in the foreclosure crisis and played a crucial role in fighting for responsible development at the Kingsbridge Armory. The Village Voice recognized her in November as one of the city’s “unsung heroes” and she has been honored by Congressman Jose Serrano for her community work.

Her nascent effort has already attracted support from different parts of the district, which stretches from Kingsbridge to Mount Hope.

Concerned that no one had yet surfaced to run against Espada, Kingsbridge Heights resident Jack Marth invited friends and neighbors, including allies of Pilgrim-Hunter’s, to his house last month to discuss the race. Marth, an attorney who directs the legal clinic at Part of the Solution (POTS) in Bedford Park, and even considered running himself lest Espada run unopposed, believes Pilgrim-Hunter will attract broad support.

“A lot of people who haven’t been involved in political campaigns are very interested in this campaign and want to put a lot of time and effort into it,” he said, adding that tenants’ rights advocates like himself who are disappointed in Espada’s record as chair of the Senate’s Housing Committee will be drawn to the effort.

Yorman Nunez, who mounted a volunteer-fueled campaign for City Council in the 14th District last year before pulling out over the summer, is on board as an adviser for Pilgrim-Hunter. He says his campaign’s experience will now be put to good use. “My race was about getting the people of the community trained and ready to elect people from the community,” he said.

Even for the diverse, immigrant-heavy Bronx, Pilgrim-Hunter’s background is unusual. Born to Guyanese parents in London, she immigrated to New York City from Lagos, Nigeria in 1962. For the past 25 years, she has lived in the Bronx, where she has raised her two daughters and continues to live with her husband. She recently became an American citizen.

After witnessing the overcrowding in her daughter’s high school, John F. Kennedy in Riverdale, Pilgrim-Hunter, who has worked in cosmetics and fashion retail and as a welfare-to-work counselor, decided to join the Coalition and demand more space and smaller classes at public schools.

This past year, Pilgrim-Hunter became the public face of the Coalition’s and Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance’s (KARA) effort to guarantee living wage jobs at a revamped Kingsbridge Armory, which the city was planning on turning into a shopping mall.

After it became clear the city and the developer would not guarantee living wage jobs, Pilgrim-Hunter and KARA successfully lobbied to have the project scrapped. In December, the City Council killed the proposal in a rare and overwhelming defeat of a Bloomberg-backed development project.

Pilgrim-Hunter said the rejection of the Armory plan sent a message to the mayor and developers. “Development should be about creating a partnership with the community,” she said. “[The mall plan] was not a true partnership.”

If she runs, Pilgrim-Hunter said she will make the community a partner in the political process as well.

“For me, politics is about making sure the community’s voice is part of every conversation or policy decision in Albany,” Pilgrim-Hunter said. “It’s about being faithful to the best interests of this community, and putting the people first. If I get into this race, the people of this district will know that my loyalty to them is not for sale at any price.”

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