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Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Green Cart Open House

WHEDco is hosting an open house for NYC Green Cart permit holders to discuss all kinds of Green Cart-related issues on Thursday, Sept. 30, from 4 to 6 p.m. at 1330 Intervale Ave., between Freeman and Jennings streets. This for existing NYC Green Cart permit holders only. Bring copies of your NYC Green Cart documents. RSVP to WHEDco at 718-839-1183.

Green Cart Application Help

WHEDco is hosting workshop to help entrepeneurs apply for permits to become a NYC Green Cart vendor on Oct. 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. at 1330 Intervale Ave., between Freeman and Jennings streets. (NOTE: it’s NOT from 5 to 7 p.m. as it says on some criculating advertisements.) Bring copies of your mobile vendors food license and individual tax identification number. RSVP to WHEDco at 718-839-1183.

COVE Pre-Teen Program
The COVE Pre-Teen program, located at 3418 Gates Pl. (lower level), is offering a 32-week after school program starting Sept. 28 for ages 11 to 13 which includes homework help, arts & crafts, photography, monthly trips, and a Young Men’s or Young Women’s group. Orientation is on Tuesday, Sept. 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 405-1312.

COVE Teen Program
The COVE Teen Program, located at 3418 Gates Pl., (lower level) is offering 20 weeks of a free Job Readiness and Skills Building Program for 14- to 18-year-olds, starting Oct. 4.  Modest bi-weekly stipends will be given to 15 teens with a verifiable Knox-Gates neighborhood address. Prepare for a job in the real world, get homework help, enhance your ability to ace a job interview, develop video production, photography and computer skills, and join the Young Men’s or Young Women’s group weekly. Teens from other neighborhoods are invited to apply and participate. Orientation is on Monday, Sept. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Interviews (by appointment) are on Sept. 29 and Oct. 1. For more information, call (718) 405-1312.

Flea Market Fund-raisers
The public is invited to attend flea markets which will take place as annual fund-raisers, and vendors are invited to register: On Oct. 16 at the Church of the Holy Nativity, 3061 Bainbridge Ave. at 204th Street, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (table fee is $30; call (718) 409-6912), and on Oct. 23 at the Bedford Park Congregational Church, corner of Bainbridge Avenue and 201st Street, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (includes refreshments and a raffle; call (718) 367-8996).

Peace in Our Streets Initiative
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and the Bronx Clergy Task Force is convening a borough-wide community outreach initiative designed to promote peace on Bronx streets, Saturday, Sept. 25, starting at noon at Greater Faith Temple, 4214 White Plains Rd. Bronxites from all houses of worship are invited. Please wear light blue to signify peace.

Foster Parents Needed
Hundreds of foster children in the area need loving and caring families to make a difference in their lives, and the Foster Care Network is reaching out to potential foster parents in the Bronx. Foster parents receive tax-free financial assistance for the expenses of each child, free training, and foster parent certification. For more information, call NY outreach coordinator Scott Burgher at (800) 454-3727, ext. 105 or visit www.fostercarenetwork.org.

Free ESL Classes
PS 94, at 3530 Kings College Place, is offering free ESL classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 5:10 to 8:30 p.m. Interested parents can sign up in room 256 or call parent coordinator, Miriam Seminario, at (347) 563-4772.

North Bronx Economic Development Summit
This free event will be held on Sept. 29 in Lehman College’s Music Building, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., and will include seminars on “How to apply for government grants,” “Dealing with the IRS,” and “Meet the lenders, access to capital and loans process.” The event begins with an 8 a.m. breakfast sign-in in the East Dining Room Lobby, and will end at 11 a.m. after a Q&A session. Seating is limited. For more information or to register, call (718) 960-8806, or e-mail clarence.stanley@lehman.cuny.edu.

Small Business Services
The Bronx Small Business Development Center, operated by Lehman College, is ready to assist you in obtaining financing. The Center also offers free workshops and small business consulting services to start or expand your business. For more information, call (718) 960-8806.

Social Security Help
Representatives of the Social Security Administration will be at Congressman Eliot Engel’s Bronx office, 3655 Johnson Ave., on Sept. 22, to help people with questions concerning Social Security. Services are available through appointment only by calling (718) 796-9700.

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.
Shape-Up NYC
The Department of Parks & Recreation, in partnership with Equinox Fitness Clubs, is offering classes aimed at getting New Yorkers into a new habit of fitness. Classes will include yoga, pilates, zumba and intensati. All classes are ongoing, open to the public, and free of charge at St. James Recreation Center, 2530 Jerome Ave. For more information, visit nyc.gov/befitnyc.

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.

Volunteers Sought for Brain/Aging Study
The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University seeks volunteers ages 18 to 25 and 58 to 70 to participate in a study on aging and brain activity. The study will examine the link between age, brain activity and day-to-day functioning. It will include two visits, one for a 3-hour screening and the second a reading of brainwaves while participants complete a series of tasks, which will last from 4 to 6 hours. Participants will be paid $12/hr. For more information or to participate, call (718) 862-1828.

Support Group for the Heart
Montefiore Medical Center is organizing the first support groups for patients with heart assisting devices in the New York metropolitan area. For more information, call (718) 920-8279.

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.

Community Resource Fair
The Bronxwood Home for the Aged is presenting an opportunity for residents and the community to connect by accommodate speakers, booths, have various “give-aways” of information, contests, workshops and forums. The program is on Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 799 E. Gun Hill Rd. and Barnes Avenue. For more information, call (718) 881-9100.

MMCC Youth Centers
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center continues to keep open their free Beacon Youth Centers throughout the Bronx for teens in 7th to 12th grades, Monday through Friday nights and Saturdays. Beacon offers sports, clubs, classes in the arts, drama, dance, help with schoolwork, groups, and much more.
 For Mosholu Beacon at PS 8 in Bedford Park on Briggs Avenue near Mosholu Parkway, call Director Andre Clark at (718) 329-0595.
For Reservoir Beacon at PS 86 by the Kingsbridge Armory, 2756 Reservoir Ave., call Director Bernie Hernandez at (718) 563-7410.
For Willamsbridge Beacon at MS 113 at 3710 Barnes Ave., call Director Jackie Valez-Gutierrez at (718) 654-5881.
For Seton Falls Beacon at MS 142 at 3750 Baychester Ave., call Director Damont Singletary at (718) 798-6670.

Free Cancer Programs
Albert Einstein Cancer Center is offering two free research programs for cancer patients to help cope with the stress and concerns of the disease. The “Yoga Based Cancer Rehabilitation Program” includes 12 weeks of yoga classes as research to see if yoga can help people with breast, lung and colorectal cancer. There is also the “Stress Management for the Mind, Body & Spirit Program,” which is for eight weeks and offers group discussions on how to cope with stress and other physical and emotional difficulties along with helping patients become more in touch with their spiritual side while dealing with cancer. For more information or to find out if you are eligible to participate, call (718) 430-2380. In addition, free workshops are offered to cancer patients and loved ones by the Bronx Oncology Living Daily Program, featuring fitness and nutrition. For more information, call (718) 430-3613.

Autism Study Recruitment
The Children’s Research Unit at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is recruiting participants for a study that examines whether multisensory integration is impaired in people with autism. The researchers are currently recruiting both children and adults who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Compensation of $12.00 per hour is provided. For more information, call (718) 862-1821.

Food Drive
The Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, located at 4450 Fieldston Rd., is having an ongoing food drive, seeking canned food, that will benefit the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Marble Hill Food and Hunger Project, Inc. Perishable or expired foods will not be accepted. For more information, call (718) 548-4445.

Service Changes on 2 and 5 Trains
Beginning Saturday, March 27 and for the next 18 months through August 2011, there will be no weekday rush hour 5-train express service in either direction between East 180th Street and 3rd Avenue/149th Street. During this time, 5-trains will make all 2-train local stops. The service change is necessary in order to support two projects on the 2 and 5 lines, including new signal equipment and various station improvements. These service changes are anticipated to add five minutes to riders’ trips. For travel information, call (718) 330-1234.

Juvenile Fire Setters Intervention Program
Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano wants to remind parents concerned about their child’s inappropriate interest in fire that the free Juvenile Fire Setters Intervention Program is available to help them. For more information, call 311.

Crime Prevention Alert
Due to the high rise on the theft of removable automobile GPSs, the NYPD offers some crime prevention tips: Park in highly visible areas, detach GPS and mounting bracket from windshield, eliminate all evidence that a GPS is in the car including suction cup marks and wires. Do not leave any other electronics or any property visible in the vehicle.  Keep your vehicle’s console and interior free of clutter. For more tips, visit the crime prevention website at www.nyc,gov/html/nypd.

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., through June 7 at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society of Ethical Culture’s Meeting House, 4450 Fieldston Rd. For more information, call (718) 548-4445.

Help With College Applications
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s FREE College Bound Program, located at 3512 Dekalb Ave., is offering assistance to high school students who need help with the entire college application process. Students will receive professional, individual counseling and supportive services. For more information or to set up an appointment, call (718) 652- 0282.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 to receive 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.

Summer Reading 2010
The New York Public Library will be launching this year’s Summer Reading Program on Thursday, June 10, 2010.The Library will present a free outdoor kick-off celebration including games, appearances by special guests, and more on the morning of June 10, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.

Autism Study Recruitment Announcement
 The Children’s Research units at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University are currently recruiting participants for a study that examines whether multisensory integration is impaired in people with autism. The researchers are currently recruiting both children and adults who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Compensation of $12.00 per hour is provided. Please call (718) 862-1821 if interested or to find out more about the study.

Open-House
an open house to obtain guidance for the Lehman College Continuing Education “More than a camp-Kidz at Lehman” July and August programs will be held on Thursday May 20, 2010 at 6:30 pm in Carman Hall, Room 129. For more information or a catalog of all adult and children classes, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu/ce.

Shape-Up NYC
The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation in partnership with Equinox Fitness Clubs are offering classes aimed at getting New Yorkers into a new habit of fitness. Classes will include yoga, pilates, zumba and intensati, all classes are open to the public and free of charge.  Classes begin May 17 at St. James Recreation Center, 2530 Jerome Ave, or visit nyc.gov/befitnyc.

Summer Youth Employment Program
SYEP provides New York City youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with summer employment and educational opportunities. The program is designed to emphasize real-world expectations, increase awareness of services offered by community-based organizations and provide opportunities for career instruction, financial literacy, academic improvement and social growth.  Apply now at application.nycsyep.com.

Summer EcoCrafts
Join Friends of Van Cortlandt Park at Van Cortlandt Park South and Gouverneur Ave., to create picture frames, puppets, masks and more natural and recycled crafts using everyday items in exciting ways.
Tuesdays, July 6 through August 24, from 11am to 2 pm.
For more information visit www.vancortladt.org or call (718) 601-1553

Garden & Compost Crew
Join Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, Thursdays July 8 through August 26 from 10 am to 1 pm, to donate to Part of the Solution, help pull weeds, turn sift compost bins, and tend to plants. Group meets near Broadway and Mosholu Avenue.
For more information visit www.vancortladt.org or call (718) 601-1553

Electronic Medical Records Training
The Bronx Community College will offer high technology medical courses to information technology and healthcare professionals in a new health information technology training program.
For more information call (718) 289-5178 or e-mail: Elizabeth.oliver@bcc.cuny.edu

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage
     
The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road presents Echoing Voices: Silver Roots, concert, Sept. 25 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., presents Eddie Palmieri and Michel Camilo, two masters of Latin jazz, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $35 to $50). For more information or tickets, call (718) 960-8833.

Events

The public is invited to an Open House and Free Carnival, Oct. 2, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, located at 3450 DeKalb Ave. Events include fun activities, sample classes, air castle, face painting, free child fingerprinting and ID card, and more. Attend free karate and boxing workshops and register for fall classes and programs. For more information and class details, call (718) 882-4000.

The Bronx Concert Singers invites singers, music lovers and community members to its open rehearsals on Sept. 28. Singers will be able to audition for the chorus. Meetings are held at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1891 McGraw Ave., in Parkchester, Tuesdays at 7:40 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (917) 743-4641 or visit www.bronxconcertsingers.org.

JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center, located at 3880 Sedgwick Ave., will host a Sukkah Celebration, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. with Rose and Meir. For more information, call (718) 549-4700.

The Bronx River Alliance offers International Coastal Cleanup, to join volunteers in removing trash and debris to clean up the Bronx River, Sept. 25; and Bronx River Ramble, to walk along the Bronx River and learn about its history and ecology, Oct. 2. Call (718) 430-4665 or visit www.bronxriver.org for details, fees, and times.

Celebrate the Harlem River at the Harlem River Festival, Sept. 25, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with refreshments at noon. Activities include arts and crafts, live music, educational workshops, water demonstrations, boat tours, tennis lessons, and more. For more information, call (646) 719-0034.

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) presents a weekly sale of student art, Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Sept. 29 at the Phipps West Farms Farmers Market at Drew Gardens on East Tremont Avenue between Boston Road and 177th Street, across from BRAC’s building. The art sale, which will include ceramics, drawings, paintings and prints, is part of a month of “Harvest Move” activities to raise funds for BRAC’s upcoming relocation to temporary quarters while its building is being fully renovated for two years. For more information, call (718) 589-5819.

Woodlawn Cemetery will host two tours at 2 p.m.: Sept. 26: led by noted architect, scholar and author, Samuel White, of some of Woodlawn’s most magnificent and notable mausoleums designed by McKim Mead & White; and Oct. 3: to visit final resting places of celebrated lawmen and infamous criminals. Meet at the Jerome Avenue entrance. For more information and fees, call (718) 920-1463 ext. 252.

The Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture’s Meeting House, located at 4450 Fieldston Rd., will host “How Do I Know I Have an Ethical Problem?,” Sept. 26 at 11 a.m., presented by Dr. Howard Radest. For more information, call (718) 548-4445.

The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park presents Fall Volunteer Kickoff Event, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m., which includes tree plantings and invasive plant removal. There will be giveaways for volunteers. Meet at the VC riding stables (last stop of #4 train) or at Woodlawn Playground (last stop of #1 train). For more information or to RSVP, call (718) 601-1553 or visit www.vancortlandt.org.

The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park presents the Fall 2010 Junior Naturalists. Middle school students interested in getting involved with a free hands-on after school outdoor nature activity, can join this program to explore, improve and learn about the park. The 2010/2011 season will focus on water which will include water cycle games, charting water use, pollution, animals, and aquatic ecosystems. Learn about the lake and wetlands and participate in the service component of the program, earning community service credit, restoring a section of the wetlands. Applications are due Sept. 21. Meet at the VC House at 246th Street and Broadway, and other locations in the park, Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 to 6 p.m. excluding holidays, Sept. 22 through Nov. 18. For more information, call (718) 601-1553.

Lehman College, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., will host Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz who will read from his works and sign books, Oct. 4 at 12:30 p.m., free, in the Lovinger Theatre. For more information, call (718) 960-8556.

Wave Hill, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, offers free family art projects: Sailing the Sky, to find soaring hawks, followed by making a sailing hawk glider or feathery windsock, Sept. 25 and 26; and Harvest Time Hangings, to gather leaves, cones, pods and seed heads to  weave into a decorative wall hanging, Oct. 2 and 3; both in the Ecology Building from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Raptor Day, on the grounds, Sept. 26, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.,  to see live raptor shows, bird walks, talks, discovery tables, birding equipment demonstrations and more. Advance registration is recommended, via phone or online, for Raptors Live!, show featuring hawks, owls and falcons, on the grounds, 11 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m., free with grounds admission. Guests may reserve a boxed lunch, which replaces regular Sunday brunch, by 4 p.m., Sept. 24 via email to wavehillcafe@greatperformances.com ($10/adults; $7/children), in the Wave Hill House 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grounds admission is free until noon on Tuesdays and Saturdays. For more information or for tickets, call (718) 549-3200 ext. 305 or visit www.wavehill.org.

The public is invited to ride the Oct. 6 free Bronx Culture Trolley, a replica of a 20th-century trolley, which transports visitors on the first Wednesday of every month (except January and September) to Bronx hot spots, all featuring a variety of entertainment options and ends at the Bruckner Bar & Grill for music, food and drink. Trolley night starts with a 5 p.m. reception at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse (at 149th St.). From there, the trolley departs at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. New attractions are added monthly; admission to most venues 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. For more information and a detailed schedule, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33 or log on to www.bronxarts.org.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, located at 1040 Grand Concourse (between 165th and 166th streets), will present Family Program, Sept. 25, 1 to 4 p.m. For more details, call (718) 681-6000 or (212) 946-7111.

Exhibits

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, located at 1040 Grand Concourse (between 165th and 166th streets), will host the Aperture Foundation’s exhibit, Paul Strand: The Mexican Portfolio, through Jan. 2, to commemorate the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence and the centennial of its revolution. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 or (212) 946-7111.

The Bronx Council on the Arts and the Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture present Las Casas Revisited, which will have its gala opening, Oct. 6, 5 to 9 p.m. at the Hostos Community College’s Longwood Art Gallery, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street. Festivities include Bomba Dance Workshop and the Bronx Culture Trolley. Rain location for the workshop will be in the Hostos Dance Studio. The closing reception will be held via the Bronx Culture Trolley on Dec. 1 from 5 to 9 p.m. This exhibit will run from Oct. 6 through Dec. 11, Mondays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (718) 931-9500 ext. 33.

Lehman College’s Art Gallery at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., hosts two free exhibitions, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Art Department Faculty, through Sept. 30; and Photographing Woodlawn, in collaboration with Friends of the Woodlawn Cemetery, through Dec. 15 (reception is Oct. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.). For more information, call (718) 960-8731.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. invites the public to attend the free photo exhibit, “The Bronx: Mi Barrio, Mi Orgullo,” through September, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (718) 590-2509.

The Museum of Bronx History, located at 3266 Bainbridge Ave. (at 208th Street), presents Parkchester: City Within a City, through Oct. 3. For more information, call (718) 881-8900.

The New York Botanical Garden hosts the Fiesta de Flores y Comida (Festival of Flowers and Food), to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with music, dance lessons, cooking demonstrations, and food and wine tastings, Sept. 25 and 26. For more information, call (718) 817-8700/8747.
n The Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) presents About Me, a group exhibition, through Oct. 9 (at its temporary location at the Bronx Art Space, 305 E. 140th St., #1A, while the center undergoes a two-year renovation.  For more information, call (718) 589-5819 visit www.bronxriverart.org.

Library Events

The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents the following programs for adults: Movie Matinee: Piñero (2001), Oct. 6 at 2 p.m.; and Meet the Authors: Virginia Sanchez Korrol and Pedro Juan Hernandez, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

The Mosholu Library, at 285 E. 205th St., hosts Knitting Circle, Sept. 23 and 30 at 3 p.m. for adults; and Learn to Knit, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m., for teens/young adults. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Cooking, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m.; and Spa-aaah Time, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.; both for teens/young adults. 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 Sept. 27 for the next publication date of Oct. 7.
 

Be Healthy: An Inspired Survivor Works to End Preventable Cancer

By Alex Kratz

Cancer survivor Patti Murillo-Casa wants every woman to know they don’t have to go through the nightmarish battle she did.

A 48-year-old Riverdale resident, Murillo-Casa has been cancer-free for almost a year and a half, but she says she nearly didn’t make it through the brutal, exhausting treatments that saved her from cervical cancer, a form of the disease that is now almost entirely avoidable and treatable.

“This is a disease that is completely preventable,” Murillo-Casa says, “and yet 11 people die from it every day.”

Cervical cancer is almost always caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is like the common cold of sexually transmitted diseases, Murillo-Casa says. HPV comes in dozens of forms and can cause genital warts in women and men. But it’s much more dangerous for women because it can turn into cervical cancer.

In 2009, the government approved the use and effectiveness of an HPV vaccine for females, ages 9 to 26, which guards against most forms of the disease. Males can also use it and the vaccine is now covered by most insurance plans.

About 11,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. Around 4,000 women die from it annually. But if caught early, cervical cancer is very treatable.
The problem is that HPV (and then cervical cancer) is not always symptomatic for women who are infected with it. And if not treated early, cervical cancer is hard to beat.

That’s why Murillo-Casa considers herself lucky. While preparing to retire after 20 years with the police department, she noticed some spotting, or blood, between menstrual cycles. She credited it to stress. But when the spotting continued and the pain increased, she finally went to see a doctor — for the first time in more than four years. During those years between visits she says she felt healthy. “You tend to forget to go to the doctor; you feel you don’t need to.”

By the time you get symptoms, she says, “it’s a little on the late side.”

The cancerous tumor doctors discovered proved too big for one course of action: a hysterectomy, or the removal of her uterus. Doctors at New York Presbyterian decided to treat her with eight weeks of intense daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy.

That was followed by internal radiation where an implant with radiation rods was inserted into her cervix. For three days, she lay in the hospital almost completely motionless with no visitors, except for her husband, Freddie Casa, who could stop by once a day for 20 minutes. She did this twice.

At points during her treatment, “I wanted to give up,” Murillo-Casa says. “That’s why support is very important. This is why we spread the word. We are here to support people who are battling this disease.”

“We,” is Tamika and Friends, the cervical cancer support and advocacy group Murillo-Casa joined months after she found she was cancer free in May 2009. On the internet, her husband found a notice about an event Tamika and Friends were holding called the “Walk to Beat the Clock.” The walk is a fund-raiser started three years ago to aid those suffering from cervical cancer.

“I went there feeling low about the tough journey I just got through and it really inspired me,” she says.

At the walk she met the group’s founder, Tamika Felder. A short time later, Felder asked her to head the Bronx chapter of Tamika and Friends and she’s been heavily involved ever since, speaking at health fairs and schools, “telling my story,” she says.

“I want women to be aware, no woman should die from this disease,” Murillo-Casa says. “Please go see the gynecologist, don’t be a statistic.” 

Ed. Note: The “Walk to Beat the Clock” is a 5K walk and fund-raiser taking place on Saturday, Sept. 25, from 8 a.m. to noon and starts at Carl Schurz Park, at East End Avenue and East 86th Street in Manhattan. It’s $30 for adults, $10 for teens and free for kids under 12. For more information, visit www.walktobeattheclock.org.
 

Espada’s Defeat Means Bronxites are Paying Attention

By Editorial

It’s well known that incumbent state legislators are more likely to diein  office than be defeated on Election Day. Sadly, that’s still true — only two sitting lawmakers lost to primary challengers statewide.

Thankfully, one of them was Bronx State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. The list of his alleged and actual transgressions is long. The state attorney general accused him of bilking his health care network of $14 million.  He held the state legislature hostage by momentarily hopping across the aisle to the GOP and only hopped back when he was promised a leadership position.  His main residence is Westchester and he flouted campaign finance rules with abandon.  We could go on and on …

Despite all this, we’d probably still be calling him Senator Espada come Jan. 1 if a coalition of citizens, labor unions, and elected officials hadn’t rallied fervently and feverishly behind Espada’s young opponent, Gustavo Rivera. 

The jury’s still out on Rivera of course.  He lives in the district but he has not participated in community life here. But that’s mainly because his political work has been centered around working full-time for elected officials. He may not be a fixture around here but public service is clearly in his blood.

If he is elected in the November general election as expected, Rivera will also be held accountable by all the constituencies that carried him on their shoulders across the finish line. Espada acted like he was accountable to no one during his brief tenure, except maybe the landlords that lined his campaign coffers, until the voters showed him otherwise.

We hope that the young Bronxites who got involved in local politics for the first time — their enthusiasm was palpable at Rivera’s victory party — stay involved. Because there’s a lot to do. There was a significant uptick in voter turnout, but those who came out are still just a fraction of the total number of registered Democratic voters in the district (the other parties didn’t have a primary). The only effective antidote to political corruption that is still prevalent in the Bronx and throughout the city is an engaged and vigilant citizenry.

Remarkably, the Bronx Democratic Party (or the machine as it is known) was nowhere to be found in this high-profile race that had statewide implications. Instead, a few individual politicians got behind Rivera on their own steam.

Maybe that’s a good thing. The party itself clearly has no plan or desire to grow its ranks and increase participation – they don’t even have a website! 

Time will tell, but it could be that we’re seeing a new model for political participation in the Bronx that is not beholden to a machine or political club, but instead to a group of people and organizations who believe in honest government and share actual policy goals.

In the meantime, we can all take pride that Bronxites showed they have little patience for politicians who betray the public trust. 

Botanical Garden Connects People and Their Food

By Gina Ciliberto

The New York Botanical Garden, the largest botanical garden in any U.S. city, is bringing its plants from the garden to the dinner table this fall.

Its exhibit, the “Edible Garden,” which is on display until Oct. 17 and includes several sites littered throughout the Garden’s 250-acre campus, shows visitors how growing and cooking their own food can contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle.

Jennifer Rosnan, the Garden’s vice president of children’s and public education, said that the exhibit was a natural progression for the Garden. “The Botanical Garden has a very long history of growing edible plants,” she said. “Since it’s becoming more important to know where food comes from and how to prepare healthy meals, the exhibit seemed appropriate.” 

One of the exhibit’s featured sites, the Family Garden, uses hands-on activities and colorful displays to engage children.  “We want to give families a stronger connection to food,” said Toby Adams, the Family Garden’s manager. “So we give them opportunities to care for it and taste it.”

Amongst its many flower beds, the site features plants from, and used to make foods, in different countries: a wheat-crust pizza with oregano and tomato middle; a breakfast bowl, containing barley, wheat, rice and other plants.

The Garden hosts arts and crafts and food experiment programs for kids every afternoon and provides space where children can grow their own crops.

After they made arts and crafts and pickled their own cucumbers, the Eiler family pulled up carrots that they had planted earlier in the summer. “The kids came [to the Family Garden] for the first time in June and they just harvested their craft,” said mom Sally Eiler. “I think it’s a very special thing.”

The Conservatory Container Garden, which is on display in front of the Haupt Conservatory, uses potted plants and flowers to illustrate to city-dwellers that gardening without a yard can still be fruitful.

Next to the conservatory, Martha Stewart’s Herb Garden is flowered with tips from famous chefs — such as TV personality Sara Moulton, Kefi chef/owner Michale Psilakis — and food bloggers on how to use both ordinary and unusual herbs.

“I think people are seeing stuff they’ve heard about, but they didn’t know how it grows,” said Mike Wronski, a Garden aide. “Here, they get a chance to see how stuff grows.”

Wronski hopes the Garden will inspire visitors just as it has inspired him. “I saw it was easy to do here, so I tried it, and it’s been rewarding,” he said, adding, “now I have dozens of cucumbers.”

The exhibit also features a Conservatory Kitchen, where chefs cook homegrown plants in front of visitors.

Kristine Nicholson, a healthy eating specialist at Whole Foods, was one of the recent presenters for the Garden’s Whole Foods Market Friday program.

As she prepared gazpacho and summer salad with peach-walnut dressing for a crowd of 30-40 attendees, Nicholson explained that eating healthy foods throughout life prevents sickness and disability from arising later on. “It’s a lot more economically sound to nourish our bodies now rather than paying medical bills later,” she said.

If the Edible Garden does not already beckon visitors to return to “real food,” its extensive finale programming through mid-October should do the trick.

Although Rosnan lists the upcoming “Fiesta de Flores,” “Family Harvest Weekend,” and “Finale Weekend” —  with master chef Mario Batali — as “a fun end to the exhibition,” she says the Garden’s connection to edible plants is far from over.

“For the last 100 years we’ve been teaching people about growing food,” she said. “I think we’ll always do more of an edible garden type of exhibit since it is certainly a topic that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon.”
 

Riveras Hold Back Primary Challengers

By Jeanmarie Evelly

The Rivera family had good reason to celebrate on Sept. 14: Assemblyman Jose Rivera and his daughter, Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, both came out victorious in their Democratic primary races against two challengers in their respective districts. 

Jose Rivera, who has held his seat in the 78th District since 2000 and was once head of the Bronx Democratic Party, was challenged by Sergio Villaverde, an attorney and former cop. Rivera came out ahead, defeating Villaverde with just over 75 percent of the votes.

Rivera said he is looking forward to another potential term and that he plans to sit down with the other elected officials in his district, Councilman Fernando Cabrera and likely senator Gustavo Rivera to figure out how to best represent the Bronx.

“We got elected to provide leadership, and that’s what we have to do,” Rivera said. “The future doesn’t look too bright. We have a governor that made some damaging and hurtful cuts in our budget, and I don’t know what to expect.”

As for the other Rivera, Naomi beat out political newcomer Robert Giuffre in the 80th Assembly District, scoring 68 percent of the votes there.

Both challengers to the Riveras say the experience highlighted just how hard it is for an outsider to make it into office.

“We were certainly not pleased with the outcome, that’s for sure,” Villaverde said in a phone interview. “Hopefully this doesn’t discourage other people from getting involved in the process. Incumbents are tough to beat, but that doesn’t mean people should not run. It makes for a better democracy to have more people in the race.”

Villaverde said he plans to continue his work as an attorney, as well as with his church and local community board. He’ll also pick up where he left off as a lieutenant commander in the Coast Guard Reserve, from which he took a leave for two months to wage his campaign against Rivera. 

Giuffre, who had his petitions to originally get on the ballot challenged by Naomi Rivera in court, said the experience left him slightly jaded.

“Here we are, normal people thinking we have democracy, but realizing we only kind of sort of have a democracy,” Giuffre said. “But I think that for the amount of money I had, and for the amount of staff I had, it was a pretty good showing.” 

“I feel like I sort of accomplished what I wanted,” he continued. “I got the votes of anyone who was following this race closely. She got the votes of people who just vote for incumbents blindly.”
Naomi Rivera didn’t return calls for comment by press time.

At The Victory Party

By James Fergusson

Within minutes of State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. conceding defeat last week, his victorious opponent Gustavo Rivera arrived at the Monte Carlo Room on Jerome Avenue, where hundreds of his supporters had gathered.

He entered through a side door, to a chorus of roars and cheers, and made for the stage, hugging and high-fiving anyone in his way.

“Tonight, the people of the northwest Bronx have spoken,” Rivera said. “They’ve sent a clear message that will echo all across New York State: We want our government back, and we won’t take no for an answer!”

At about five minutes in, he started thanking all the elected officials and organizations that backed him. It’s a list that is long and impressive — from Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and businessman Bill Samuels, to large unions (32BJ, 1199 SEIU, CIR/SEIU and more) and the Working Families Party — and it took Rivera a while to give everyone their due.

“I feel like I’m going to have a partner to work with on real issues like on housing,” said Councilman Fernando Cabrera, after Rivera’s victory was confirmed. “We are going to make a difference. We’ll have a partnership the district actually deserves.”

While Cabrera and other officials came and went, Rivera stayed behind with his supporters — an eclectic mix of millionaires (or at least one millionaire: Samuels), Bronxites of varying ages and races, and union members and organizers from across the city, most in their 20s and 30s. Late in the evening, Governor David Paterson also showed up to join in the fun.

Nearly everyone wore a huge smile, and there were long lines at the bar. Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” (Neeeew York! Neeeew York!) seemed to be on a loop, and the dance floor was packed.  At 12:30 a.m., the party was still going strong.
—Additional reporting by Jordan Moss

Confusion After Concession Speech

By Alex Kratz

When Pedro Espada, Jr. stepped down from the podium in the back of La Luna Lounge in Tremont last week after giving a short, fiery and somewhat confusing concession speech, the small but raucous crowd began chanting.

“ESPADA! ESPADA! ESPADA!” they bellowed.

One of the most vocal chanters was Mike J. “Hollywood” McCray, “a.k.a ‘Nine Milli,’ but not because I like guns, if you know what I mean,” he said. When asked what he thought about Espada’s loss, McCray’s face momentarily dropped. “He lost? I thought he won.”

Laura (“but everyone calls me ‘Cookie’”) Rosario was equally perplexed. “We win? No, we lost?” she said. No matter, Rosario said, “I’m proud and I’m glad I worked for him. I’m still a winner.”
Rosario and McCray were typical of Espada’s supporters at La Luna. They didn’t realize what was saying to them — there were no TVs in the place to show results — and they didn’t believe any of the negative press surrounding Espada’s re-election campaign, even as it became the overriding theme of nearly every news story about him.

McCray, sporting a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey and toting a Heineken, said he voted for Espada because “he comes to the hood. Homeboy is all over,” he said. “And he gave me some of them platanos the other day.”

After Espada exited, McCray and others provided an animated background for television reports filming their segments for the evening news.

Sitting at one of the tables, sipping a Budweiser and chatting to two other older white men, was Steve Pigeon, the Buffalo political activist who became Espada’s $150,000-a-year general counsel after helping him orchestrate last summer’s Senate coup, along with billionaire Tom Golisano.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Pigeon said, adding that he felt coverage of the race was obviously “one-sided” and that the media had turned Espada into some kind of “Beelzebub.”

“There was no fair reporting about him,” Pigeon said.

No one gave Espada credit for bringing some reform to Albany as a result of briefly siding with Republicans last summer, Pigeon said, citing the end of “three-men-in-a-room” decision making and the empowering of committee chairs. (Many pundits brushed the reforms off as mostly cosmetic at the time.)

Talking to reporters, Espada said much the same thing. “What I tried to do was become an independent voice,” he said, “at a great cost to myself and my family.” 

“I think he was dealt a bad hand,” Pigeon said. “But you haven’t seen the last of him — or me.”

Public and Community Meetings

By Alex Gibbons

•    The 52nd Precinct Community Precinct Council will meet on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the 52nd Precinct headquarters, 3016 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    The Community Board 7 Health and Hospitals committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the board office, 229 A E. 204th St. For more information, call (718) 933-5650.
•    The Bedford Mosholu Community Association will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. at 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy. So., apt. B1 (lobby floor). All are welcome.

New Voting Machines Cause Confusion at the Polls

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Voting machines that debuted on Sept. 14 caused a few bumps in the Democratic process last week, as poll workers — and voters — adjusted to the new system.

Electronic scanners have replaced the state’s traditional lever voting booths, the norm in New York since the 1960s. The new machines were used for the first time last Tuesday, and reports of problems started almost immediately, with scanners said to be breaking down, sites opening hours past deadline and confused or unprepared poll workers.

“They don’t know what they’re doing,” said Crotona resident Nora Baerga, who voted at Grace Dodge High School, where she said they didn’t have enough pens on hand for voters to fill out their ballots. “I had to use my own pen,” she said. “They could have just gone to the TD Bank down the street and gotten the free pens there.”

Another voter, who wrote in to the Bronx News Network blog, described the scene at MS 80, on Mosholu Parkway in Norwood, as “turmoil.”

“Only one of the scanners was working,” the reader described. “The ‘Captain’ for the site had never showed.  A woman was taking charge who actually seemed to know what she was doing, but the other workers were not paying much attention.”

Even candidates who had their own names on the ballots were worried that the new machines could cause issues. Sen. Pedro Espada was seen visiting poll sites throughout his district on Primary Day, saying he wanted to make sure residents had no trouble casting their ballots.

“We’ve seen some significant problems,” the senator said Tuesday afternoon. “There’s always a concern of disenfranchising voters.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg blasted the City Board of Elections for the mishaps.  “There is a total lack of accountability for how the Board performed on Election Day,” Bloomberg said at a press conference. “New Yorkers deserve better than this.”

The City Board of Elections did not return calls by press time. But they have until the general election on Nov. 2 to work out all the kinks of the new system.
 

Castro Reflects on ‘Great Victory’

By James Fergusson

Last Tuesday, 86th District Assemblyman Nelson Castro fought off a primary challenge from Hector Ramirez, a district leader who’d received the support of the Bronx Democratic Party, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., and several large unions.

In what was the tightest race in the borough, Castro secured 54 percent of the vote to Ramirez’s 46, giving him a 269 vote victory margin.

While the certified results have yet to be released, Castro said Ramirez has already called to congratulate him.

Reached by phone this week, Castro was in high spirits. “I feel great. It’s a great victory,” he said. “Now going back to Albany I have a lot of expectations. I’m not a freshman anymore and so I should be able to ask for more and deliver more for my district.”

Castro, who pulled in a few endorsements himself, put his victory down to voters knowing him, liking him, and recognizing what he’s done in the community. While his opponent focused on attacking him, Castro says he was out there talking to people.

“We put strategy over theatrics. All the negative stuff they did, they did to cover up the fact that he [Ramirez] hasn’t done anything in the community,” Castro said.

On primary night Ramirez held what was supposed to be a victory party at a small restaurant on East Tremont Avenue. In the end, though, with the early results favoring Castro, it was a rather somber occasion.

Local Primary Election Results

By Norwood News

33rd State Senate District
Results: Gustavo Rivera: 6,870 votes, 62.21%; Pedro Espada: 3,607, 32.66%; Daniel Padernacht, 567, 5.13%. Next: Rivera will face Republican John E. McCarthy and Green Party candidate John Reynolds.

78th Assembly District
Results: Jose Rivera: 2,185 votes, 75.89%; Sergio Villaverde: 694, 24.11%. Next: Rivera faces William Sullivan, who is running on the Republican and Conservative tickets.

80th Assembly District
Results: Naomi Rivera: 2,332 votes, 68.57%; Robert Giuffre: 1,069, 31.43%; Next: Rivera is up against Republican Joseph DeLuna and Conservative Robert Goodman.

81st Assembly District
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz didn’t face a primary opponent. Next: He goes up against Joseph McLaughlin, who is running on the Conservative and Republican tickets.
 

Police: Homeless Death An Accident

By Alex Kratz

Vicar Bob Rainis of Epiphany Lutheran Church, a former NYPD homicide detective, looked at the swollen face and battered body of Billy Murphy just hours before he died in mid-August and became convinced Murphy was the victim of a savage attack.

But a month after his death, police are now treating Murphy’s death as an accident, the result of a fall.

“I think he went down, but the other wounds indicate it must be the result of a violent altercation,” Rainis said.

Murphy, a small man with a serious drinking problem and bad legs, was prone to falling and friends say he could be combative, especially when drunk. Like Rainis, most of Murphy’s friends and others who knew him believed Murphy was badly beaten, either before or after falling. Other local homeless people said they were being targeted by local youth who enjoyed tormenting them.

But Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo of the 52nd Precinct said the precinct’s detectives had gathered no evidence that pointed to Murphy being the victim of a beating prior to his death. He said detectives spoke with at least one witness who told them they had seen Murphy on the night before he went into a coma and that it looked like he had suffered a head wound. When the witness asked him what happened, Murphy replied, “I fell,” according to D’Adamo.

Rainis said he had heard a similar story, but that something must have happened to Murphy between that point and when somebody called 911 to say they had found Murphy unconscious.”There’s a 20- to 25-minute period where nobody can attest to what happened to him,” Rainis said.

The investigation was still ongoing, D’Adamo said, as the Medical Examiner’s Office was still in the process of completing its analysis. He added that his detectives were all ears if somebody wanted to come forward with new evidence or information. The Medical Examiner’s Office did not return phone calls by press time.

Muphy’s death was the latest in a string of what appear to be violent incidents involving the local homeless population. In February of 2009, Sangh Shingeia died after being found at the 205th Street D-Train with severe wounds that doctors suspected might have been result of an attack. But police ruled the death an accident, saying he fell down the stairs.

D’Adamo said he wasn’t aware of any trends that would suggest people were targeting the local homeless population.

Arrests Made, but Shootings Continue in the Five-Two

By David Greene and Alex Kratz

A wild, sprawling shootout in the Knox-Gates neighborhood in Norwood last Friday night left four people injured, two of them with gunshot wounds.

None of the injuries were life-threatening and police say the shooters were arrested, but the incident underscores a continuing rise in the number of shooting incidents and victims in the 52nd Precinct, which stretches from Norwood to University Heights.

Through August, not including this incident in Knox-Gates or another shooting on Decatur Avenue, there had been 20 shootings in the 52nd Precinct this year, compared to 12 during the same period last year. Last year, through August, there had been 14 victims. This year, not including the latest incidents, there had been 25 victims through August.

“It’s frustrating right now,” said Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo, the commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct.

On Friday night, just before 9 p.m., Sept. 17, police were called to Knox Place, between West Gun Hill Road and West Mosholu Parkway North, with reports of a person shot. When they arrived on the scene, they discovered four people wounded — two Hispanic teenage males with gunshot wounds and two girls who were injured when they fell while ducking bullets.

  The altercation allegedly began at the Twin Donut shop on Jerome Avenue, but police had several crime scenes established along Knox Place, Gates Place and West Mosholu Parkway North.

D’Adamo said the scenes were established around where police found bullets, but that those involved in the shootout were “running from each other” along Knox Place. He said the alleged shooter was apprehended in a car with a loaded firearm, along with two other suspects, near Harris Field in Bedford Park. One of them, Jose Guzman, 17, was charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of firearm, according to a police spokesperson.

D’Adamo said the suspect arrested for the shooting was from Manhattan and that there was a reason he was in the area. Despite the Knox-Gates neighborhood’s reputation for heavy drug trafficking, D’Adamo said the incident did not appear to be drug related. 

In 2007, one drug-related shooting left a teenager paralyzed. That same year, another apparently non-drug-related shooting left four young men from Tracey Towers, just across Mosholu Parkway, with gunshot wounds.

Earlier last week, police arrested another suspect in a shooting incident at 2860 Decatur Ave.

While shooting incidents continue to pile up, D’Adamo said he’s happy his officers are making arrests and still “extremely proud of the men and women of the 52nd Precinct.”

New Construction Helps, but Local Schools Remain Overcrowded

By Jeanmarie Evelly

For Fatima Daffeh, a senior at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, every day is a battle. She and her fellow students fight over seats in their classrooms and for space in the school’s crowded hallways. It’s not uncommon, she says, for a teacher to run out of books. 

The school, a large, hulking building on Mosholu Parkway, is somewhat of an institution in its northwest Bronx neighborhood—it boasts a stream of celebrity alumni, like writer James Baldwin and actor Tracy Morgan. While she likes her school, Fatima says she doesn’t want her younger brother and sister to follow in her footsteps by going there. 

“It’s just too crowded,” she said. “Just getting inside the school is a hassle.”

District 10, where Clinton is located, is one of the most crowded districts in the city, according to a report published by the City Comptroller’s office last September. Primary schools there operate at 112 percent of capacity, while intermediate schools are at 103 percent. Thousands of students are taught inside some kind of annex or temporary classroom, according to the report—more than in any other district. 

Residents in the northwest Bronx have been fighting for years for sufficient school space, with claims that the Department of Education’s construction plans for the area fall well short of what’s actually needed. 

“We need more space,” Schools Chancellor Joel Klein acknowledged at a press conference last spring. “We’ve opened up around 75,000 or 100,000 additional seats over the last eight years. It’s clear to me that we need more.”

This September, the DOE announced the opening of 26 new school locations to address the city’s growing student population, with about 17,000 new classroom seats, the most ever added in a school year. 

Six of these facilities are in the Bronx, including 490 new seats at PS 94, on Kings College Place. The school then gave the use of their educational annex to nearby PS 56, on East 207th Street, which — so far — appears to have helped with space issues at the two schools.

“It’s looking better,” said Marvin Shelton, president of District 10’s Community Education Council, though he said it might be too early in the school year to tell.  “I haven’t heard any horror stories of parents getting turned away, or having to stick their students on a bus, which is what they had to do the last two years .”

But the new additions aren’t necessarily enough to fix the district’s crowding problems.

While many Bronx schools make use of temporary or shared classrooms, other reports reveal that many also lack basic facilities. A survey from former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion’s office, released in 2008, asked principals from schools throughout the Bronx questions about the needs of their school facilities. Large numbers of respondents said their building had no auditorium, music room, nor science or computer labs. Many schools are forced to turn these spaces into conventional classrooms to accommodate an overflowing number of students.

Flor Cabrera, a parent leader with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, a community group that advocates on education issues, has two young children in local public schools. Their classes are too large, she says, for most students to get individualized attention. 

Her daughter’s fifth grade class last year at PS 79, for example, had 32 students.

“It’s just way too many fifth graders for a teacher to handle,” she continued. “Even the best teacher.”
 

In Widely Watched Battle, Newcomer Defeats Espada

By James Fergusson and Alex Kratz

Gustavo Rivera, a 34-year-old first-time candidate buoyed by an army of local, institutional and political support, overwhelmingly defeated incumbent 33rd District State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. last week in one of the state’s most watched primary battles.

A career-long Democratic operative, the tall, goateed Rivera easily defeated Espada, taking nearly two-thirds of the total votes (62 percent to Espada’s 32 percent) on a primary day that saw relatively high voter turnout.

Two years ago in this district, which stretches from Norwood to Mt. Hope, only 8,352 people voted when Espada defeated indicted incumbent Efrain Gonzalez. This year, according to a preliminary count, 11,044 votes were cast, a 32 percent increase in turnout.

By 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with the results going heavily toward Rivera, it became clear there would be a new State Senator in a heavily partisan district where a victory in the Democratic primary is tantamount to winning the general election. (Rivera faces Republican John E. McCarthy and Green Party candidate John Reynolds on Nov. 2.)

After Espada gave a defiant concession speech at La Luna Lounge in Tremont, blaming the media and “outsider millionaires” for toppling him, Rivera thanked his supporters at the Monte Carlo Room across from the Kingsbridge Armory and told voters they had made the right decision. 

“For far too long, our community has been ill-served by a corrupt politics,” Rivera said. “We’ve been the brunt of jokes and the object of ridicule. Well, tonight you had a choice. You had a choice between progress or patronage. You had a choice between honest policy or the politics of ‘me.’ You had a choice between ethics or indictments. Tonight, I am here to report that the people of the Bronx made the right choice!”

Since defeating Gonzalez, Espada has used the thin Democratic majority (32-30) in the Senate to his advantage, leveraging his support for Democratic leadership to gain increasingly powerful titles and positions.

Even before taking office, Espada told Democratic leaders he would vote for Republican leadership until they gave him a plum appointment as chair of the powerful housing committee. Last summer, he did side with Republicans, effectively shutting down state government for more than a month in the so-called Senate coup. He switched back to the Democrats after they made him majority leader and enacted reforms that gave more power to committee chairs.

His actions drew the ire of the state Democratic Party and Senate colleagues, many of whom endorsed Rivera — as did a long list of unions and progressive advocacy groups. His inaction on pro-tenant bills as housing committee chair (and cozy relationship with powerful landlord organizations) made him a target for the city’s numerous pro-tenant organizing groups.

On top of that, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a civil suit against Espada for allegedly bilking his chain of nonprofit health care clinics for $14 million. (Espada’s defenders say the suit was politically motivated and point to the lack of criminal charges as proof.)

Sensing Espada’s vulnerability, Democratic challengers, starting with local activist Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, began jumping into the race. Rivera was the third to announce his candidacy, after Kingsbridge lawyer Dan Padernacht and before Community Board 7 District Manager Fernando Tirado.

In July, millionaire political activist Bill Samuels, who vowed to spend $250,000 to defeat Espada through his New Roosevelt group, announced his support for Rivera. After Pilgrim-Hunter dropped her bid in July, more anti-Espada groups began coalescing around Rivera’s candidacy.

Tirado was bounced because of faulty petition signatures, but Padernacht stayed in the race until the week before the primary. His name appeared on the ballot, but a week before the primary, he threw his support behind Rivera and Democratic leaders hailed him as a hero. He still took in 5 percent of the vote.

On top of New Roosevelt’s spending spree and vast network of volunteers (many of them local activists), the Working Families Party, a minor political party with a reputation for fighting hard for their chosen candidates, spent close to $100,000 on the race. On Primary Day, they sent 105 people to the district to campaign for Rivera. Daniel Cantor, the party’s executive director, described the race as the “most important in the state” and a major priority for his party.

“The Senate coup was really a terrible thing he [Espada] did, and so this is payback, recompense,” Cantor said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of 32BJ SEIU and 1199 SEIU members campaigned for Rivera in the weeks leading up to the primary and on Primary Day itself, knocking on doors and handing out fliers.

Rivera used to work for SEIU, and “is part of the extended 1199 family,” according to Leah Gonzalez, an 1199 spokesperson. Calling the race “our top priority as far as state legislative races go,” she said the district desperately needed new leadership.

Haile Rivera, an Espada aide who took time out to work on his boss’ campaign, said the unions played a role in Espada’s defeat but that other factors were also at play. He says “an overwhelming number of voters [at the polls] confused” Gustavo Rivera with Jose Rivera, the well-known and long-serving assemblyman.

The near constant bad press also hurt Espada, Rivera said, especially with white voters in the northern end of the district.  

While Espada promised a political comeback, two days after the primary, a tired but happy Rivera said he wanted to be accountable to the people who elected him. “I always said this was about serving the constituents of this district,” he said. “[Espada] is somebody who forgot about who he worked for.”
 

Norwood’s Smoothie Revolution

By Gina Ciliberto

It was juice that brought Roberto Camano to the Bronx and juice is the reason he’s staying. Camano has spent the last year making smoothies at Tita Mini Market Juice Bar at 137 E. Gun Hill Rd. and, with the way business has been going, he’s not stopping anytime soon.

After working at a juice bar in Manhattan, Camano came to the Bronx when Tita managers decided to open one of their own. It’s one of three shops in the  area now offering  smoothies.

Camano said he has long reaped the positive health effects of the blended beverages. His favorite Tita smoothie is the energy bomb, a mix of carrot, red apple, ginseng, fresh orange juice, and protein. Since he began drinking the mix in place of soda, he said he has lost weight, felt better and reduced his portions.

Karl Mohammed, 33, manager of the store, said the health benefits were the reason behind the installation of the juice bar.
When his doctor alerted him of blood pressure problems, Mohammed started making juice in his house. “In eight to nine months,” he said his blood pressure “went back down.”

Tita was already stocked with fresh produce, he said, so adding a juice bar only made sense. Since the official opening of the bar one year ago, both his wallet and his health enjoyed success.

“From the first cup, we couldn’t stop,” Mohammed recalled. The bar, which started with one blender, now requires three, and can use up to 10 jugs of juice per day.

Sam City, located at 206th Street and Bainbridge Avenue, directly at the top of the D-train subway stairs, is a crisply, clean bodega offering the usual daily newspapers, candy and cigarettes.

But it’s Sam City’s recently installed smoothie station that sets it apart from your average bodega. The store offers traditional smoothies made of fresh fruits, vegetables, juices, sugar and honey, but you can choose from enhanced options that include antioxidants or additional protein.

Employee Kim Arriaga claims that the strawberry-banana smoothie is their biggest seller. “I love making new mixtures of smoothies,” says Arriaga. “I keep coming up with new ideas and customers always have their own favorite blends.”

Barely two blocks from Sam City is another hidden smoothie factory. J.C. Produce, located between Perry and Hull avenues on East 204th Street, is a local fresh produce store.

However, hidden in the back of the store, out of the view of customers, employee Hector Cruz and owner Michael Erchal will gladly whip together any combination of the fruits and vegetables that are on sale throughout the store.

Erchal said the smoothie station was originally a customer’s idea, but it’s fast becoming the neighborhood’s idea of good business.

–with Bobby Rice

Police Report

By Alex Kratz

With Violence Rising, Precinct Targets Ex-Cons

In early July, Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo, the commander of the 52nd Precinct, sat down with his top lieutenants to brainstorm ideas about how to address a significant rise in violent crime in the Five-Two.

“We had to start thinking out of the box,” D’Adamo said.
So far this year, shooting incidents have nearly doubled, from 12 during the same time period last year, to 20 this year. Those incidents have led to a total of 25 shooting victims this year, compared to 14 last year. Murders are up slightly, with seven this year, compared to six during the same time period last year.

After the brainstorming session, D’Adamo said the precinct decided to target the local residents most likely to commit violent crimes — ex-convicts.

A couple of weeks later, cops from the 52nd Precinct partnered with the New York State Division of Parole and, in one night, visited 50 of the area’s parolees who had a history of violent crime. D’Adamo said three of them were in possession of illegal guns, which is not only in itself against the law, but also a serious parole violation.

“Those guys are going back to jail for a long time,” D’Adamo said.
In addition to seizing those guns from the parolees, D’Adamo said the precinct has taken another 60 firearms off the street (for a total of 63) this year. Last year at this time, the precinct had seized just 41 illegal guns, which amounts to more than a 50 percent increase this year. Arrests — for criminal trespassing, illegal narcotics and weapons possession — are also up significantly from last year.

“It shows my guys — and girls, we have a lot of female cops in this precinct — are out there doing their job,” D’Adamo said.

Despite the success of the parole partnership, which the precinct hopes to continue, and the increase in arrests, D’Adamo was clear that the rise in violent crime in the area is real and persistent.

“I’m not going to sit here and say everything is great,” D’Adamo said. “Is everything rosey? No. But we’re working on it.”

52nd Precinct Staffing, Status Quo

The 52nd Precinct lost 13 police officers to other commands this summer. But it simultaneously gained nine first-, second- and third-year cops from a precinct in Queens. The total loss of four officers brings the precinct’s total number of officers to 318, according to commanding officer John D’Adamo. He said that number is about the same total the precinct had last year and is roughly equivalent to the borough’s other large precincts: the 44th and 46th.

Death Termed a Homicide

In mid-August, the 52nd Precinct added another homicide to its tally for the year after the Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that a dead man found inside of an apartment on E. 197th Street was murdered.

On Aug. 16, the Bronx Medical Examiner’s Office said 56-year-old Kenneth Monroe, whose body was found inside an apartment on the fifth floor of 271 East 197th St. on June 2, had been murdered. Monroe died from “stab wounds and blunt trauma to the body.”

No arrests have been made, but DCPI said the investigation is ongoing.

 

Out & About

By Judy Noy

Onstage
     
The Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road presents Music and Dance by Retumba, Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m.; and Lincoln, Armstrong to Obama: Loren Schoenberg Jazz Quartet in Concert, Sept. 18 at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., presents salsa performer Victor Manuelle and his band, Sept, 18 at 8 p.m. (tickets are from $55 to $85); and Paquito D’Rivera and Michel Camilo, two masters of Latin jazz, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $35 to $50).  For more information or tickets, call (718) 960-8833.
Events

The 15th Annual Fordham Road Renaissance Festival, hosted by the Fordham BID and featuring free music and other festivities, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on East Fordham Road between Morris Avenue and East Kingsbridge Road (rain or shine). For more information, call (718) 562-2104.

The Bronx Concert Singers invites singers, music lovers and community members to its open rehearsals on Sept. 21 and 28. Singers will be able to audition for the chorus. Meetings are held at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1891 McGraw Ave., in Parkchester, Tuesdays at 7:40 p.m. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (917) 743-4641 or visit www.bronxconcertsingers.org.

The Pelham Promenaders Square Dance Club will hold a free open house on Sept. 12 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Christ the Redeemer Church at 1415 Pelhamdale Ave. in Pelham Manor for couples and singles to socialize, exercise, and dance. For more information, call Dave at (914) 738-3093 or Cynthia at (718) 652-3714.

JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center, located at 3880 Sedgwick Ave., presents the following events: Trips: Bronx Zoo on Sept. 17 at 11 a.m.; Classes at 1 p.m.: Meditation for Relaxation, Sept. 14; Latin Dancing on Sept. 16; and Jewelry Making on Sept. 17; and violinist Grisha Gontmacher on Sept. 21. For more information, call (718) 549-4700.

The Church of the Mediator, located at 260 W. 231st St., will hold a flea market, Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on its outdoor grounds, weather permitting, to benefit the church. Table rental is $20 for one and $35 for two. For more information, call (718) 549-8660 or (347) 992-4361.

The Bronx River Alliance offers Bronx Pedal & Paddle, a 12- to 15-mile bike ride along the Bronx River Greenway, followed by a paddling trip down the Bronx River, Sept. 11; An Upstream Soiree, an evening with cocktails and music on the banks of the river, Sept. 16; and Learn to Ride Clinic for Youth, a biking class for beginners co-hosted by Bike NY, including proper helmet wear. Call (718) 430-4665 or visit www.bronxriver.org for details, fees, and times.

The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park invites the public to Healthy Community Hikes, to walk through Van Cortlandt Park and receive free giveaways for participating. Bring water, a snack and wear comfortable walking shoes. Enter the park at Broadway and Mosholu Avenue and meet at the riding stables, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. For more information, call (718) 601-1553.

Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) presents a weekly sale of student art, Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Sept. 29 at the Phipps West Farms Farmers Market at Drew Gardens on East Tremont Avenue between Boston Road and 177th Street, across from BRAC’s building. For more information, call (718) 589-5819.

Woodlawn Cemetery presents End of Life Planning Seminar, to learn how to deal with problems at this difficult time, free, in the Woolworth Chapel, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. For more information, call (718) 920-1463 ext. 252.

Wave Hill, located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, offers free family arts projects: September Treasures, to collect bits of nature to put into a mini accordion book, then decorate a treasure box to store everything, Sept. 11 and 12; and Dot by Dot, to use dots and dabs to paint a river landscape and blooming gardens, Sept. 18 and 19; both in the Ecology Building from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Sinfonietta of Riverdale, performing concert of music from Bach to present day (advance ticket purchase recommended: $18/member adult; $10/member child; $28/adult general admission; $12/child general admission; $26/seniors/students; (ticket price includes admission to grounds), in the Wave Hill House on Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. Grounds admission is free until noon on Tuesdays and Saturdays. For more information or for tickets, call (718) 549-3200 ext. 305 or visit www.wavehill.org.                                                                                           

Exhibits

Lehman College’s Art Gallery at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., hosts two free exhibitions, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Art Department Faculty, through Sept. 30, (reception is Sept. 21 from 4 to 6 p.m.); and Photographing Woodlawn, in collaboration with Friends of the Woodlawn Cemetery, Sept. 21 through Dec. 15 (reception is Oct. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.). For more information, call (718) 960-8731.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. invites the public to attend the free photo exhibit, “The Bronx: Mi Barrio, Mi Orgullo,” through September, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (718) 590-2509.

The Museum of Bronx History, located at 3266 Bainbridge Ave. (at 208th Street), presents Parkchester: City Within a City, through Oct. 3. For more information, call (718) 881-8900.

The New York Botanical Garden hosts the following events: Resplendent Roses, on display in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden through the fall; and Greenmarket, which offers fresh local produce, to take place Wednesdays through Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the base of Library Allée. For more information, details, and program schedules, call (718) 817-8700/8747.

The Bronx River Art Center (BRAC) presents About Me, a group exhibition, from Sept. 10 through Oct. 9 (opening reception: Sept. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m.), at its temporary location at the Bronx Art Space, 305 E. 140th St., #1A, while the center undergoes a two-year renovation.  For more information, call (718) 589-5819 visit www.bronxriverart.org.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts, located at 1040 Grand Concourse (between 165th and 166th streets), will host the Aperture Foundation’s exhibit, Paul Strand: The Mexican Portfolio, Sept. 9 through Jan. 2, 2011, to commemorate the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence and the centennial of its revolution. For more information, call (718) 681-6000 or (212) 946-7111..
Library Events

The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, presents the following programs: Films at 2 p.m.: “I Like It Like That,” Sept. 15; and “West Side Story,” Sept. 22; and Cardiovascular Disorders, Heart Attack and Strokes, for adults, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46 or visit www.nypl.org.

The Mosholu Library, at 285 E. 205th St., hosts Knitting Circle, Sept. 9 and 16 at 3 p.m. for adults. For more information, call (718) 882-8239.

Jerome Park Library, at 118 Eames Place, presents Cooking at 4 p.m., for teens/young adults, Sept. 9 and 23. 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 Sept. 13 for the next publication date of Sept. 23.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Free ESL and GED Classes
MS 80, located at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy. N., is offering free ESL and GED classes to members of the community, ages 21 and older, Saturdays starting Sept. 25. Registration will be held every Saturday beginning Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The courses require a 50-adult minimum, and a commitment is expected. For more information, call parent coordinator, Mrs. Alejandro, at (718) 405-6300 ext. 1131.

PS 94, at 3530 Kings College Place, is offering free ESL classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 5:10 to 8:30 p.m. Interested parents can sign up in room 256 or call parent coordinator, Miriam Seminario, at (347) 563-4772.

Business Workshop
NYC Business Solutions is hosting a workshop on “Managing Your Business in Turbulent Times” on Wednesday, Sept. 15, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Hutchinson Metro Center, 1200 Waters Pl. RSVP to Gloria Wortherly, (718) 960-7988 or email her at gwortherly@nycbusiness-solutions.com.

North Bronx Economic Development Summit
This free event will be held on Sept. 29 in Lehman College’s Music Building, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., and will include seminars on “How to apply for government grants,” “Dealing with the IRS,” and “Meet the lenders, access to capital and loans process.” The event begins with an 8 a.m. breakfast sign-in in the East Dining Room Lobby, and will end at 11 a.m. after a Q&A session. Seating is limited. For more information or to register, call (718) 960-8806, or e-mail clarence.stanley@lehman.cuny.edu.

Financial Ed. Seminar
Learn how to build credit and achieve your financial objectives with Credit Counselor Sarah Nunez. This free seminar, which will provide tips about credit counseling and repair, personal budgeting, and debt management, will be held on Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to noon at CUNY on the Concourse, 2501 Grand Concourse, 3rd floor. For more information or to RSVP, call (718) 960-8806, or e-mail clarence.stanley@lehman.cuny.edu.

Small Business Services
The Bronx Small Business Development Center, operated by Lehman College, is ready to assist you in obtaining financing. The Center also offers free workshops and small business consulting services to start or expand your business. For more information, call (718) 960-8806.

Children’s Classes at Lehman
Lehman College’s Office of Continuing Education is hosting open houses on Sept. 11 from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s Carman Hall 129, located at 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., to promote its fall semester of children’s classes for ages 4 to16. Courses offered include academic and recreational. For more information, call (718) 960-8512.

Social Security Help
Representatives of the Social Security Administration will be at Congressman Eliot Engel’s Bronx office, 3655 Johnson Ave., on Sept. 22, to help people with questions concerning Social Security. Services are available through appointment only by calling (718) 796-9700.

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.

Shape-Up NYC
The Department of Parks & Recreation, in partnership with Equinox Fitness Clubs, is offering classes aimed at getting New Yorkers into a new habit of fitness. Classes will include yoga, pilates, zumba and intensati. All classes are ongoing, open to the public, and free of charge at St. James Recreation Center, 2530 Jerome Ave. For more information, visit nyc.gov/befitnyc.

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.

Volunteers Sought for Brain/Aging Study
The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University seeks volunteers ages 18 to 25 and 58 to 70 to participate in a study on aging and brain activity. The study will examine the link between age, brain activity and day-to-day functioning. It will include two visits, one for a 3-hour screening and the second a reading of brainwaves while participants complete a series of tasks, which will last from 4 to 6 hours. Participants will be paid $12/hr. For more information or to participate, call (718) 862-1828.

Support Group for the Heart
Montefiore Medical Center is organizing the first support groups for patients with heart assisting devices in the New York metropolitan area. For more information, call (718) 920-8279.

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.

MMCC Youth Centers
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center continues to keep open their free Beacon Youth Centers throughout the Bronx for teens in 7th to 12th grades, Monday through Friday nights and Saturdays. Beacon offers sports, clubs, classes in the arts, drama, dance, help with schoolwork, groups, and much more.
For Mosholu Beacon at PS 8 in Bedford Park on Briggs Avenue near Mosholu Parkway, call Director Andre Clark at (718) 329-0595.
For Reservoir Beacon at PS 86 by the Kingsbridge Armory, 2756 Reservoir Ave., call Director Bernie Hernandez at (718) 563-7410.
For Willamsbridge Beacon at MS 113 at 3710 Barnes Ave., call Director Jackie Valez-Gutierrez at (718) 654-5881.
For Seton Falls Beacon at MS 142 at 3750 Baychester Ave., call Director Damont Singletary at (718) 798-6670.

Free Cancer Programs
Albert Einstein Cancer Center is offering two free research programs for cancer patients to help cope with the stress and concerns of the disease. The “Yoga Based Cancer Rehabilitation Program” includes 12 weeks of yoga classes as research to see if yoga can help people with breast, lung and colorectal cancer. There is also the “Stress Management for the Mind, Body & Spirit Program,” which is for eight weeks and offers group discussions on how to cope with stress and other physical and emotional difficulties along with helping patients become more in touch with their spiritual side while dealing with cancer. For more information or to find out if you are eligible to participate, call (718) 430-2380. In addition, free workshops are offered to cancer patients and loved ones by the Bronx Oncology Living Daily Program, featuring fitness and nutrition. For more information, call (718) 430-3613.

Community Resource Fair
The Bronxwood Home for the Aged is presenting an opportunity for residents and the community to connect by accommodate speakers, booths, have various “give-aways” of information, contests, workshops and forums. The program is on Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 799 E. Gun Hill Rd. and Barnes Avenue. For more information, call (718) 881-9100.

Autism Study Recruitment
The Children’s Research Unit at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is recruiting participants for a study that examines whether multisensory integration is impaired in people with autism. The researchers are currently recruiting both children and adults who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Compensation of $12.00 per hour is provided. For more information, call (718) 862-1821.

Food Drive
The Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture, located at 4450 Fieldston Rd., is having an ongoing food drive, seeking canned food, that will benefit the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Marble Hill Food and Hunger Project, Inc. Perishable or expired foods will not be accepted. For more information, call (718) 548-4445.

Service Changes on 2 and 5 Trains
Beginning Saturday, March 27 and for the next 18 months through August 2011, there will be no weekday rush hour 5-train express service in either direction between East 180th Street and 3rd Avenue/149th Street. During this time, 5-trains will make all 2-train local stops. The service change is necessary in order to support two projects on the 2 and 5 lines, including new signal equipment and various station improvements. These service changes are anticipated to add five minutes to riders’ trips. For travel information, call (718) 330-1234.

Juvenile Fire Setters Intervention Program
Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano wants to remind parents concerned about their child’s inappropriate interest in fire that the free Juvenile Fire Setters Intervention Program is available to help them. For more information, call 311.

Crime Prevention Alert
Due to the high rise on the theft of removable automobile GPSs, the NYPD offers some crime prevention tips: Park in highly visible areas, detach GPS and mounting bracket from windshield, eliminate all evidence that a GPS is in the car including suction cup marks and wires. Do not leave any other electronics or any property visible in the vehicle. Keep your vehicle’s console and interior free of clutter. For more tips, visit the crime prevention website at www.nyc,gov/html/nypd.

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., through June 7 at the Riverdale-Yonkers Society of Ethical Culture’s Meeting House, 4450 Fieldston Rd. For more information, call (718) 548-4445.

Help With College Applications
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center’s FREE College Bound Program, located at 3512 Dekalb Ave., is offering assistance to high school students who need help with the entire college application process. Students will receive professional, individual counseling and supportive services. For more information or to set up an appointment, call (718) 652- 0282.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 to receive 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.

Summer Reading 2010
The New York Public Library will be launching this year’s Summer Reading Program on Thursday, June 10, 2010.The Library will present a free outdoor kick-off celebration including games, appearances by special guests, and more on the morning of June 10, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.

Autism Study Recruitment Announcement
The Children’s Research units at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University are currently recruiting participants for a study that examines whether multisensory integration is impaired in people with autism. The researchers are currently recruiting both children and adults who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Compensation of $12.00 per hour is provided. Please call (718) 862-1821 if interested or to find out more about the study.

Open-House
an open house to obtain guidance for the Lehman College Continuing Education “More than a camp-Kidz at Lehman” July and August programs will be held on Thursday May 20, 2010 at 6:30 pm in Carman Hall, Room 129. For more information or a catalog of all adult and children classes, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu/ce.

Shape-Up NYC
The NYC Department of Parks & Recreation in partnership with Equinox Fitness Clubs are offering classes aimed at getting New Yorkers into a new habit of fitness. Classes will include yoga, pilates, zumba and intensati, all classes are open to the public and free of charge. Classes begin May 17 at St. James Recreation Center, 2530 Jerome Ave, or visit nyc.gov/befitnyc.

Summer Youth Employment Program
SYEP provides New York City youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with summer employment and educational opportunities. The program is designed to emphasize real-world expectations, increase awareness of services offered by community-based organizations and provide opportunities for career instruction, financial literacy, academic improvement and social growth. Apply now at application.nycsyep.com.

Summer EcoCrafts
Join Friends of Van Cortlandt Park at Van Cortlandt Park South and Gouverneur Ave., to create picture frames, puppets, masks and more natural and recycled crafts using everyday items in exciting ways.
Tuesdays, July 6 through August 24, from 11am to 2 pm.
For more information visit www.vancortladt.org or call (718) 601-1553

Garden & Compost Crew
Join Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, Thursdays July 8 through August 26 from 10 am to 1 pm, to donate to Part of the Solution, help pull weeds, turn sift compost bins, and tend to plants. Group meets near Broadway and Mosholu Avenue.
For more information visit www.vancortladt.org or call (718) 601-1553

Electronic Medical Records Training
The Bronx Community College will offer high technology medical courses to information technology and healthcare professionals in a new health information technology training program.
For more information call (718) 289-5178 or e-mail: Elizabeth.oliver@bcc.cuny.edu
 

Artist Goes Cartooning

By Alex Kratz

Anthony Aroya, a lifelong Bronxite who grew up on Prospect Avenue and now lives in Norwood, is a man of many talents and interests.

He’s written a series of children’s books, a handful of screenplays and a couple of plays. For the past three years, the baritone-voiced Aroya — he sounds like a late-night R&B deejay — worked as a voice-over actor on a few commercial and several video games. His persona in 2009’s “House of the Dead: Overkill”, Det. Isaac Washington, was nominated for best newly created video game character. (Interesting side note: “Overkill” set a Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition record for being “the most profane video game in history,” dropping an astounding 189 f-bombs.)

Now Aroya, who works at Montefiore Medical Center, is looking to break into the world of cartooning. So, he created “Spike and Mike Take Over the Universe One Molecule at a Time,” which he illustrated and wrote (he’s also the voice of Mike).

Looking for some help getting his project off the ground, Aroya uploaded a pilot-version of “Spike and Mike” onto Kickstarter, an online funding platform for creative projects. The idea is that artists upload to Kickstarter with a fund-raising goal (for “Spike and Mike” it’s $10,000) and deadline. Then people can check out the projects and decided whether to help fund it.

If the artist achieves his or her goal by the deadline, then they get the money for the project. If it doesn’t achieve its goal, all the contributions get returned.

Aroya says he came up with the idea for “Spike and Mike” when thinking about the diversity of his northwest Bronx neighborhood and the notion of seeking common ground among people of such divergent backgrounds. Spike (who’s white) and Mike (who’s black) are both sperm looking to impregnate the same egg, but they talk about all sorts of issues and crack insightful jokes along the way.

It’s comedy with a message, Aroya says. “I feel like you can get a lot more done with humor.” Aroya says the cartoon is adult in its content, “but it’s nothing off-putting, once you get past the fact that it’s talking sperm.”

Ed. Note: To see and episode of Aroya’s cartoon, click here. 
 

Be Healthy: Back-to-School Health Tips for Parents

By Alex Gibbons

1) Make sure immunizations, especially to enter pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten (ages 4 and 5) and 6th grade (ages 11 and 12), are completed.

2) Be aware that the 2010-2011 flu vaccine that contains both the seasonal and H1N1 protection is available.

3) Communicate to the school important health information, including medical, psycho-social or mental health concerns that may need monitoring. Medical concerns would include any chronic illness — especially asthma or diabetes. Psycho-social concerns might  include family changes, death, new siblings, a new school, etc. Mental health concerns might include ADHD, depression or anxiety.

4) Keep in mind: even though adults have many daily responsibilities and stressors, children are under stress too. A child may not be able to best learn if burdened and preoccupied by other issues.

5) Parents have resources to aide them with these issues located within the school building. There is the parent coordinator, the teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal and principal. There may also be an after-school program that provides enrichment and expanded dance, sports, tutoring, etc.

6) Most importantly, if your child attends a school where there is a school-based health center, the parent should register the child. These full-service clinics maintain confidentiality according to HIPPA regulations and provide comprehensive medical and mental health services at no cost.

Source: Jacqueline M. Kelderhouse, DNPc, MS, RN, FNP-BC, Family Nurse Practitioner, Montefiore School Health Program
 

Be Healthy: Vital Stats

By Alex Gibbons

98%

 The overall five-year survival rate for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. That means 98 out of every 100 men with prostate cancer were living five years after being diagnosed. September is prostate cancer awareness month.

Be Healthy: Transplant Clinic Aims to Bring Hispanics Into the Fold

By Gina Ciliberto

As she explained the process of kidney transplants to a patient, Dr. Graciela De Boccardo mentioned that speaking about transplants is like speaking “un nuevo idioma” (a new language).

Fortunately, for Bronx Spanish speakers with severe kidney problems, doctors like De Boccardo are now speaking the “new language” of transplants to Hispanic patients in their native tongue.

Established in the spring of 2009, Montefiore Medical Center’s Abdominal Transplant Clinic is open every Thursday to cater specifically to the Spanish-speaking community.

“People were losing kidneys because they didn’t understand what kidneys were,” De Boccardo said in an interview. “With the language, we think it is easier for them.”

More than 26 million Americans and some 1.3 million New Yorkers suffer from chronic kidney disease, many of whom may need a life-saving kidney transplant. But of the 7,321 people waiting in line for a transplant, only 1,199 of them (16 percent) are Hispanic.

Montefiore’s new clinic is trying to increase the number of Hispanics who sign up for transplants.

All of the clinic’s staff is fluent in Spanish and all literature is printed in Spanish.

De Boccardo, a native Argentine, begins each appointment by holding an individual “class” with each patient. The session details every aspect of abdominal transplant surgeries, most of which are kidney transplants, starting from the first kidney transplant in 1954 and ending with a question and answer session.

“We are a team. From now on, you can call me anytime,” De Boccardo told a patient recently. “I am going to become como su novia” (like your girlfriend).

The class is followed by a thorough evaluation of each patient as well as meetings with a financial coordinator and a social worker. By the end of their first visit, patients are on their way to receiving what De Boccardo calls “un segundo oportunidad que vivir bien” (a second chance at a good life).

In the last three months, 15 people have received “second chances” through the center. The clinic now sees up to 20 patients on an average Thursday, and its popularity is still growing, doctors say.

Ramona Uribe, who accompanied her mother Maria Uribe, 73, on a recent visit to the clinic, is anxious to spread the word about her experience with the center. Both mother and daughter said that they were “very happy,” with the attention they received from the staff and that the transplant process is moving “very quickly.”

People need to be “proactive” about transplants, Ramona said, noting that her mother made an appointment with the center after hearing about it from a friend. “I think I’m going to go back and tell everyone to do what my mother did,” she said. “It works.”

Still, some locals are not convinced about transplants, or the clinic, said Teresa Ramos, the transplant liaison for the clinic. “A transplant, yes, is scary, but with education we can ease their concerns and make them feel comfortable,” she said.

Ramos says a candidate for a transplant will currently wait five to seven years for a match, which means getting in line early is crucial.

As the staff seeks to educate the local community about transplants, De Boccardo says that the clinic is “a beginning.” De Boccardo and colleagues envision using videos and a post-transplant clinic to encourage healthy eating and regular exercise, the best ways to avoid abdominal diseases.

“We have to start at the end to go to the beginning,” De Boccardo said, as she explained that disease prevention would be the ideal aim of the clinic. “My dream would be that we teach the community how to prevent [abdominal disease]. We don’t want to be resuscitated. We want to have life.”

80th AD Challenger Robert Giuffre Opens Up

By Norwood News

The Norwood News sent questionnaires to the candidates of 80th Assembly District, which includes Norwood as well as Morris Park. Incumbent Naomi Rivera did not respond, but her upstart challenger, 27-year-old former Obama operative Robert Giuffre did. Below is an undedited sampling of Giuffre’s answers. For the full list of questions and answers, click here.

Will you serve as a full-time legislator? If not, what other jobs will you also keep?
Yes, being that the annual salary is $80,000, I believe it is only fair to work full-time and to not collect outside income that could merit a conflict of interest.  I would however volunteer some of my time to help other future reform-minded candidates to help implement real change in Albany.

What can you do as a state legislator to address high unemployment in the Bronx?
Experimental job sharing is a good way to not only create jobs, but also increase quality of service.  Technological unemployment combined with a lackluster economy has produced a devastatingly bad job market for young people and the recently laid off.  Job sharing seems like the most logical, foolproof option that would not only create jobs, but would also increase productivity and quality of service.

State government could also offer tax incentives to industries that provide well paying jobs to lure business to New York and the Bronx.  The Bronx is strategically located within the tristate area: it is close to Manhattan, New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut and Long Island.  The strategic location, coupled with tax incentives, could lead some businesses to relocate. 

Name three things you would do to reform the legislative process in Albany.
I would draft or co-sponsor legislation that would emulate the NYC Campaign Finance Program at the state level.
Budget reforms like implementing GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles), a five year budget plan, and creation of an independent budget board. 

I would also support reforming the member item “pork” spending practices that set up situations of “horse trading” in the legislative process.  Member item money could be distributed equally to all members regardless of rank or political capital.

What do you think about the state’s current tax structure?
I believe an unfair burden is placed on the backs of working families.  There are many working poor families in the Bronx who fall between the cracks of our economic system.  They have too much money to benefit from public programs, but do not have enough money to live without worry on a daily basis.  The state needs to stop causing economic devastation onto families faced with nickel and dime taxes.  We should raise the state income tax and increase new tiers within the tax structure. A person making $40,000 a year should not pay the same tax rate as someone earning $400,000.  The state should also seriously consider implementing a stock transfer fee tax, a tax I would support. 

Police Called to Espada Event Fracas

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Tensions were running high at a campaign event hosted by Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. — and crashed by a group of vociferous anti-Espada protesters — on the second to last weekend before the Sept. 14 primary.

Espada was handing out free bags of groceries to residents in his district outside of the Mosholu branch of the New York Public Library, at 285 E.205th St., when the police were called to moderate a scuffle between a member of Espada’s staff and a political blogger, Rafael Martinez Alequin.  

Martinez Alequin is a City Hall gadfly who runs a blog called Your Free Press and who has a contentious relationship with Espada. He sued the Senator’s son two years ago for breaking his camera during a scuffle at a parade.

At this weekend’s event, according to a witness, one of Espada’s staff members was filming Martinez Alequin with a cell phone camera. Martinez Alequin then knocked the cell phone away, he said.

“We were shocked about that, because it’s not right,” said Haile Rivera, who works for Espada’s campaign. The man who was filming Martinez Alequin was a staff member who volunteers on weekends, he said.

“He was just holding it in front of his face, and kind of taunting him,” said Patrick Wynne, who was watching the drama from across the street, where he and other members of the New Roosevelt Initiative — an anti-Espada political group that’s supporting rival candidate Gustavo Rivera — were holding up signs to protest the Senator.

“As soon as [Martinez-Alequin] raised his hand, the Espada folks just started screaming, ‘He assaulted him!’” Wynne continued, adding that the police were called and took statements from both sides.

The New Roosevelt protesters were also asked to move across the street, where they got into a chanting match with some of Espada’s staff.

“They tried to intimitade, us getting up in our faces, you know, that stuff. But it doesn’t faze our volunteers,” said Yorman Nunez, the head of the New Roosevelt Initiative’s Bronx office.

Espada, meanwhile, steered clear of the conflict — staying in his car for a while before coming out to briefly greet the residents who’d shown up to claim their free groceries. 

“He was there maybe less than 10 minutes,” Wynne said.  

 

The 33rd Senate District Candidates on the Issues

By Norwood News

Last month, the Norwood News asked candidates in the 33rd District Senate race to answer, in writing, a number of questions concerning their political positions, their thoughts on key issues in the community, and what they would do if elected.

Daniel Padernacht and Gustavo Rivera got back to us, but State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., the incumbent, didn’t. In an e-mail, a staffer of his wrote: “Thank you for the survey, however we will not be participating at this time. The Senator’s positions will be made available via other media, including his website and Facebook.”

The accompanying grid contains a synopsis of Rivera’ answers. As Espada didn’t provide any, we’ve attempted to fill in some of the gaps for him, using his voting record and comments he’s made in the past to the press. Padernacht withdrew from the race last weeked.

Candidates’ full unedited answers are posted on the Bronx News Network’s website.

Will you serve as a full-time legislator? If not, what other jobs will you also keep?
RIVERA: I would love to be able to continue to teach if elected, but only if it doesn’t interfere with my legislative duties and is not deemed a conflict of interest.
ESPADA: As well as being a state senator and the Senate majority leader, Espada is the founder, president and CEO of Soundview Healthcare Network, a non-profit healthcare agency which runs several health centers, including Burnside Medical Center at 165 E. Burnside Ave.

How would you describe yourself politically (e.g. liberal, conservative, etc.)? Name three political figures you admire. What books have you read recently?
RIVERA: I am a progressive. I believe we must address the basic issues: quality education, universal healthcare, pensions for retirees, unemployment, and regulation of business to protect hard-working families. President Obama is a great example of a progressive elected official. I recently read The Power Broker by Robert Caro.
ESPADA: In 2009, during what became known as the Senate coup, Espada briefly defected to the Republican side of the aisle, bringing Albany business to a standstill.

If you were a member of the City Council last December, would you have voted for or against the Bloomberg administration’s proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall?
RIVERA: I did not support the Mayor’s plan because it did not contain the things I believe any publicly-funded development should contain, which would include: a living wage for ALL workers — from the construction workers who build the site to every employee who works in the completed complex; labor agreements that guarantee the rights of workers to organize if they do not belong to a union; and community benefits agreements.
ESPADA: Espada has rarely gone on the record expressing his views as to what should be done with the armory.

What can you do as a state legislator to address high unemployment in the Bronx?
RIVERA: Many residents in our community work in vital fields: teaching our children, taking care of our elderly, and saving lives as nurses and hospital workers. Yet these important jobs are often the first cut in times of economic worry. I will resist these cuts.

Do you support sin taxes, such as the so-called “soda tax”? Why or why not?
RIVERA: In principle I tend to oppose any measure that disproportionately hurts the poorest members of our community. That said, I would have supported the soda tax. The negative health impacts of sugary beverages regressively affect people in poorer communities.
ESPADA: Espada opposed the “soda tax.”

What’s your position on vacancy decontrol [a law which allows a landlord to increase a vacant rent-regulated apartment’s rent to whatever the market will stand once it hits $2,000 a month]? Any other housing legislation you would like to see moved in Albany?
RIVERA: I absolutely support any bill that repeals vacancy decontrol. I also support State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ bill on adequate protections for former Mitchell-Lama & Section 8 tenants.
ESPADA: Espada has said he’s in favor of repealing vacancy decontrol. But as chair of the Senate’s housing committee, he’s been criticized by housing advocates for not making this — and other tenant-friendly legislation — a priority. Instead he’s proposed a “rent freeze” bill which, if passed, would freeze the rent of low and moderate-income households. Critics say it would also enable landlords who illegally removed apartments from rent regulation to keep them at market rate.
 
What can you do as a state legislator to address drug dealing and other crime problems in the Bronx?
RIVERA: We have to support the police in our community, while at the same time working to create better living conditions for all members of the community. Crime can be a symptom of high unemployment rates and low standards of living.

What’s your position on same-sex marriage? Abortion rights?
RIVERA: I am 100 percent pro-marriage equality and 100 percent pro-choice.
ESPADA: In the past, Espada has voted in favor of gay marriage. He is pro-choice.

Public and Community Meetings

By Alex Gibbons

•    Community Board 7 will hold its general board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The location has yet to be decided.  For more information, and for details of upcoming committee meetings and other CB7 meetings and events, visit bronxcb7.info/calendar or call (718) 933-5650.
•    The Croton Facilities Monitoring Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, Sept. 16, at the DEP’s community office, at 3660 Jerome Ave. Call the office nearer the time at (718) 231-8470 to confirm the day and time.
•    The 52nd Precinct Community Council will meet on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the 52nd Precinct headquarters, 3016 Webster Ave. For more information, call (718) 220-5824.
•    State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. will be hosting a Bronx Immigration Forum on Sept. 9, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Bronx Community College, 2155 University Ave. in the Gould Memorial Library. For more information, call (718) 652-4968.

Toward Finish, Cash Rolling in for Espada

By Jeanmarie Evelly

According to the latest campaign filing reports, State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., the incumbent in the 33rd Senate District, is swimming in excess campaign cash, while his primary opponent, Gustavo Rivera, is gaining ground, but spending money at a much higher rate.

Espada has raised a whopping $484,855.51 in contributions since last year. Espada, who serves as the chair of the Senate’s Housing Committee, gets a large portion of his contributions from landlords. By the Bronx News Network’s calculation, he received nearly $200,000 from groups or individuals associated with building management and real estate (he’s also been criticized by pro-tenant groups who say progressive housing legislation has stalled since Espada took over as committee head).

Espada also got a recent donation from Hank Sheinkopf, a political consultant whose expertise on the race has been quoted in media outlets like the Daily News, the New York Times, and this one.

“So what?” Sheinkopf said when asked about his $500 contribution. “My analysis has nothing to do with who I give money to.”

As for what Espada’s spent, it’s not even half of what he’s raised: he listed $191,068.76 in campaign expenditures this year. A lot of that was on printing and mailing campaign literature, and a little over $36,000 went to Gil Rentas, a video production company.

Other expenses include a few thousand on school supplies, which he handed out in his district a few weeks ago, $14,000 in contributions to other political campaigns, and $3,243 to the State Board of Elections for violation fees (Espada has a history of failing to file his campaign disclosure reports.)

Rival candidate Gustavo Rivera — now the only remaining challenger, since lawyer Dan Padernacht dropped out this past weekend — pulled in $187,883.80 in campaign contributions.

Much of that came in the form of smaller donations from individuals, as well as bigger funds from the many unions and organizations that have endorsed Rivera over the last month or so (like 1199 SEIU, the Committee of Interns and Residents, and a number of other labor groups).

Rivera has in turn spent $114,667.84, much of it going to consulting fees and to fund-raising through ActBlue, a website for Democratic campaigns.
—Jeanmarie Evelly

 

To Your Health

By Editorial

It’s no secret that the Bronx is home to some of the worst health stats around – from obesity and asthma to HIV and diabetes. That’s why in this issue we’re inaugurating our Be Healthy! section, a new, regular feature with news and information that can, we hope, be just one tool in helping our readers pursue an active, healthy lifestyle. If there are any health issues, programs or resources you’d like us to cover or include, please e-mail norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org. Thanks!

Vote Sept. 14

By Editorial

There is so much anger and disgust with our state legislature, perhaps the most dysfunctional in the entire country, that we often lose sight of one of the best remedies: voting.

It sounds Pollyannaish but it’s not. A tiny fraction of registered voters in this area usually vote in primaries like the upcoming one for Assembly and State Senate, particularly when there’s no Democratic primary for mayor or governor. Just a small uptick in voting would inevitably impact local elections and make our elected officials work harder.

When people stay away from the polls in droves, accountability is absent and even the best-intentioned elected official can forget who’s boss. Poor turnout also means elected officials don’t really have to care what most concerns constituents. It’s actually like having no boss at all.

State politics may not be as sexy as a presidential election but it arguably has a greater impact on the day-to-day lives of New Yorkers. In addition to making laws, state government oversees school policy and contributes to the budgets for every social service and public amenity imaginable.

The Norwood News does not make endorsements because we are published by a nonprofit, Mosholu Preservation Corporation. But we do endorse, encourage and promote participation. We hope you’ll read our articles and all other news and information regarding the election that you can get your hands on.

Hope to see you all at the polls on Tuesday, Sept. 14.

New Voting Machines Getting Mixed Reviews at Demos

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Voters hitting the polls in state elections this fall won’t have any levers to pull this time. The State Board of Elections has traded in the old machines for a new voting system, debuting in New York on Sept. 14 during the Democratic primary.

In the buildup to the primary, the Board of Elections has been holding demonstrations throughout the five boroughs to teach voters how to use the new machines. Two weeks ago, the Bedford Park Senior Center on East 204th Street hosted one of these demonstrations.

The process goes something like this: voters are given new paper ballots to fill in by hand, using a pen and coloring in a bubble for the candidate of their choice, much like a high school standardized test. They then bring their ballots over to a scanner and insert them into the machines to cast their votes.

The changes were put in place to comply with a federal law enacted after the confusion of the 2000 election, and New York is the very last state to make the switch. Still, patrons at the Bedford Park Center were resistant to the change.

“I’m afraid of computers,” said Millie Gilliamsen. “But I’ll adjust.”
The machines have received mostly negative reviews so far.

Complaints range from ballot lettering that’s too small to read (it is, though magnifying glasses are provided) to confusing directions that could result in voters filling in more than one bubble (or voting for more than one candidate) for a seat. If the latter happens, the scanner machine will let the voter know that they’ve “over voted” and give them the option of going back to the beginning and getting a whole new ballot. Or they can choose to cast their vote anyway, in which case, it wouldn’t count.

“I think they should have left the old machines as they were,” said Mary Diab, as she filled out her demo ballot in the center’s rec room. “I don’t think it’s simplifying the voting process. It’s complicating it.”

Seniors weren’t the only ones at the Bedford Park Senior Center meeting. Two workers who said they were from State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr.’s office were also in attendance. They showed up just before the voting demonstration was set to begin, and went around the room asking people to join a mailing list and handing out fliers that praised the embattled Senate Majority Leader.

“No one works harder for seniors than Senator Espada,” one of the leaflets read. It also advertised a “senior outing” to Yonkers Raceway, while another flier listed grants that Espada’s given out to neighborhood groups this year.

The staffers were soon pulled aside by the Senior Center’s executive dDirector, who told them they couldn’t hand out fliers during a voting event, since anything that could be deemed “campaigning” is not allowed.

Espada is one of three candidates who will appear on the new ballots Sept. 14. He is being challenged by political aide Gustavo Rivera. Daniel Padernacht will also be on the ballot, but withdrew from the race (see cover story).

 

Gun Hill Road: The Movie

By Bobby Rice

Rashaad Ernesto Green, who wrote and is directing the film “Gun Hill Road” as part of his senior thesis for NYU’s Graduate Film Program, is quite familiar with the neighborhoods that encompass the street his film is named after.

His parents first met in a McDonald’s on East Gun Hill Road near Boston Road. He says the rest of his family remains entrenched near and along the heavily-trafficked thoroughfare as well as other Bronx neighborhoods.  According to the film’s producer, Michelle-Anne Small, Green spent every weekend during filming in the Bronx visiting family and friends.

“Gun Hill Road,” which stars Bronx Walk of Famers Judy Reyes (“Scrubs,”  “OZ”) and Esai Morales (“Bad Boys,” “La Bamba”), tells the fictional story of a Puerto Rican family whose patriarch, Enrique Rodriguez, returns from three years in prison and attempts to reestablish his role as a father and husband.

But when Enrique discovers that his son is transgendered and that his wife has found a new lover, Enrique struggles to adjust.

The story, although fictional, is a product of Green’s many years spent growing up in the Bronx as well as a stretch spent teaching in the South Bronx.

Small said Green was able to land Judy Reyes and Esai Morales through the film’s casting agent, who happened to be a “friend of a friend” to both actors. Once the actors had read the script, both were on board and excited to begin.

“Gun Hill Road” is not Green’s first film to be based in a Bronx neighborhood. His 2008 film, “Premature” — a story about a streetwise Bronx teenager who receives no support from her community when she becomes pregnant — won the Grand Prize in the HBO Short Film Competition at the American Black Film Festival. Green’s other short, “Cuts,” can currently be viewed on HBO.

The film, which was shot entirely in the Bronx, recently finished up filming and is currently in post-production. No release date has been announced.

Pleas for Justice Following Brutal Daylight Murder

By Bobby Rice

While exiting heavily-used St. James Park on a recent Sunday evening, young father, Jelani Ciria, was executed — shot in the chest at least six times — in broad daylight.

Somebody must have seen something.

That’s what police and family members as well as local political and religious leaders continue to believe. They are urging witnesses to come forward with any information that might aid investigators in their search for Ciria’s killers. A 15-year-old boy was also hit by a stray bullet, but is expected to fully recover. 

“We all know who did this” said Ciria’s brother during a public prayer vigil two days after Ciria was murdered. “We just want somebody to go to jail. This was a hit, the Spanish Bloods, drug dealers. They came to the memorial and knocked over candles we had lit for Jelani.”

According to police, as Ciria, 20, left St. James Park, near the corner of 192nd Street and Creston Avenue, just after 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29, two unidentified males got out of a car on Creston Avenue and opened fire. Police said Ciria was shot about six or seven times, but the bullets left some 17 holes in his body.

“Make no mistake, this was a brutal homicide,” said Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo, the commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct. “It’s an atrocity.”

After being briefed on the details of the case, Monroe College Criminal Justice Professor Willford Pinkney, a former NYPD detective, said the murder was “retaliatory. The victim probably was not an innocent bystander and probably had a criminal record.”

According to a source who spoke to the Ciria family and who requested anonymity, Jelani had been on his way home from an inpatient substance abuse program on 167th Street and Franklin Avenue. Sunday was the one day a week Ciria was allowed to leave the program facilities to visit his family, the source said.
D’Adamo said Five-Two detectives were exploring a bunch of “fruitful leads,” but added that they needed the community’s help. “The public knows what’s going on out there,” he said. “It’s so frustrating.”

D’Adamo wanted to assure anyone who came forward that they will remain completely anonymous. He added that undocumented immigrants had nothing to fear in talking with police, who would not ask about their immigration status.
Last week, two days after the shooting, St. James Park clamored with youth engaged in pickup baseball and basketball games, couples walking their dogs and a playground teeming with young children.
Near the eastern edge of the park, a small gathering of political and religious leaders, members of the community and mourning family members held a prayer vigil.

Organized by City Councilman Fernando Cabrera and Bishop Fernando Rodriguez, the vigil was intended as the beginning steps for community action following Ciria’s murder, which underscored the borough’s rising murder rate.

Several speakers, including Cabrera and Ciria’s brother, pleaded with witnesses to come forward. Cabrera urged people to call police if they see anyone harboring illegal guns. “If these guns weren’t on the streets, this man wouldn’t have died.”

“You are going to continue being afraid if you don’t say something,” Cabrera added. “This is a form of terrorism, it is urban terrorism.” 

State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. also joined the vigil and announced that his office was offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provided information leading to the arrest of Ciria’s murderer — in addition to the $2,000 the NYPD offers for any information that leads to an arrest in a violent crime.

Getting people to come forward isn’t as easy as it sounds, Pinkney said. 

The killers probably know “eyewitnesses won’t say anything,” Pinkney said. “Witnesses probably live in the same neighborhood as the killers or are usually immigrants afraid of being deported. If you testify people will see your face, get your name and address.”

While Pinkney understands people’s fears, he also said the public doesn’t realize that it is the police department’s job to protect witnesses. “Realistic discussions need to be had between the community and police about the rights and protections of those in the public that come forward,” he said.
 

State Senate Showdown: Gustavo vs. Pedro

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Daniel Padernacht, the Kingsbridge Heights lawyer who was one of two candidates challenging incumbent State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. in next week’s election, abruptly dropped his bid on Sunday, announcing in a statement that he would instead get behind former opponent Gustavo Rivera.

His decision stemmed from the reality that he might lose, Padernacht said in a phone interview.

“I sat down with my family to talk it over, and we thought we had a good shot, but we didn’t think that it was an iron-clad win,” he said. “We talked about the cons — that if we didn’t win, and if Gustavo didn’t win, and that was basically Pedro getting back in office. None of us wanted to drop out. In our hearts we wanted to keep going, but we thought the best thing to do is to join forces with Gustavo. We know how powerful Espada is, and we figured just a unified Democratic force was a much better way to go about it.”

His announcement came as a shock to many, with Padernacht—as recently as last week—previously blasting Rivera for having done little in the community. But he said a long phone conversation he had with Rivera this weekend changed his mind and relieved him of some of his concerns.

“I think he’ll be open to listening to residents, and he has promise for learning the community,” Padernacht said, adding that he’ll be willing to work with Rivera and frequently voice his concerns to him should he get elected.

Padernacht also reached out to state Democratic Party Executive Director Charlie King, who himself had dropped out of a bid for lieutenant governor just before the primary in 2002. King reassured him that he was making the right decision, Padernacht said.

Padernacht had been getting pressure to drop his bid for months, as Rivera’s campaign picked up political steam and a long list of major endorsements, including Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., the city’s public advocate and comptroller and former mayor Ed Koch.

The anti-Espada camp has rallied hard for the Senate majority leader’s defeat, based on a number of issues. Espada played a crucial role in the Senate coup last summer that froze the state legislature for nearly a month; he has been accused by the state attorney general of siphoning more than $14 million from his network of nonprofit health clinics; he is widely believed to live in Westchester, and not the Bronx district that he represents; and he’s incurred the wrath of many tenant advocates for accepting campaign money from landlords and for dragging his feet on important housing legislation (Espada heads the Senate Housing Committee).

Those who want Espada out argued that Padernacht would have taken precious votes away from Rivera, making the primary race—where voter turnout is historically low—Espada’s to lose. 

Meanwhile, Espada has been upping his political game in the last few weeks before the election. He’s hosted a number of “giveaways” in his district, handing out free bags of groceries and school supplies. He has organized a forum to discuss immigration issues with Majority Conference Leader John Sampson, and led a “march for peace and unity” to commemorate the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic march on Washington.

“Espada has got lots of supporters and lots of detractors,” said Christina Greer, an assistant professor of political science at Fordham University. “It means whether or not he can mobilize his base to really vote for him the way they have in the past, and even more so.”

Padernacht’s withdrawal, however, could be a clear boost for the Rivera camp, said Hank Sheinkopf, a political consultant who has also contributed money to Espada’s campaign.

“It should certainly assist Rivera,” he said. “It will all get down to who turns out to vote.”

Padernacht’s name will still appear on the ballot, which could result in some voter confusion. Haile Rivera, who works for Espada’s campaign, said they aren’t worried.

“I think the Padernacht voters will not vote, because their leader was Padernacht,” he said. “I don’t see them going to Gustavo at all.”

Padernacht says he’ll spend the next week spreading word to his supporters. He held a press conference Tuesday to formally back Rivera and he has spent the last few days making phone calls.

“The most difficult part is hearing the disappointment on the other end of the telephone,” he said. But he says he also knows he made the right choice.

“This was purely sacrificing my candidacy for something bigger,” he said. “I think this race is bigger than me.”
 

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