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2010 Year in Review: Espada Loses Seat; Freedom Next?

By James Fergusson

If 2010 was a terrible year for Pedro Espada, Jr., the soon-to-be former state senator, then 2011 could be even worse.

In April, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed a civil suit, charging that Espada had used Soundview HealthCare Network, the nonprofit he founded and runs, as a “personal piggy bank.” He stole $14 million, the suit alleges, spending it on family trips, restaurant bills and, famously, take-out sushi delivered to Espada’s Westchester home.

The following day, the FBI raided Soundview’s offices, carting off boxes of files and paperwork to be used as evidence. Espada, the then-majority leader (a post he landed in return for ending the Senate “coup” he orchestrated in 2009), brushed off the allegations and insisted Cuomo’s attacks were politically motivated.

He continued to brush off allegations, raised throughout his time in office, that he prioritized landlords’ interests over tenants’ and that his primary residence was in Westchester, not Bedford Park. Read more

2010 Year in Review: Armory Fight Spawns Legislation, More Task Forces

By Alex Kratz

If 2009 was the year the city finally voted on a proposal to redevelop the enormous and vacant Kingsbridge Armory, then 2010 was the year everyone tried to figure out the significance of the City Council deciding overwhelmingly, one year ago, to kill a Bloomberg-backed plan to mold the Armory into a shopping mall.

The Armory plan fell apart when activist groups and elected officials demanded the Armory mall provide living wage jobs ($10 an hour, plus benefits or $11.50 an hour without) in exchange for the developer, Related Companies, receiving tens of millions of dollars in city tax breaks and subsidies. Related wouldn’t budge, Bloomberg scrapped a compromise effort and the Council thwarted the mall plan, twice voting almost unanimously to stop it.

Related officials repeatedly said they would not be opposed to guaranteeing living wages if it was the law of the land in New York City. But the Big Apple has been slow, compared to other large cities like Los Angeles, to legislate or attach any strings that might impede development deals. Development is good for development’s sake, Bloomberg has long proselytized.

But the Armory fight proved development wasn’t enough to satisfy community activists, job advocates and Bronx elected officials. It also proved the city needed to formalize its policy regarding job creation and city subsidies. Read more

2010 Year in Review: After the Fires, Frustration

By Alex Kratz

For many Norwood-area residents and merchants, 2010 was a frustrating year as the community struggled to rebound from two devastating fires that left a gaping hole in the heart of a thriving shopping district.

The site of the first fire, which took place last Halloween morning, is now a weed-infested lot surrounded by warped, graffiti-riddled plywood boards. It’s an eyesore made even more maddening to residents and other business owners by the fact that the owner, Evelyn Jacobsen, has done nothing with the property.

On top of that, Jacobsen has refused to talk with the press or the local community board about her plans.
Some of the destroyed businesses have re-opened nearby or farther away, while others have called it quits altogether. A few of the remaining businesses, like Hillside Meat and Deli, are doing well, but many are struggling with the loss of foot traffic.

“It’s sad, it’s a shame, it’s bad, very bad,” said Nick Delija, the owner of Nicky’s Pizza, which sits just across the street from the empty lot. “I don’t have words to say [how bad it is].”

The owner of Hair Shoppe, a long-standing salon on Bainbridge, near East 205th Street, attributed the demise of her business to the second fire, which took out the strip’s major supermarket, Foodtown, and two other businesses. People used to get their hair done after picking up their groceries, but no longer.

Foodtown is rebuilding a bigger store with more shopping options that is scheduled to open in January. They are expanding into space formerly occupied by a dentist’s office and the American Diner, whose owner, Mohammed Quadir, was arrested and charged with arson for allegedly paying someone to set the blaze.

Quadir’s trial could begin sometime early this year.

2010 Year in Review: Discovery H.S. Gardeners Remake School Lunch

By Jeanmarie Evelly

A group of Bronx students are helping to lead a green revolution right out of their own classroom, growing their own herbs and vegetables as part of gardening program at Discovery High School, on the Walton Campus in Kingsbridge Heights.

The project is the brainchild of Steve Ritz, a longtime public school teacher who decided to incorporate some real life plants into his earth science and biology classes, rather than have his students read about them in a book. Before long, the classroom was the garden, and his students now grow their own herbs and vegetables in tall, vertical planters they keep in the back of the room. Read more

2010 Year in Review: Violent Crime Rises in City, Borough, Precinct

By Alex Kratz

If you look at the latest statistics published by the NYPD for the 52nd Precinct — which encompasses the entire Norwood News coverage area — overall crime is down by less than one-half of one percent.

But even that miniscule drop in crime is deceiving. The Five-Two was hit hard in 2010; by a barrage of murders, a significant rise in felony assaults (including shootings) and rapes, as well as a string of robberies that rocked area churches in late fall.

Authorities did make headway on two of the area’s most intractable problems — drug dealing and prostitution — but those crimes continue to impact the lives of residents in several neighborhoods. Read more

2010 Year in Review: Tolentine on Mend After Suspicious Fire

By Jeanmarie Evelly

St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, on University Avenue and Fordham Road, is still rebuilding this winter after a two-alarm fire severely damaged much of the

parish’s front vestibule in March.

“It’s progressing,” said Father Joseph Girone. “It looks like it could be done by Easter, and we’re looking forward to having something to really celebrate then.”

Girone said Fire Department officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, which broke out the morning of March 5 and appeared to have been set deliberately because of its intensity and how it quickly it spread, Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Scanlon told the Norwood News at the time.

“It was no accident,” Girone said. Read more

2010 Year in Review: Muller the New Armory?

By Alex Kratz

The Muller Army Reserve Center in Wakefield is fast becoming the new Kingsbridge Armory. As of press time, the mayor’s office and Bronx officials (and activists) are in complete disagreement on how to best fill the vacant Muller Center, which the Department of Defense handed over to the city late last year as part of its BRAC program.

The Muller Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) — made up of Diaz and two deputy mayors — was tasked with coming up with a plan for the center.

Diaz pushed a plan that would relocate the National Guard units, currently housed in the Armory’s annex building, to the Muller Center, which would keep the guard units in the Bronx and open up space for new schools in the Armory’s annex buildings.

The deputy mayors, however, want the center to house a 200-bed homeless shelter and were poised to out-vote Diaz to get their way. The mayor’s office says BRAC guidelines clearly require empty bases to be used for homeless services, but that is oversimplifying. BRAC guidelines only require that homeless assistance be a consideration, not a requirement. Read more

2010 Year in Review: Missing a Bronx Hero

By Jordan Moss

Megan Charlop cared.

Everyone who knew her knows that. But her death last March at the age of 57 in a bicycling accident focused the broad community of family, friends, and colleagues she knitted together over 30 years — as a Bronx mom, advocate and activist — on just how much she cared and accomplished in her too-short life.

Megan worked for Montefiore Medical Center for 26 years. She was instrumental in creating the Safe House for Lead Poisoning Prevention o

n Mosholu Parkway. For the last seven years she directed the community health department of Montefiore’s School Health Program, where, in an effort to combat childhood obesity, she was central to citywide efforts to remove high-calorie sweetened milk from school cafeterias and to create more opportunities for healthy eating and exercise. The head of School Health, Dr. David Appel, called Megan “a true genius in community health and advocacy.” Read more

2010 Year in Review: The Curious Case of Billy “Peanut” Murphy

By Alex Kratz

The year’s most mysterious and potentially disturbing death came on a Sunday morning in August.

At St. Barnabas Hospital, Billy “Peanut” Murphy, a heavy drinking, big hearted, homeless man who often took refuge in Epiphany Lutheran Church on East 206th Street, succumbed to severe injuries suffered days earlier.

Epiphany Lutheran Vicar Bob Rainis, a former NYPD homicide detective, read Murphy his last rites and came away convinced “Peanut” had been the victim of a savage beating that led to his death.

Rainis, along with many local residents and a core group of Murphy’s drinking buddies, said Murphy’s beating was only the latest attack on the area’s homeless population. In the last two years, at least three other homeless men may have been beaten. One died and police classified the case an accident. Two others haven’t been seen or heard from since. Read more

2010 Year in Review: Up-and-Coming Gustavo Rivera Defeats Espada

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Gustavo Rivera, an adjunct politics professor and former political aide, took the Bronx political scene by storm this year when he defeated State Sen. Pedro

Espada, Jr., for his seat in the 33rd District in the northwest Bronx.

Rivera, a 34-year-old Kingsbridge Heights resident and former aide to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, beat out a number of other primary contenders in what quickly became one of the most watched and dramatic races in the state.

He announced his candidacy in May, becoming the fourth person to challenge Espada — community activist Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, Community Board 7 District Manager Fernando Tirado, and Kingsbridge Heights lawyer Daniel Padernacht were all already vying for the seat.

One by one, all three candidates dropped out of the race, as Rivera’s campaign gained momentum and racked up political endorsements. He won the support of the Working Families Party, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the New Roosevelt Initiative, a newly formed political group that pledged $250,000 to defeat Espada.

Just a week before the primary, Padernacht, the last candidate in the race, dropped his bid to throw his support behind Rivera in a united front against Espada, who was facing a number of legal problems at the time and had gained unfavorable notoriety for his role in the 2008 State Senate coup.

On Sept. 14, Rivera won a landslide victory over Espada and went on to easily win the General Election on Nov. 3. He’s since been appointed to the Borough President’s Kingsbridge Armory Task Force, the team that will decide what to do with the long-vacant historic building. He’ll begin his term as State Senator starting Jan. 2.

2010 Year in Reviw: Run-down Buildings Land in City Spotlight

By Jeanmarie Evelly

This year, a portfolio of dilapidated apartment buildings in the northwest Bronx gained public attention, becoming the city’s poster child for tenants suffering in overleveraged properties.

The buildings were owned by Milbank Real Estate, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles that purchased them during the boom times with a risky $35 million mortgage. In 2009, Milbank defaulted on the loan, sending the properties into foreclosure proceedings and into the hands of the loan’s servicer, LNR Property Corp., which has been looking to sell them to a new owner.
Since foreclosure, Milbank tenants have seen conditions in their homes deteriorate.  The 10 properties have more than 3,000 housing violations among them.

“We shouldn’t have to live like this,” Sergio Cuevas, whose apartment at 2785 Sedgwick Ave. is plagued by leaks, mold and rotting floors, told the Norwood News this fall. “I don’t invite anyone over to my home.”

With the help of organizers from the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition and lawyers from Legal Services-NYC, Milbank tenants caught the attention of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who commissioned an architectural firm to assess damage in the buildings. The firm estimated repairs could cost up to $26 million.

Department of Housing and Preservation Commissioner Rafael Cestero personally took a tour of three Milbank buildings in October, saying conditions there are some of the worst he’s ever seen. HPD then vowed to take a proactive role in inspecting all of the properties and making emergency repairs to them.

In the most recent victory for tenants, a Bronx Supreme Court judge ordered LNR to pay $2.5 million in making repairs on the properties early this month, though that amount is just a fraction of what advocates say is needed to make the buildings livable.

2010 Year in Review: Harris Cleanup Costing Other Parks

By Alex Kratz

There’s a new twist to the saga that has become the remaking of Harris Field in Bedford Park.

Last year, the Norwood News uncovered the Parks Department’s finding of heavy lead contamination underneath the soil at Harris, which caused delays and cost the city $5.2 million to mitigate.

While the city searched for a company to do the cleanup work, residents continued to use the contaminated site, but it wasn’t until a decomposing dead body was found inside the park’s weak fencing in July that the Parks Department got serious about keeping people out.

Now reportedly free of contamination, construction of the new ball fields has restarted and Parks is hoping to complete them in time for youth baseball this spring.

The twist is that the problems at Harris are now affecting other parks in line to receive funding from the Department of Environmental Protection, which injected more than $200 million into Bronx parks in exchange for taking public parkland (in Van Cortlandt Park) to build the Croton Water Filtration Plant.

Regatta Park, which sits on the Harlem River and is more of an idea than an actual park, was supposed to receive $1.6 million to help transform it into something public and usable. But the Harris cleanup has sapped all but $93,000 earmarked for the project.

Councilman Fernando Cabrera is working with the DEP, Parks and the Department of Transportation (which currently controls the Regatta Park space) to see if they can still get the project going forward.

2010 Year in Review: Filter Plant Contractor Busted

By Alex Kratz

In what has become our annual recap of what’s gone wrong with the enormous filtration plant being built in Van Cortlandt Park, federal authorities announced this fall that one of the plant’s primary contractors committed fraud in its reported hiring of minority and women-owned businesses.

Schiavone Construction, which performed much of the tunneling and trucking during the early phases of the filtration plant project, agreed to pay the federal government $20 million in penalties. The company now doing the bulk of the construction work on the filtration plant, Skanska, is also under investigation for similar misdeeds.

Construction of the plant, which is more than $2 billion over budget, is now being done above ground and is on pace to be completed in 2012.
Much like other problems with the plant, one of the biggest municipal construction projects in city history, Department of Environmental Protection officials brushed off the controversy. “It probably sounds familiar to some people,” the DEP’s Mark Lanaghan told the audience at a recent monitoring committee meeting, according to the Riverdale Press. “[It’s] not completely unknown in the construction industry.”

2010 Year in Review: Racism Charges Ignored, Cemetery Workers Say

By Alex Kratz

The most controversial local labor story of the year came out of 147-year-old Woodlawn Cemetery.

For the past couple of years, minority workers at Woodlawn tried unsuccessfully to address what they said were acts of overt racism by supervisors. Their appeals to Woodlawn administrators fell on deaf ears, they said.

This year, however, their voices were amplified by a group called South Bronx Community Congress, which staged a series of rallies outside of the cemetery’s gates and demanded changes. City Councilman Charles Barron joined them for a rally over the summer that led to cemetery officials publically acknowledging that they had hired an independent investigator to look into the racism charges.

In early August, the cemetery released a statement saying that based on the investigation, they would be “reconfiguring” their supervising staff and make significant changes to the way they train both managers and general employees.

Nearly five months later, however, minority workers say nothing much has changed. On top of that, they say cemetery administrators are now telling them significant layoffs are looming.

2010 Year in Review: Ex-Pol Gonzalez Gets Jail Time

By Jeanmarie Evelly

State Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. wasn’t the first representative in the 33rd District to run into legal trouble.

His predecessor, Efrain Gonzalez, Jr., was sentenced to seven years in prison this May for similar federal charges. He was convicted of using two not-for-profit organizations to pay for personal expenses like Yankee tickets, jewelry, and rent for an apartment in the Dominican Republic.
Gonzalez’s sentencing came a year after he pleaded guilty to the fraud and conspiracy charges. Last winter, he attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he entered it based on bad legal advice from his lawyer. A federal judge denied the motion in April.

Before Gonzalez, former State Sen. Israel Ruiz, Jr., represented the northwest Bronx in Albany — until he was sentenced to six months in prison for lying on a loan application.

2010 Year in Review: Local Senior Center Saved From Closure

By James Fergusson

In June, seniors who frequent Tolentine Zeiser Senior Center were given some devastating news: The center, and dozens of others around in the city, were to be closed because of budget cuts.

Staff took the pictures off the walls and filled several cardboard boxes with Christmas lights and other supplies they’d accumulated over the years. And they readied themselves for June 30, the center’s last day of operation.

Then the unexpected happened. Tolentine and about 25 other senior centers in the five boroughs, including R.A.I.N Bailey in Kingsbridge Heights, were handed a last minute reprieve when Mayor Bloomberg and City Council speaker Christine Quinn struck a deal to restore funding.

Councilman Fernando Cabrera said he spoke to Quinn and was “just stubborn about it,” pointing out to her that his district had fewer senior centers than most others.

Tolentine’s seniors expressed relief that their “second home” remains open. But its future is uncertain. The 2011 budget “is going to be even worse,” Cabrera said, and more proposed cuts could be around the corner.

2010 Year in Review: Gay Bias Attacks Shock the Borough

By James Fergusson

The Bronx — and much of the country — was left reeling in October, when news broke of a horrific attack on several men and teens in Morris Heights.

Police say the perpetrators, members of a gang called the “Latin King Goonies,” chose their victims because they were gay or perceived to be gay. Among those attacked was a 30-year-old known locally as “La Reina” (“the Queen”). He was burned with cigarettes and sodomized with a small baseball bat, the authorities say.

On Oct. 28, more than 200 Bronx Community College students marched to the scene of the crime, a vacant house on Osborne Place just blocks from the campus, to show solidarity with the gay community.

The Bronx Community Pride Center, a LGBT organization, has also been active. Staff held a town-hall meeting in Morris Heights in early December, during which gay rights advocates and members of the public discussed ways to promote tolerance. (Executive Director Dirk McCall is hoping to schedule similar meetings in different parts of the Bronx in the new year.)

Seven individuals have been charged in connection with the attacks. Charges include unlawful imprisonment, sexual abuse, and assault — all as hate crimes. The authorities now say that two 17-year-olds originally charged in the case were actually victims.

In the weeks leading up to the attacks, there had been several widely-publicized teen suicides, including the Rutgers University student who jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. In all cases, the teens had been tormented for being gay.

And so, while 2010 will be remembered fondly by the gay community as the year the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was overturned, it will also be remembered for a series of homophobic acts; acts that cost lives.

Pedro Espada and Son Indicted on Federal Charges

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Controversial State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. was indicted by a Brooklyn grand jury on embezzlement and conspiracy charges, along with his son, Pedro Gautier Espada, according to a statement by the United States Attorney’s Office released on Tuesday.

Both men are charged with five counts of embezzlement — to the alleged tune of more than $500,000 — and one count of conspiracy. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count of embezzlement and five years for the conspiracy count. It could amount to 55 years behind bars.

Read more

The Education of a Councilman: Cabrera Makes Strides in First Year

By Alex Kratz

Councilman Fernando Cabrera’s office on the 17th floor of 250 Broadway, a large municipal building across the street from City Hall in downtown Manhattan, is spartan — the walls a blank canvas, the desk tops free of clutter. There are photos on and behind his desk: of a baby smiling, a close-up of a flower, a beautiful landscape. They are not his photos. They came with the frames.

The scene is fitting. As Cabrera enters the final weeks of his first year representing the 14th District, which includes Kingsbridge, University Heights, Morris Heights and Mt. Hope, two things have become clear: he has been busy and he is still moving in.

“Greg [Faulkner] is the best chief of staff in the world,” Cabrera says, smiling, “but he’s not much of a decorator.”

Besides, Faulkner, the former chairman of Community Board 7, has enough on his plate helping Cabrera navigate the complex machinery of the New York City Council.

“There’s always something new,” Cabrera says. “Always something to learn. This is the biggest city government, the biggest city budget.”

So Far, So Good

“I think he’s been an exceptional council member,” said Patrick Jenkins, a political consultant who worked on Cabrera’s campaign and continues to work for the Bronx County Democratic Committee. “He’s earned the respect of his colleagues. People find him approachable and dependable. He has a tremendous work ethic.”

Make no mistake, Cabrera remains low on the Council totem pole. City Hall, a newspaper that covers city politics, ranked him 47th out of 51 Council members in terms of influence and the money he is allocated for his district is relatively low compared to, say, Joel Rivera, who represents the district next door.

But Cabrera has impressed colleagues, helped constituents and made people forget about his predecessor.

Rivera, who supported incumbent Maria Baez despite strong Democratic and union support for Cabrera, said Cabrera “came in inquisitive and has been a very good student.”

Unlike Baez, who had the worst attendance record in the Council for years, Cabrera shows up to work. He has perfect attendance at “stated” Council meetings (when the whole body convenes) and says he’s made 89 percent of his committee meetings.

Recently, Cabrera has achieved some important firsts. This fall, he passed his first piece of legislation — a minor bill that aims to improve lighting efficiency in buildings. And in November, he became chairman of his first committee — technology — which gave the entire Bronx delegation chairmanships for the first time in recent memory.

Last week, he introduced a resolution calling on Congress to pass a bill that would fund local gang violence intervention programs.

It’s a problem area he has focused on since a group of young gang members (the Latin King Goonies) were arrested and charged with kidnapping and torturing two teenagers and a 30-year-old man for being gay. The crime, committed within his district, garnered national headlines.

Last year at this time, weeks before assuming office, Cabrera was already making regular trips to City Hall as the Council negotiated terms for the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, which is in his district. The Council ended up killing the project when the developers wouldn’t guarantee a “living wage” ($10 an hour plus benefits) for employees who would have worked at an Armory shopping mall. Cabrera says the Armory battle was a tremendous learning experience for him personally and also helped the Bronx representatives show their political strength as a delegation.

Fanfare and a Budget Crisis

The city’s Democratic elite showed up to his inauguration ceremony at Bronx Community College and predicted great things for this college professor and pastor who was a registered Republican up until 2008.

From the beginning, Cabrera found himself embroiled in budget talks, sifting through grant applications from community groups and fighting to save the handful of senior centers in his district.

In what he says was his biggest challenge this year, Cabrera managed to help save two of the five senior centers in his area from extinction by budget cuts. “The [Department of Aging] Commissioner was put in a difficult position [having to cut so much from its budget], but through persistence, we overcame resistance.”

There have been losses, too. Cabrera fought in vain to keep University Heights High School from being pushed off the Bronx Community College campus. But he is learning from his defeats.

“Dealing with the DOE [Department of Education] was not pleasant,” Cabrera says.

One of the most important things he learned during his rookie year is the limitations of his office. “The mayor holds a lot of control — schools, police,” Cabrera says, adding that his job is to work on the things he can control, like helping constituents in need.

All year, Zellnor Myrie, Cabera’s legislative director, says the 14th District team has “hit the streets,” letting residents know Cabrera’s office is there to help. He revamped an old city office on Burnside Avenue and is open for business starting at 8 a.m.

Most of the constituents he’s helped are walk-ins. Still, Cabrera’s office is exploring alternative modes of communication to increase his ability to help people. His staff developed an interactive website and a tool that allows you to text message complaints into the office. Now, Faulkner says, they are using computer software to track complaints and discover which issues are most affecting his constituents. (Overwhelming, it is tenants having trouble with their landlords.)

A Day at the Office

Last week, Cabrera started another whirlwind day with a breakfast meeting with representatives of DC 37, a union that represents city workers. Later, while waiting for a finance meeting to start, music began blaring from outside of his office window.

“Daycare workers,” Cabrera said. Already, he says, the protests over budget cuts, which will reach $2.7 billion next year, have begun.

Cabrera briefly attended a finance committee meeting and voted to approve tax breaks for the nonprofit company operated by Mo Vaughn, the former Boston Red Sox slugger who develops low-income housing in the Bronx and elsewhere in the city. “Mo’s a great guy,” Faulkner says.

At 11:30 a.m., team Cabrera met with a lobbyist for the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center to talk about youth programs — or lack thereof — in Cabrera’s district.

Half an hour later, Carole Post, the commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), briefed the new technology chairman about the city’s programs. (Did you know “hundreds” of hackers try to infiltrate the city’s databases on a daily basis?)

“I’m hungry,” Cabrera says at 1 p.m., the starting time for that day’s stated meeting. Instead, Cabrera, Faulkner and Myrie mull housing legislation before heading over to the Emigrant Savings building, two blocks away, where the Council has been meeting while the Council chambers at City Hall are renovated.

Cabrera walks in and immediately starts talking to Jamie Van Bramer, who worked with the Related Companies while they were trying to push through the mall plan for the Kingsbridge Armory. He then dips into a back room, where Brooklyn Council member Lewis Fidler has, thankfully for Cabrera’s stomach, provided Hannukah donuts.

Finally, the stated meeting begins with about an hour of ceremonial gestures and photo ops, followed by voting on a bill and then the introduction of Cabrera’s gang violence prevention resolution.

Earlier in the day, Cabrera said he would much rather be “in the field,” going to schools, talking to constituents on the street. But it all ties together, Faulkner says.

After the anti-gay attacks in his district, Cabrera had the opportunity to walk around Morris Heights with the most powerful politician in the Council, Speaker Christine Quinn. Faulkner says residents recognized Cabrera. Quinn came away impressed.

“If you’re taking care of business back home [in the district],” Faulkner says, “it give you credibility down here [in the Council chambers].”

Buy Local: Your Holiday Gift Guide

By Layza Garcia and Alina Rodriguez

It’s that time of the year again to search for that perfect gift for your loved ones: brothers, moms, maybe even your 80-year-old grandmother. But what to buy? The decision-making process can be agonizing.

Worry no more. The Norwood News is here to help! After vigorously shopping throughout the northwest Bronx, from Gun Hill to Fordham Road, you can find some of the most diverse and special gifts just outside your door. Read more

Fight Against AIDS Gets Personal

By Layza Garcia

In a speech on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. called the fight against HIV/AIDS personal and said battling the disease was one of his administration’s top priorities.

“No one is immune,” said Diaz, adding that two of his uncles passed away due to AIDS complications and that his chief of staff, Paul DelDuca, is HIV positive. Read more

$1 Million Restoration Brings Poe Cottage Into Future

By Rochana Rapkins

When British journalist Mary Grove visited Edgar Allan Poe’s cottage outside the village of Fordham, she described it as cozy and neat, with “floors as white as wheat.”  The cottage was situated on a hill, and surrounded by creeks, rivers and farmland.

Today the 198-year-old cottage still stands — although it’s now a few hundred yards away from its original location — at the intersection of Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse. What was once Millbrook Creek is now Webster Avenue. A stone’s throw away, children play on playground equipment and residents sit on benches in what is now Poe Park.

Ironically, when the Bronx County Historical Society kicked off a million-dollar restoration of the 198-year-old building this year, some local kids literally threw rocks to see if they could shatter the windows. Read more

DREAM Immigration Bill Waits for Senate Vote

By Jeanmarie Evelly

A bill that would provide a long-term path to citizenship for young immigrant residents passed in the House of Representatives on Dec. 8, but has since stalled in the Senate, as its supporters try to drum up Republican support for the bill in the slim hopes of passing it before the year’s end.

The controversial DREAM Act would provide a six-year route to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country before the age of 16 who have been here for over five years, requiring that they get a college degree or serve at least two years in the military. Read more

Bronx Pols Denounce Bloomberg’s Budget Cuts

By Jeanmarie Evelly

It’s looking like it’s going to be a tough budget year for New York City, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg released his updated financial plan for this and the next four fiscal years last month—one that calls for cuts to jobs and services from nearly every city agency and sector.

On Nov. 18, Bloomberg announced his latest round of budget gap closing actions, including the loss of thousands of city jobs, measures he says will reduce the budget deficit from $3.3 billion to $2.4 billion for the fiscal year 2012.

The cuts sparked backlash from advocates across the city and concern from local representatives. Read more

Editorial: The Armory Vote One Year Later

By Norwood News

It’s the one-year anniversary of the nearly unanimous City Council vote that scuttled the mayor’s juggernaut to stuff a cookie-cutter mall inside the landmark Kingsbridge Armory.

In that time, the city’s two tabloids, the New York Post and the Daily News, have taken every opportunity to whack at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. for his opposition to the project, which gave the necessary juice to a community and labor-backed effort to defeat it in the City Council.

Regular readers know where we stand on this, but as long as the editorial boards of the city dailies continue to harp on this, we are compelled to reiterate our position.

For more than a decade, community organizations led by the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition hammered out plans for a remake of the facility that made room for recreation, community programming, small businesses, a movie theater, etc.

Related, the city’s chosen developer, never offered details on what it was going to provide except for retail. Despite this and the clear sense that the Armory would be a mall pure and simple, the community’s only firm request in the end was that people had to be paid a living wage, particularly when the developer was going to receive over $70 million in taxpayer subsidies to remake a public landmark.

It was hardly an outlandish request. Several other municipalities have enacted wage guarantees on development projects benefiting from taxpayer subsidies. Read more

Another Church Hit in String of Robberies

By Jeanmarie Evelly

A sixth Bronx church was burglarized this past weekend, the latest in a string of break-ins targeting churches in the area since the start of November.

Someone broke into an office window at the Church of the Mediator, on West 231st Street and Kingsbridge Avenue, late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, according to the church’s senior warden Frank Holsapple and the NYPD.

The thief, or thieves, made off with several recently donated laptop computers and about $800 in cash, money the church was collecting for a Christmas toy drive.

“They hit every church around here, and I guess we were the last stop,” Holsapple said, adding that the burglar or burglars wrecked the office they broke into but were unable to access the rest of the church.”It could have been a lot worse,” he added.

A police spokeswoman said they have no description of the perpetrators so far, and the investigation is ongoing.
Other churches that have been hit since early November include

Our Lady of Refuge on 194th Street and Briggs Avenue, St. Ann’s Church on Bainbridge Avenue, Kingsbridge Evangelical Lutheran Church on Bailey Avenue, St. John’s Church on Kingsbridge Avenue, and Our Lady of Angels on Claflin Avenue.

“We’re still edgy,” said Father Antonio Zabala of St. John’s Church. “They were able to break in through the window even though it has bars on it. These robbers are really professional crooks, and are really dangerous.”

Church leaders say one silver lining has been the public’s response to news of the burglaries.

“It’s been overwhelming,” said Father John Jenik of Our Lady of Refuge Church, which lost two laptops, a video camera and $1,300 in cash. “We’ve gotten four laptop computers and over $15,000 in donations,” he said.

Jenik says the parish will use the money towards repairing damages from the burglary and for tuition assistance, and to invest in a new alarm system for the church.

UPDATE (Dec. 21): Police arrested a man for allegedly breaking into St. Philip Neri Church on the Grand Concourse Sunday morning. Nathaniel Linden, 51, who lives on Webb Avenue and has spent the past two decades in and out of prison on burglary charges, according to the New York Times, is also being charged with the burglary of Iglesia Bautista Hispana de Fordham on University Avenue on Dec. 13. Police are looking to connect him to other church burglaries.

Murder at Tracey Towers, Shooting on E. 204th St.

By David Greene and Alex Kratz

Last week, police arrested Tracey Towers resident Horace Nichols, 38, and charged him with stabbing fellow resident Jack Hewitt to death on Dec. 8.

Police also confirmed that a 20-year-old Hispanic male had been shot on Friday, Dec. 10 outside of the Super Laundromat on East 204th Street, but was expected to survive. The investigation is ongoing.

School Lunch Bill Passed, at Expense of Food Stamps

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Lawmakers in Washington reauthorized funding for the Child Nutrition Act earlier this month, a bill that funds and sets the guidelines for a number of child nutrition programs, including how much federal money goes towards school lunches.

The legislation, which comes up for renewal every five years, is a $4.5 billion package that included additional funding this year, something health advocates have long been lobbying for.

But the extra money comes at a price, as the Senate dipped into $2.2 billion in stimulus funds intended to expand SNAP, the federal food stamps program. The cuts have put anti-hunger advocates in an awkward position, where support for one nutrition program means a major setback for another. Read more

Workers Say Cemetery Planning Layoffs

By David Greene

Woodlawn Cemetery officials are planning to lay off more than a dozen workers and hire outside contractors to cut costs, employees say.

After an internal investigation into racism charges, cemetery officials said they would change their training practices. But several minority employees say nothing has changed.

Tips for Enjoying Low-Calorie Holidays

By Jeanmarie Evelly

It’s December, the season of holiday parties, endless office cookie trays and general excess. People tend to eat and drink more between Thanksgiving and their New Year’s resolutions, and the overindulgences can have negative health consequences.

“We see so many people who have problems maintaining their health and weight at this time of year,” said Dr. Ernest Patti, a senior Emergency Room physician at St. Barnabas Hospital, who says many patients, especially diabetics, find themselves seeking medical treatment after months of holiday bingeing.

“They eat and drink too much and, at the very least, feel sluggish, gain a few pounds and may not feel like themselves,” Patti said. “No one says you can’t party around the holidays, but moderation is the key.”

A study from the New England Journal of Medicine found that the average adult gains about a pound during the holiday season—less than most people assume—but that they are unlikely to ever lose that extra weight, which can add up over the course of several years. Read more

Op-ed: Should Parks and Beaches Be Smoke-Free?

By Juan Ramon Rios
Highbridge Community Life Center

As a child I always enjoyed going to our Bronx beaches and parks with my family. While affluent children enjoyed collecting seashells by the seashore, I remember fondly picking up cigarette butts so we could spell out our names with them. Little did we know of the harms of secondhand smoke and the impact discarded cigarette filters would have on our environment. Read more

City Continues Plans for New School on Webster

By Jeanmarie Evelly

The Department of Education has completed design plans to construct a new elementary and intermediate school on Webster Avenue, according to spokesman Jack Zarin-Rosenfeld, who says the project should be completed by 2014.

PS/IS 177 will house approximately 640 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Brooklyn-based Arnell Construction Group will construct the building at 2177 Webster Ave. between 204th and 205th streets.

The new school should help, at least in part, to relieve some overcrowding in School District 10, one of the most crowded in the city. A report published by the City Comptroller’s office last September said that primary schools in the area operate at 112 percent of capacity, while intermediate schools are at 103 percent.

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Prescription Drug Cost Help
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and its Bronx partner organizations will provide information to Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers through the Medicare low-income subsidy (LIS) or “Extra Help” Program, May 26, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Bronx River Senior Center, 1619 E. 174th St. Those who qualify may receive help in paying for prescription drugs. For more information on the program, visit www.medicare.gov, or call (800) 633-4227.

St. Brendan’s Auction/Raffle
St. Brendan’s leisure club will host a “Chinese Auction/Raffle and More” on June 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the school cafeteria at 260 E. 207th St. New items are still being accepted for donation at the church office at 333 E. 206th St. For more information, call Sister Catherine at (718) 547-6655.

Black and White Senior Ball
The St. James Recreation Center presents their 2nd Annual Black and White Senior Ball on May 21 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 2530 Jerome Ave. (between 191st and 192nd streets). The event is semi-formal and includes home-cooked food and live entertainment. For more information, call (718) 367-3657/8.

Power to End Stroke Program

Touchstone Health and the American Heart Association will hold a “Power to End Stroke” program for senior citizens. This free program begins in May throughout senior centers in the city. It is designed to reduce the risk of stroke and educate people on the warning signs. For more information, call (646) 483-5791 or e-mail mroger@touchstoneh.com.

MMCC Country Day Camp
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center offers its final day camp visit on June 6. Vans leave from the center at 3450 DeKalb Ave. at 9 a.m. and pre-registration is required for the visit. The 125-acre camp serves children entering Kg. through 6th grade in September, and they will be bused round trip daily, from all over the Bronx. For more information and directions for those driving to the camp, call (718) 882-4000 or visit www.mmcc.org.

BCC Medical Terminology Course
Bronx Community College’s Continuing and Professional Studies offers a new course, Medical Terminology for Hindi, Urdu and Bangla speakers with limited English proficiency, starting May 25, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, call (718) 289-5170.

Lehman Open-House
Lehman College’s Continuing Education “More than a camp–Kidz at Lehman” July and August programs will hold an open house on Thursday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 5 at 10 a.m. in Carman Hall, Room 129. Learn about half-day, full-day, and pre-college programs for kids. For more information or a catalog of all adult and children classes, call (718) 960-8512 or visit www.lehman.edu/ce.

MetroCard Vans
MetroCard vans will be making stops at Fordham Plaza from 2:30 to 4 p.m.; Fordham Road and the Grand Concourse from noon to 2 p.m.; and Van Cortlandt Village, 3880 Sedgwick Ave. from 9:30 to 11 a.m., all on May 28; and at Scott Towers, 3400 Paul Ave. from 1 to 3 p.m. on May 24. Seniors with photo ID may apply for reduced fare cards and others may add value or purchase cards. For more information, call (212) METROCARD or visit www.mta.info.

Free Personal Finance Course
University Neighborhood Housing Program and Credit Where Credit is Due offers a Personal Finance Course though June 2, Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., which include five classes covering credit, debt management, budgeting, etc. All attendees will receive free credit report and score. Those who complete the course also receive a certificate which can be used to open a free savings account. Future courses will be held in July and September in either English or Spanish. Space is limited. For more information, call (718) 933-2539.

Join Local Food Co-op
The Norwood Food Co-op CSA is accepting members for the 2010 summer share. Members receive a share of the weekly organic vegetable harvest from Norwich Meadows Farm, usually five to eight different items per week. Past seasons have included deliveries of tomatoes, lettuce, squash, peppers, beans, beets, carrots, onions, and potatoes. Members can also order additional special items for a cost, like fruit, cheese, milk, eggs, and more. The season lasts from mid-June to early November; single shares, which feed two to three people per week, cost $315. Weekly pickup takes place in Norwood at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 302 E. 206th St. Food stamps/EBT are accepted. For more information, visit www.norwoodfoodcoop.org or call (718) 514-3305.

Walk for Health
Every Wednesday, join The Mosholu Preservation Corporation in walking for your health. Meet at 3400 Reservoir Oval East for either Session 1 at 12:15 p.m. or for Session 2 at 1:15 p.m. For more information, call Linel Salcedo at (718) 324-4466 or by e-mail at intern3@mpcbronx.org.

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

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.

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.

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

Census Jobs Available
The U.S. Census Bureau is hiring as many as 750,000 temporary workers by May to help with the 2010 Census. Census-taker positions are open to U.S. citizens 18 and over and most require a valid driver’s license and use of a vehicle. You can work within your neighborhood with good pay and flexible hours. To apply and schedule an appointment to take the employment test, call your local census office at (347) 284-0213 or the Census Bureau’s toll free Jobs line at (866) 861-2010. A photo ID and a valid passport or birth certificate must be brought to the test site. For more information or to download an application, visit http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/.

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.

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

Summer Resort Worker Training Program
Lehman College and City Tech of the City University of New York, along with Councilman Oliver Koppell, are offering a summer employment program for college students interested in working in the hospitality industry. They are currently looking to recruit 30 students to work at camps and resorts throughout New York and the Metro area. Applicants must be 18 or older and have a valid college ID. Applicants must by motivated and willing to live in a camp, hotel or resort for the summer. There is limited enrollment. For more information, call Arlene McLaren at Koppell’s office (718) 549-7300.

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.

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.

MMCC Little League
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Little League, at 3450 DeKalb Ave., is registering for the spring baseball season for boys and girls ages 5 to 15. There is also an all girl softball division for girls 9-15 who do not want to participate in a co-ed division. All children receive full uniform and trophy for participating. The fee is $100 plus $20 for accident insurance. To register, bring a copy of the child’s birth certificate and payment to the Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information or to volunteer as a coach, call Chris Pinto at (718) 882-4000 ext. 0 or 280.

Walk Now for Autism
Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization has announced that the New York City Walk Now for Autism will be on June 13. The kick-off event in the Bronx will take place at Fordham University Saturday, March 27 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Free ESL and GED Classes
MS 80 at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy. N. offers free ESL and GED classes. Applicants must be 21 years or older. Registration takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Nov. 7. For more information, call Mrs. Alejandro, Parent Coordinator, at (718) 405-6300, ext. 1131.

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.

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

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

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.
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Bronx Food Summit
The Office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will be holding the first ever Bronx Food Summit at Hostos Community College, on May 1 2010. It will be an event based on promoting healthy eating habits in the Bronx. To register or to receive additional information about the summit, visit www.bronxfood.org.

Support Group for Patients
Montefiore Medical Center will be organizing the first support group in the New York Metropolitan area for patients with heart assist devices. The first meeting will be held on May 3, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Conference room of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore located on 3415 Bainbridge Avenue. For more information, call (718) 920-8279.

Become a New York Care Volunteer
New York Cares is a volunteer organization, offering ways for Bronx residents to get involved in their community. To become a volunteer,

Neighborhood Notes

By Norwood News

Forum on New Healthcare Bill
The public is invited to a free forum hosted by the Northwest Bronx for Change and the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club on the new healthcare legislation in Tibbott Towers’ community room, 3130 Irwin Ave. (north of 231st Street), on April 24 at 11 a.m. Learn about the immediate and future changes to healthcare.

March for Babies Fund-raiser
The March of Dimes NY Division will hold the second annual March for Babies in Van Cortlandt Park’s Parade Ground on May 2 at 8 a.m. The walk begins at the Tortoise and Hare sculpture at 246th Street and Broadway. For more information, call (718) 920-7697.

Free Mammography
Free mammograms will be available for Public Health Month to women over 40 years of age on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, April 26, 27 and 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bryan Park, East Fordham Road/East Kingsbridge Road.

Bronx Food Summit
The Office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. invites the public to the first ever free Bronx Food Summit at Hostos Community College, 500 Grand Concourse, on May 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event will be based on promoting healthy eating habits in the Bronx. Free lunch will be served. To register or to receive additional information about the summit, visit www.bronxfood.org.

New York Cares Seeks Volunteers
Become a volunteer for New York Cares, the city’s leading volunteer organization. Attend a one-time orientation and then choose a project you would like to help with. The next orientation meeting will be on Wednesday, April 28 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bronx Library Center located at 310 E. Kingsbridge Rd. For more information, call (212) 228-5000.

Local Food Co-op
The Norwood Food Co-op CSA is accepting members for the 2010 summer share. Members receive a share of the weekly organic vegetable harvest from Norwich Meadows Farm, usually five to eight different items per week. Past seasons have included deliveries of tomatoes, lettuce, squash, peppers, beans, beets, carrots, onions, and potatoes. Members can also order additional special items for a cost, like fruit, cheese, milk, eggs, and more. The season lasts from mid-June to early November; single shares, which feed two to three people per week, cost $315. Weekly pickup takes place in Norwood at Epiphany Lutheran Church, 302 E. 206th St. Food stamps/EBT are accepted. For more information, visit www.norwoodfoodcoop.org or call (718) 514-3305.

Lehman College Open House
The Adult Degree Program of Lehman College will be holding an open house on Saturday, April 24 from noon to 2:30 p.m. in Carman Hall B-04. Registrants 25 years of age or older can earn a Bachelor’s Degree in a way that will not interfere with their family and work responsibilities. For more information, call (718) 960-8666.

Conference on Latino Elder Abuse
On Thursday, April 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., “Contra Viento y Marea,” a conference on Elder Abuse and the Latino Community will be held at Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center Auditorium at 234 E. 149th St. The presentation will focus on different types of elder mistreatment and abuse and also on the help that is available. The conference will be in Spanish. To have this presented in English in your senior center, call (718) 239-4358 or (718) 542-0006. For more information, call Larcenia Walton at (718) 590-6248. Register at www.gerolatino.org/contact.htm.

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. The first meeting will be held free on Monday, May 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, located at 3415 Bainbridge Ave. For more information, call (718) 920-8279.

Fordham Goes Green
The Fordham Road Business Improvement District (BID) announces upcoming “green” activities. On Thursday, April 22, the BID will host a litter cleanup event for Earth Day from 10:30 a.m. to noon beginning at Capital One Bank at 151 E. Fordham Rd. at Creston Avenue. On May 15, the BID will hold the Third Annual Fordham Go Green Walk from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting at 2500 Creston Ave. near East Fordham Road, continuing to Jerome Avenue, to East Kingsbridge Road, and ending at Poe Park, where food, music, health screenings and children’s activities will be provided. For more information or to RSVP, call (718) 562-2104.

Community Health Fair
The Timothy Dwight School, PS 33, will be holding its 18th Annual Community Health Fair on Saturday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be held in the schoolyard located at 2424 Jerome Ave. There will be face painting, arts and crafts, sports activities, dance contests, free giveaways, and more. For more information, call (718) 584-3922, (718) 289-5383, or (212) 620-5462 ext. 238.

Walk for Health
Every Wednesday, join The Mosholu Preservation Corporation in walking for your health. Meet at 3400 Reservoir Oval East for either Session 1 at 12:15 p.m. or for Session 2 at 1:15 p.m. For more information, call Linel Salcedo at (718) 324-4466 or by e-mail at intern3@mpcbronx.org.

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

Census Jobs Available
The U.S. Census Bureau is hiring as many as 750,000 temporary workers by May to help with the 2010 Census. Census-taker positions are open to U.S. citizens 18 and over and most require a valid driver’s license and use of a vehicle. You can work within your neighborhood with good pay and flexible hours. To apply and schedule an appointment to take the employment test, call your local census office at (347) 284-0213 or the Census Bureau’s toll free Jobs line at (866) 861-2010. A photo ID and a valid passport or birth certificate must be brought to the test site. For more information or to download an application, visit http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/.

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.

BCC Hosts Education Fair
On Saturday, May 8, Bronx Community College (BCC) and several other organizations will hold a Continuing and Professional Studies Education Fair from10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Meister Hall lobby located at 2155 University Ave. at West 181st Street. Get advice on how to choose a course. For more information, call (718) 289-5170.

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

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

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

Summer Resort Worker Training Program
Lehman College and City Tech of the City University of New York, along with Councilman Oliver Koppell, are offering a summer employment program for college students interested in working in the hospitality industry. They are currently looking to recruit 30 students to work at camps and resorts throughout New York and the Metro area. Applicants must be 18 or older and have a valid college ID. Applicants must by motivated and willing to live in a camp, hotel or resort for the summer. There is limited enrollment. For more information, call Arlene McLaren at Koppell’s office (718) 549-7300.

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.

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.

MMCC Little League
The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center Little League, at 3450 DeKalb Ave., is registering for the spring baseball season for boys and girls ages 5 to 15. There is also an all girl softball division for girls 9-15 who do not want to participate in a co-ed division. All children receive full uniform and trophy for participating. The fee is $100 plus $20 for accident insurance. To register, bring a copy of the child’s birth certificate and payment to the Center, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information or to volunteer as a coach, call Chris Pinto at (718) 882-4000 ext. 0 or 280.

Walk Now for Autism
Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization has announced that the New York City Walk Now for Autism will be on June 13. The kick-off event in the Bronx will take place at Fordham University Saturday, March 27 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Free ESL and GED Classes
MS 80 at 149 E. Mosholu Pkwy. N. offers free ESL and GED classes. Applicants must be 21 years or older. Registration takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting Nov. 7. For more information, call Mrs. Alejandro, Parent Coordinator, at (718) 405-6300, ext. 1131.

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.

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

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

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.

Bronx Jazz Scene Back in Swing at Historical Society

By Heather Haddon

Bronx jazz venues like Club 845 and the Blue Morocco are long gone, but the stories of the musicians who put them on the map are now living on at the Bronx County Historical Society, thanks to David Carp, a prominent music journalist and librarian, who officially handed off his collection of 200 interviews at an event earlier this month.

“Rather than keeping them in my attic in New Jersey, [the materials] are going to be here and be much more accessible,” Carp said.

The materials stand as the first major acquisition of the Bronx African-American History Project, a collaboration between Fordham University and the Historical Society begun in 2003. The Project seeks to uncover the untold history of African-Americans in the borough.

Carp was drawn to the history of Latino and jazz music made in East Harlem and the Bronx while a radio journalist at WNYC and other outlets. The musical form was a major player in the area from the 1940s to the 1960s, but little information was available about its legacy. In his free time, Carp set out to piece together this history through interviews with the black and Latino musicians who were involved.

While there is little obvious evidence today, the Bronx was once a destination for jazz music. Leroy Archible, a longtime Morrisania resident, used to stroll among the fashionably dressed who descended on Boston Road’s many clubs on weeknights. “You could always find something happening,” Archible remembered fondly.

Robert Gumbs lived down the street from relatives of Thelonious Monk in Morrisania, and was a regular of Club 845, a jazz venue located on Prospect Avenue. In the ‘50s, Gumbs helped bring back some of the major musicians who played at 845 to join younger artists like himself.

“We would conduct sessions on Sundays … to expose young talent and bring the older musicians back,” he said.

The club, and the Bronx scene as a whole, was known for the cross-pollination of Black and Latino art forms. “There was all this intermingling of musicians,” said Phil Newsum, an African-American artist who fell in love with Latin jazz. “I don’t think African-Americans are as involved with this now.”

Nor are the signs of this movement still visible. A Burger King now stands where musicians once jammed at Club 845. In the ‘70s, Boston Road’s Blue Morocco and Goodson’s shuttered their doors.

Those legacies live on in Carp’s 25 boxes, a treasure trove of archival materials including photos of jazz big bands and ads for events at Club 845. The collection’s heart is 200 taped interviews Carp conducted with musicians across the country about playing in the Bronx.

“I don’t know how this guy paid his phone bill,” joked Newsum.

Those oral histories join 100 others Fordham researchers have conducted with African-American residents of all backgrounds. The Project aims to complete 200 more to finally create a body of primary information representing the experiences of the borough’s nearly 500,000 current African-American residents.

“This project has captured the imaginations of hundreds, even thousands of people,” said Mark Naison, a Fordham professor who is one of its founders. In addition to Fordham researchers, the Project also relies on independent historians like Archible.

“I have taught African-American history in the Bronx for 32 years, and I don’t know as much as them,” Naison said. Archible first came to the Project after major black research institutions, like the Schomburg Center in Harlem, weren’t interested in the materials he had amassed over the years.

“He showed up outside my office with these big bags,” Naison remembered. “I said, ‘Oh my God. We are so lucky to have this.’”

The Project hopes to make the material accessible for the growing number of organizations Naison says are interested in black Bronxites. Bobby Sanabria, a music professor at the New School, is already anticipating sending his students to explore the Carp collection.

“This will be a required pilgrimage of those studying with me,” said Sanabria, who, as a kid, tagged along with his father to Bronx jazz clubs.

The Historical Society is now archiving the materials, which will be made available to the public through appointment. “You’ll be seeing a lot more people streaming up here soon,” Sanabria said.

Bronx Jazz Scene Back in Swing at Historical Society

By Heather Haddon

Bronx jazz venues like Club 845 and the Blue Morocco are long gone, but the stories of the musicians who put them on the map are now living on at the Bronx County Historical Society, thanks to David Carp, a prominent music journalist and librarian, who officially handed off his collection of 200 interviews at an event earlier this month.

“Rather than keeping them in my attic in New Jersey, [the materials] are going to be here and be much more accessible,” Carp said.

The materials stand as the first major acquisition of the Bronx African-American History Project, a collaboration between Fordham University and the Historical Society begun in 2003. The Project seeks to uncover the untold history of African-Americans in the borough.

Carp was drawn to the history of Latino and jazz music made in East Harlem and the Bronx while a radio journalist at WNYC and other outlets. The musical form was a major player in the area from the 1940s to the 1960s, but little information was available about its legacy. In his free time, Carp set out to piece together this history through interviews with the black and Latino musicians who were involved.

While there is little obvious evidence today, the Bronx was once a destination for jazz music. Leroy Archible, a longtime Morrisania resident, used to stroll among the fashionably dressed who descended on Boston Road’s many clubs on weeknights. “You could always find something happening,” Archible remembered fondly.

Robert Gumbs lived down the street from relatives of Thelonious Monk in Morrisania, and was a regular of Club 845, a jazz venue located on Prospect Avenue. In the ‘50s, Gumbs helped bring back some of the major musicians who played at 845 to join younger artists like himself.

“We would conduct sessions on Sundays … to expose young talent and bring the older musicians back,” he said.

The club, and the Bronx scene as a whole, was known for the cross-pollination of Black and Latino art forms. “There was all this intermingling of musicians,” said Phil Newsum, an African-American artist who fell in love with Latin jazz. “I don’t think African-Americans are as involved with this now.”

Nor are the signs of this movement still visible. A Burger King now stands where musicians once jammed at Club 845. In the ‘70s, Boston Road’s Blue Morocco and Goodson’s shuttered their doors.

Those legacies live on in Carp’s 25 boxes, a treasure trove of archival materials including photos of jazz big bands and ads for events at Club 845. The collection’s heart is 200 taped interviews Carp conducted with musicians across the country about playing in the Bronx.

“I don’t know how this guy paid his phone bill,” joked Newsum.

Those oral histories join 100 others Fordham researchers have conducted with African-American residents of all backgrounds. The Project aims to complete 200 more to finally create a body of primary information representing the experiences of the borough’s nearly 500,000 current African-American residents.

“This project has captured the imaginations of hundreds, even thousands of people,” said Mark Naison, a Fordham professor who is one of its founders. In addition to Fordham researchers, the Project also relies on independent historians like Archible.

“I have taught African-American history in the Bronx for 32 years, and I don’t know as much as them,” Naison said. Archible first came to the Project after major black research institutions, like the Schomburg Center in Harlem, weren’t interested in the materials he had amassed over the years.

“He showed up outside my office with these big bags,” Naison remembered. “I said, ‘Oh my God. We are so lucky to have this.’”

The Project hopes to make the material accessible for the growing number of organizations Naison says are interested in black Bronxites. Bobby Sanabria, a music professor at the New School, is already anticipating sending his students to explore the Carp collection.

“This will be a required pilgrimage of those studying with me,” said Sanabria, who, as a kid, tagged along with his father to Bronx jazz clubs.

The Historical Society is now archiving the materials, which will be made available to the public through appointment. “You’ll be seeing a lot more people streaming up here soon,” Sanabria said.

Tracey’s Mine Canary

By Editorial

No one would have wished it on him or anyone else, but the plight of Ming Kuang Chen, the Chinese delivery man who suffered an involuntary lost weekend in a stuck elevator at Tracey Towers three weeks ago, might serve as an impetus for change at the troubled development.

The incident highlighted a startling number of deficiencies in the building. In addition to the towers’ frightening elevators, which probably shouldn’t have even passed inspection at an amusement park, the flimsy security system at Tracey may even do more harm than if there were not security at all.

By all accounts the dark, grainy closed-circuit TV monitors in the first-floor security office were useless. Even the president of the security company, Copstat, said the monitors didn’t show Chen in the elevator when he finally made himself heard through the intercom.

And, according to one source, the elevator alarms do not even sound in the security office!

R-Y Management, the company that runs Tracey, blames much of what’s wrong at Tracey on tenants who have fought rent increases and therefore deprived them of the money they say is necessary to make improvements. The city shares that position. But in 2004, R-Y received a sizeable increase over a three-year period. Elevator repairs have begun, but less certain is the fate of the security system.

We imagine R-Y, the manager of 34 properties, can afford to invest in cameras and monitors that actually work. And it costs nothing to simply bring each elevator down to the first floor a couple of times a day to make sure that each is in working order and that no one is stuck inside. Better training and pay for security guards must also be considered.

Of course, police who apparently did not methodically check each elevator while searching all 871 apartments, must review their own procedures.

Chen survived his ordeal, thank goodness, and everyone involved claims to be making sure nothing like it ever happens again. But we wonder what would happen today if, God fordbid, someone was attacked or raped in an elevator. Would guards be able to identify a crime in progress if they weren’t able to see Chen in the elevator over an 81-hour period? We doubt it.

Ming Kuang Chen, a quiet, hard-working person, does not deserve the kind of spotlight this incident has shone on him. But if any positive change comes from this, everyone should be grateful to the man who served as a canary in the mine, bringing to light disastrous conditions at Tracey that are sure to claim future victims if not addressed immediately.

In Reversal, Filter Plant Meetings Will Be Open

By Gary Pang

Reversing a previous position, the members of a committee monitoring the construction of the filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park have decided to open the meetings to the public.

The public will be permitted to attend, though not to speak, at meetings of the Facility Monitoring Committee, which consists of members and appointees of the three affected community districts and Councilman Oliver Koppell.

There have been two meetings of the committee thus far, one in March and one in April. While Community Board 7 chair Nora Feury originally supported keeping the meetings closed, the Board voted unanimously to support opening the meetings. Feury then took that recommendation to the Committee on April 7.

Saul Sheinbach, a representative of Community Board 8 on the Committee who raised the issue, also supported the change. “As long as these meetings are kept closed, the public is going to think we’re doing secret things there that we don’t want them to know about,” he said.

The city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) agreed to the change. “The decision is that they’re going to open up future meetings to the public,” said Charles Sturcken, a DEP spokesman. “They can listen and observe.”

Sheinbach said the Committee was going to try to have the meetings in the evening, so residents would better be able to attend.

Sturcken said there were also plans afoot to have a meeting soon where the public could ask questions of the DEP.

The Committee will not have a regular meeting in May, but will instead tour the construction site.

Future meetings will not necessarily take place on a monthly basis, as they have thus far, but only when new stages of construction warrant discussion. The Committee must meet four times a year.

Chen’s Immigrations Experience Shared by Many

By Gary Pang

Ming Kuang Chen, the Chinese food delivery man trapped in a Tracey Towers elevator for four days, had reportedly paid $60,000 to be smuggled into America. While illegal immigrants like Chen often end up with large debts and long work hours, many are willing to endure such hardships in pursuit of the American dream.

Like Chen, most new Chinese immigrants now come from China’s southeast Fujian Province. “It’s not that they can’t make money in Fujian,” said Steven Wong, president of the Lin Ze Xu Foundation, a Fujianese civic group in Chinatown. “People want to go to other places to make money.”

Pandering to people’s hopes in America as a promised land are the “snakeheads,” or human-smugglers. “They say, ‘Money grows on trees, women run naked on the streets,’” said Wong with a laugh. “The snakeheads say you can make $5,000 to $6,000 a month.”

For $60,000 to $75,000, snakeheads offer to smuggle aspiring adventurers into America.  Lacking proper documents does not stop them, said Wong. One can get fake visas and passports. There are many ways of getting here: riding ships, boarding planes, and crossing from Mexico.

Once they get into America, they realize much hardship awaits them. They have big debts – and quick-growing interest – to repay, and they only can find jobs that other Chinese shun.

Chen had reportedly paid off his debt in two years, but he earned only $300 a week at Happy Dragon on Jerome Avenue. Wong said Chen might have paid off the snakeheads’ fee but still might have to repay his relatives who lent him money.

Being a Chinese food delivery man is hard work but can pay well, said Jimmy Cheng, vice president of the United Fujianese of America Association. It’s often a 6-day work week, and each workday is eight to 12 hours with up to three hours of free time between the lunch and dinner rushes. One can earn more than $2,000, including tips, each month.

“Chinese born in America don’t want to work restaurant jobs,” said Cheng, so Fujianese and other immigrants take them. Of New York City’s estimated 100,000 Fujianese, said Cheng, more than half work in Chinese restaurants.

“The Fujianese are too hardworking. They don’t have to walk into buildings to deliver food, but they do,” said Cheng.

Still, many stay in America. “At first, everyone wants to make money and go home,” said Wong. “But after a long time, they get used to being here. Paying off debts also tie them down. So they want to bring their family here.”

But life is not all gloomy. Among many Fujianese immigrants, knowing that someone is from the same province, town, or village evokes a deep feeling of kinship. “The Fujianese help one another [in a way] that other people can’t learn,” said Cheng. “When someone wants to open a restaurant, everyone lends him money. They don’t go to a bank, where you need documents and to sign signatures … They trust one another.”

Adult Ed Programs Could Face Massive Cuts

By Heather Haddon

 

Teacher Karen Griswold switched a recent session of her adult literacy class from the usual focus on reading and writing to a lesson in mathematics. Sitting in a circle, students took turns listing the proposed federal cuts that could decimate their education program.

“We’re in trouble,” said Paulette Williams, in her third year at Lehman College’s Adult Learning Center. “There’s not going to be enough money to teach us.”

Adult education programs nationwide could face that fate if the Bush administration’s proposed budget for this fall comes to pass. The spending plan would slash adult education funds by 64 percent and cut services for approximately 55,000 New York State students, according to an analysis by the Literacy Assistance Center, one of the many advocacy groups mobilizing against the cuts. Classes would be scrapped for more than a third of those participating in CUNY’s adult programming, which includes literacy skills, GED prep and ESL (English as a Second Language).

The extensive federal cuts come on top of state reductions a year ago. “Last year we had to shorten some classes, and drop one,” said Griswold, a Center teacher for almost two decades. “If this goes through, we will have to move to an extremely small program or eliminate all of it.”

While cuts to vital programs are part of the annual budget dance, this year’s federal proposal especially targets vocational programs. In addition to the cuts, the administration seeks to merge adult education with job training initiatives, potentially eliminating a guaranteed funding stream and forcing programs to compete against each other.

The revamp would prioritize job training over adult education programs. As the budget states, adult education provides “little or no evidence of improved outcomes for students despite decades of federal investment.”

Noemi Matos-Matin, who started in Lehman’s program 18 years ago and worked her way up to a GED, begs to differ. After taking college courses, she wound up interning at the Center, and now manages the entire office.

“So many people come here for different reasons,” said Matos-Matin, an Amalgamated Houses resident who chokes up thinking about some of her students.

Annually, about 800 people choose from almost 20 free classes at the Literacy Assistance Center. Advocates say the offerings are essential to help the city’s growing numbers of recent immigrants, those who didn’t graduate high school, or low-income people who want to improve their skills. Participants come to the Center through word-of-mouth, or from referrals if they are too old for high school. Some are striving for a GED, but many seek basic skills that they never learned in primary school.

“My reading level was low and I was afraid to show that weakness,” said Michael, 57, a Bronx resident in his third year of basic education who did not want to give his last name.

A construction foreman for many years, Michael dreamed of opening his own business but was hampered by his reading deficiencies. “Deep down inside I knew I had the knowledge, but I was scared to use it,” he said.

Reanita Sauvagere, 51, was also plagued by fears of reading and speaking. Since coming to the pre-GED program, Sauvagere became a deacon at her Boston Road church.

“I would never have been able to do that before,” she said.” I couldn’t help my children, but I can help my grandchildren now.”

Margarita Rivera, 34, was driven to take ESL classes to help her kids, but now hopes to become a teacher herself. Many, like Pedro Fulgencio, 36, see a GED and college in their future.

“I hope to attend Fordham University to become a priest,” said Fulgencio, a University Avenue resident who came from the Dominican Republic last year.

The waiting list for most Center classes is six months to a year, and even longer for ESL courses. If the federal cuts are approved, things could get a lot worse.

“The number of students who would be turned away from services would only grow by the thousands,” said Ira Yankwitt of the Literacy Assistance Center, which works with adult education centers citywide.

Adult education programs across the country have begun letter-writing campaigns and a New York rally is scheduled for this Friday. There may already be progress as Congress is moving away from consolidating education and jobs programs, according to Yankwitt. Advocates are now focusing on preventing the cuts.

Michael was motivated to advocate against the cuts when he thought of future program students. “I’m thinking about all the people who are coming behind me with a high school diploma but can’t spell,” he said. “This has given me so many of the fundamentals in life.”

Three Murders in 52nd Over One-Week Period

By None

By JORDAN MOSS and DAVID GREENE

Disrupting a relative period of calm in the 52nd Precinct, there were three murders in just two weeks in 52nd Precinct from April 9 to 16.

There had been only one murder in the first three months of the year, a March 17 shooting at a barber shop on Webster Avenue.

Following are descriptions of each of the incidents:

• On April 9, Domingo Rojas of 2580 Bainbridge Ave., was stabbed once in the neck in front of 2664 Grand Concourse following a dispute. Rojas was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead. There were no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.

• On April 12, three teenagers were stabbed with a machete on the platform of the 183rd Street station of the No. 4 train and one of them, Marvel Martinez, an 18-year-old DeWitt Clinton High School student, was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital. Alex Ramirez, 15, was charged with second-degree murder and two other arrests were made in connection with the murder.

Though those involved were reported to have been involved in gangs, Deputy Inspector Joseph Hoch, commander of the 52nd Precinct, said that a dispute over a female triggered the incident.

The murder was originally reported by police to have occurred in the 46th Precinct as three of the four corners at that station are within its boundaries. But the station itself is considered to be in the 52nd Precinct and the incident was later determined to have taken place there.

• On April 16, an unidentified gunman shot Keeno Simpson, 21, of East Kingsbridge Road, after an argument while he was parked in front of 3450 Gates Place. The shooter fired several shots into the car, striking Simpson in the chest and neck. Simpson attempted to flee the scene but plowed into several parked cars at the location. The victim was taken to nearby North Central Bronx Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Police recovered a 2001 Chevrolet Impala with seven bullet holes in it at the scene.  Police theorize Simpson returned fire but only one weapon was recovered, apparently tossed on a nearby rooftop by the perpetrator.

Bassam Magib, an employee of Taiz Grocery at 5 E. Gun Hill Road, stated, “I just heard boom, boom, boom … like seven shots, and then I heard two cars pull away.”

In other 52nd Precinct news, earlier this month quick-thinking cops on patrol in North Fordham arrested a woman who had been threatening area residents with a hypodermic needle after recognizing her from a wanted poster they had received at roll call. The woman, Carmen Gaston, 43, allegedly stole cell phones from two young women after brandishing the needle and saying that she had AIDS and the needle was contaminated with it.

Armory Guard Soldiers Wait for Supplies

By David Greene

 

Fighting in a foreign land for the first time in their unit’s history, members of the Army National Guard 145th Maintenance Company, based out of the Kingsbridge Armory, are currently housed at the Tallil Air Base in Iraq, while needed supplies sit at a U.S. military base in Georgia.

According to Vivian Hernandez, a sister of one soldier, members of the unit departed Jan. 7 for Kuwait but footlockers containing “urgent supplies,” which in some cases included safety goggles, coveralls and steel-toed boots, as well as hearing protection, extra pairs of eyeglasses, and personal effects remain at Ft. Benning.

“The supplies they need are here in the United States,” Hernandez said as she displayed several of the e-mails her brother sent her since the supplies, expected at the beginning of April, did not arrive. Hernandez claims that date has been pushed back a couple of times already.

The footlockers and most of the equipment were purchased through the military at the soldier’s expense. Many of the soldiers who could afford to spend between $200 and $400 to replace the items sitting in Georgia have already done so.

Soldiers had the footlockers prior to their departure on Jan. 7. They were told to put nonessential stuff in them and they would follow them to Iraq.

Hernandez, visiting her father’s Decatur Avenue apartment, reads one e-mail from her sibling: “Tell everyone thank you. It helps to know that at least we’re appreciated back home, because we don’t feel it from the higher-ups.”

The soldier, who asked to remain nameless for fear of reprisals, currently spends time guarding Iraqi workers at a construction site. Guard soldiers at Tallil are currently on alert.

Both Hernandez and her father, Thomas Rivera, are against the war. “The United States supplies every country, like they supplied Osama bin Laden against the Russians,” Rivera said. “They supplied Hussein against Iran.”

Lt. Col. Paul Manning, an Army National Guard spokesman in Albany, downplayed the snafu. “It was always part of the plan to have this stuff come over around the 12th week, the third month,” he said. “While some of the soldiers are impatient, the plan is not that far off.” Manning said the trunks would be delivered by the second week in May.

“We’re not talking major items here,” Manning said. “They are on the ground and doing their job and doing the mission.”

When told of Manning’s comments, the soldier responded from the front line, “The lack of those footlockers is detrimental to the morale of the soldiers out here.”

Hernandez has vowed a petition drive and letter campaign until the lockers arrive.

A second soldier from the unit, who also asked to remain anonymous, was asked if the lockers held personal or military items. He responded in an Internet chat: “People packed both. That is the problem. Some people mistakenly packed things they needed, National Guard equipment, and they had to buy stuff so they had it when they needed it here.”

“It was the soldiers’ mistake, not the Guard, in that respect,” the solider concluded. “What soldiers do have a right to be upset about is the personal stuff that was packed.”

The soldier wasn’t sure whether the lockers would ever make the trip to Iraq, or be shipped back to the Kingsbridge Armory to wait for the arrival of members of the 145th, who are expected to return home in early 2006.

Tracey Tenants Tired of Elevator Ups and Downs

By Heather Haddon

 

For years, Tracey Towers tenants have said silent prayers before boarding their elevators, hoping they didn’t end up getting stuck between floors or surging way beyond their desired destination only to plunge right back down to the lobby.

These dangers came into painfully sharp focus earlier this month when Ming Kuang Chen, a Chinese restaurant delivery man, got stuck in one of the elevators for almost four days. No Tracey tenant had an experience to match that, but almost everyone in the building has an elevator tale to tell.

“My wife was stuck in one for three hours about a year ago,” said Leon Ade Hawkins, a longtime Tracey resident. “I just take my chances. Any of the elevators can stop.”

Betty Woodard, 61, had a similar take. “I’ve always been concerned,” said Woodard, who has lived in the Mosholu Parkway complex for 30 years. While her apartment is beautiful, its location on the top floor of the 41-story building frightens her. “I often wonder how someone would get up to me if I ever had a medical emergency,” she said.

Long overdue work

R-Y Management, which oversees the buildings, contends that it is too cash poor to make the repairs, leading the city Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD) last year to approve a 29 percent rent hike over three years. HPD has oversight over Tracey as a Mitchell-Lama, a government program that subsidizes middle-income housing.

Work to replace the first elevator began this month and will be completed soon, according to a Tracey maintenance supervisor. The other 11 will be renovated two at a time until they are finished in about a year. “All of them are being modernized,” said Don Miller, an R-Y spokesman. “It was in the works before the incident a few weeks ago.”

While questions remain as to why Chen wasn’t found sooner (see cover story), Tracey’s elevators have a disturbing paper trail. Of the 41 complaints listed by Department of Buildings (DOB) records for Tracey, over half are for the elevators. They include three elevators being out at once, an elevator busted all week, and one person trapped for 45 minutes.

It’s difficult to know which elevators are functioning as the hallway floor indicators are broken on many floors.

DOB lists complaints for most of Tracey’s 12 elevators, which are divided between Tower B, where Chen was trapped, and Tower A. The elevators all shake and behave unpredictably.

“They break, skip floors, stop in the middle of floors,” said James Stokes, a 15-year resident. “We’ve been complaining for the past 12 years, and management has done nothing.”

Elevator inspections

While the complaints do go back that far, many of them were dismissed by city officials. An inspector investigated a complaint on two of the elevators, including the one Chen was trapped in, just two days before he went missing. Jennifer Garvin, a DOB spokesperson, said the inspector checked if the elevators stopped on each floor, and if their alarms and intercoms functioned.

“We observed [the elevators] for ourselves, and they seemed to work fine,” she said. “The inspectors know this stuff inside and out.”

The certificates located in the elevators stated they were last inspected in 2002, but Garvin said that the papers must not have been updated. “[Maintenance] is required to keep up with that,” she said.

Tenants have repeatedly said management neglects the elevators, and the Norwood News has reported on the problems as far back as 2000. “They’ve tried rehabbing them, but you can’t put a Band-Aid on an elephant,” said Gerry Powell, who has lived at Tracey over 20 years. The elevators have not been replaced since the towers were built in 1972, but Garvin says age wouldn’t be a problem — with proper upkeep. DOB has issued 17 violations to R-Y since 2002 for failing to maintain the elevators.

R-Y, which is a subsidiary of the company that owns Tracey, has even more serious elevator problems in River Park Towers, a 391-unit Mitchell-Lama in Morris Heights. Of 150 DOB violations, 80 percent of them are for the elevators. A boy died at the complex in 2002 after falling down an elevator shaft.

Blame game

Tenants and R-Y have engaged in a decade-long blame game as to who is responsible for the elevators and the other problems in the building. Before 2004, R-Y last raised the rents in 1987, and tried to again in 1990. Tenants successfully sued R-Y twice to stop the rent hikes until R-Y fixed the C violations, the most egregious type.

But HPD thinks the tenants effectively shot themselves in the foot, as they believe R-Y couldn’t fix the elevators and violations until they received more rent. “When a Mitchell-Lama does not have sufficient rent revenue, it can not properly maintain its day-to-day operations or do long-term capital improvements,” said Gary Sloman, a director of operations at HPD.

Robert Vaccarello, R-Y’s vice president, said something similar in 2003. “For most of the time, the building was holding its own on the budget, but in the past four years, it’s really been put behind the eight ball,” Vaccarello told the Norwood News at the time.

Sloman said that repairs have picked up since the rent increase, and the building is getting inspected more frequently. “We are handling [inspections] in a better fashion,” he said.

While tenants have also seen improvements, many feel that they are at the low end of the R-Y corporate totem pole. R-Y oversees 34 buildings, including luxury Manhattan high-rises. HPD records list 174 violations for Tracey, which is pretty good for a building of its size. But Ruppert Towers, a Manhattan Mitchell-Lama managed by R-Y, only has four violations.

Some tenants wonder if they get short shrift because many of their neighbors aren’t active complainers. “There are old-timers like me who are willing to criticize, but the new arrivals are not,” Woodard said.

Tenant complaints

Woodard says she’s tried to get other tenants to complain, but many, especially those who are recent immigrants, won’t. Sam Gillian, a 26-year resident, who withheld his rent over the winter for a lack of heat and hot water and won a rent abatement in court, tries to convince his neighbors to take similar action. But he finds few takers.

New signs in Tracey’s lobby from a newly invigorated tenants’ council encourage residents to complain about building problems.

But the complaint process could be hampered by a technicality. HPD lists the building by the address 3299 Jerome Ave., so if a tenant registered their complaint under 20 or 40 West Mosholu Parkway, which is the towers’ postal address, it might not get logged. Sloman wasn’t aware of the issue.

While tenants are relieved that Chen was found unharmed — some said they prayed for him during the hunt — many resent that it took such a dramatic incident to generate so much attention to the building’s problems.

“If one of us tenants got stuck, we might not have heard so much about it,” Gillian said.

Jordan Moss contributed to this story.

Who’s Who at Tracey
Owner: The DeMatteis Construction Corporation
Bio: One of the largest developers in the tri-state area, have built hundreds of millions of square feet in residential and commercial real estate. Based in Long Island, the company developed properties like the apartment complexes for the United Nations and the Museum of Modern Art. Brought in $245 million in revenue in 2003.  Personnel: Founder Frederick DeMatteis died in 2001. The company is now run by Richard, his son.

Connections: The DeMatteis family are ongoing contributors to state Republicans. Frederick DeMatteis was reportedly close to Governor Pataki.

Issues: The city stopped granting the company contracts in 1991 after it was suspected of concealing and altering reports about possible ties to organized-crime figures. A State Supreme Court judge dismissed the allegations, and ordered the city to consider bids from the company.

Property Manager: R-Y Management
Bio: Manager of 34 properties, including condos, co-ops and rentals primarily in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan.   Personnel: Founded by Charles Prestia, a former city police officer of 20 years who rose to the level of detective in the Homicide Bureau. Thomas Cummings, who has overseen Bronx property since R-Y’s inception, was also a city detective.

Connections: Prestia left the NYPD in 1975 to act as chief of security for one of DeMatteis’ organizations. DeMatteis began R-Y as a unit of his company in 1982, and picked Prestia to lead it. Many of its staff are former officers who start in building security and move up to management.

Security: CopStat
Bio: Provides security services for facilities, including the Empire State Building, and other entities since 1985. Offices in Connecticut, Long Island, New Jersey, and Manhattan, with its headquarters in the Bronx. Also conducts investigations, such as fraud, nationwide.  Personnel: Headed by James Wood, a former cop. Both Wood along with his two top executives, Joseph Chinea and Thomas Murray, all worked for the NYPD for over two decades, specializing in drug enforcement.

Connections: The NYPD background of CopStat’s executives has been helpful in earning its contracts. CopStat has also given to a range of politicians, including Governor Pataki, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo. They also contributed to Jeff Klein’s successful state Senate bid last year.

— Heather Haddon

Miscues in Search for Delivery Man

By Jordan Moss

 

Ming Kuang Chen, the Chinese delivery man who was trapped in a Tracey Towers elevator for more than three days earlier this month, appears to have been the victim of a remarkable series of lapses in the security system and the police search, the Norwood News has learned.

Perhaps the most serious problem was the failure of the security cameras, which did not project a discernable image, even after security finally heard Chen over the intercom the day he was rescued.

“Even when he was on the intercom, they couldn’t see him,” said James Wood, president of Copstat, the security company employed at Tracey.

The Norwood News got a look at the cameras in the first floor security room in tower B. The images were dark and grainy. However, a source with detailed knowledge of the situation involving Chen said that the Police Department had already donated a new system to Tracey management by the time the Norwood News had visited.

“What you saw is 1,000 percent better than what was there,” the source said, adding that the original screens were “totally useless.”

Wood said the system that was operative when Chen was in the elevator is the property of the building, not his company.

Don Miller, a spokesman for R-Y Management, the firm that runs Tracey, said the security situation was being reviewed.

“Well, obviously the entire security system will be revisited in light of that incident,” he said.

John Villines, a Georgia-based building security expert, said that modern equipment would have been able to easily help security staff identify Chen. “There’s no reason why the monitor should not be capable of displaying a clear camera-captured image inside an elevator …” he said. “The technology is there. It’s been there for a couple of decades.”

Virtually everyone who read or heard about the incident also wondered why, if Chen pushed the alarm and tried to speak on the intercom, he wasn’t found.

One reason might be that the alarm does not sound in the security room, according to the source. And while it does ring in the lobby, the security guards posted on that floor are posted in the entranceway on the other side of two glass doors from where the alarms would go off, and would have a difficult time hearing them.

As for the intercoms, the source said that they are frequently used by kids who are just fooling around and therefore usually ignored by security. Guards may have also reacted the same way to Chen, who didn’t speak English.

Regarding the security officers themselves, tenants who attended a recent meeting said that when they asked a Copstat representative about improving the security staff in the building, he said, “You get what you pay for.” Security staff in its other buildings, where management pays Copstat more, were of a higher quality, the representative reportedly said. (However, a 1997 news report about a shooting at the Empire State Building stated that Copstat guards there were only paid $6 an hour.)

The Norwood News asked Wood if the low wages paid Tracey workers, who earn just above minimum wage, might affect the quality of the staff there.

“You’re putting me in a difficult position,” Wood said, referring to his company’s relationship with its client, R-Y Management.

Miller said R-Y doesn’t dictate “what R-Y’s rate of pay is.”

The beginning of the security difficulties at Tracey can be traced back to 1998 when R-Y Management dismissed its in-house security staff. Tenants have complained ever since that the Copstat force is simply not up to the task of protecting the two towers and the thousands of tenants who live in the 871 units. Tenants have charged that security officers do not get involved in difficult situations.

“I don’t think the money they’re making is reason to stick their necks out,” said Sam Gillian, a longtime tenant.

The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which provides some oversight of Mitchell-Lama buildings like Tracey, acknowledged that Tracey’s security needs improvement. “We know it’s not ideal,” said Gary Sloman, the agency’s director of operations. R-Y is considering switching companies, but wages will probably still be on the low end, he said. Miller could not confirm this.

But in regard to the Chen incident, Wood, a former police officer, put much of the blame for not finding Chen squarely on his former colleagues. “The police didn’t do the search they were supposed to do,” he said. “Normally, you bring all the elevators down to the first floor. You have to tell me why that wasn’t done. I don’t know.”

Miller also pointed to the cops. “The buildings were under control of the Police Department,” he said. “They were conducting the search.”

Paul Browne, the Police Department’s deputy commissioner for public information, said the police officers used the elevators as they searched each of the towers’ 871 units, and that they checked the security cameras to see if there was anyone in the one they hadn’t used. He added that the security staff and elevator maintenance staff also checked the cameras and that Chen may have been in the camera’s blind spot at these moments. The maintenance man who shut the power off to elevator No. 2 the day before Chen was found (see sidebar) told police he looked at the monitor for that elevator before he did it, Browne said.

Perhaps underlying the lack of rigor in checking each elevator was the almost unanimous presumption that Chen was the victim of a crime. In recent years, two Chinese delivery men have been murdered by teenagers.

But Villines said even that presumption “wouldn’t preclude the responsibility of checking each elevator.”

Deputy Inspector Joseph Hoch, commander of the 52nd Precinct, said the Department was conducting “a tactical review to see if there’s any room for improvement.”

Heather Haddon contributed to this article.

 

asd

By Alex Kratz

Friends and relatives of the five Norwood siblings who were killed in a horrific c©ar accident last month gathered Friday night to say final goodbyes at McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral Home on Bronxwood Avenue in Wakefield.

• Ian
• Jordan
• Laura

Heartbroken mother Pamela Ramharrack, 48, laid to rest five of her children: Jessica, 11; Anderson, 13; Emmanuel, 16; Anthony, 21; and Perthrian, 24, who were killed as the family’s Honda Accord swerved across a Suffolk, Virginia highway and collided with an oncoming truck on Tuesday, July 24.

---

The oldest sibling, Perthrian GoPaul, leaves behind a husband and a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. She was presumed to be the driver.

As dozens of mourners packed the funeral home for the pre-funeral wake, Ramharrack said, "My kids were the most beautiful kids in the whole world. They were my million-dollar gift. They were everything to me."

The family was returning from an annual visit to North Carolina when the crash occurred.  

Neighbors of the family at 3395 Reservoir Oval West responded to news of the fatal accident with shock and sorrow for Ramharrack, who was inconsolable after she heard the news. Tenants in the building put up a small shrine of candles, flowers and teddy bears on the front stoop. The shrine has remained for a month.

After hearing of Ramharrack’s loss, community activist Joe Thompson reached out to the family, along with Pastor Jay Gooding of Fellowship Tabernacle Ministries.

"She was at sea, she was lost," Thompson said. "You can’t do this by yourself. I was moved by her circumstances, and I know Pastor Gooding was moved to help out."

They contacted other churches, the 49th Precinct Community Council and local elected officials to ask for their help in getting the word out and raising money to cover funeral expenses.

By Alex Kratz

Friends and relatives of the five Norwood siblings who were killed in a horrific c©ar accident last month gathered Friday night to say final goodbyes at McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral Home on Bronxwood Avenue in Wakefield.

• Ian
• Jordan
• Laura

Heartbroken mother Pamela Ramharrack, 48, laid to rest five of her children: Jessica, 11; Anderson, 13; Emmanuel, 16; Anthony, 21; and Perthrian, 24, who were killed as the family’s Honda Accord swerved across a Suffolk, Virginia highway and collided with an oncoming truck on Tuesday, July 24.

---

The oldest sibling, Perthrian GoPaul, leaves behind a husband and a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. She was presumed to be the driver.

As dozens of mourners packed the funeral home for the pre-funeral wake, Ramharrack said, "My kids were the most beautiful kids in the whole world. They were my million-dollar gift. They were everything to me."

The family was returning from an annual visit to North Carolina when the crash occurred.  

Neighbors of the family at 3395 Reservoir Oval West responded to news of the fatal accident with shock and sorrow for Ramharrack, who was inconsolable after she heard the news. Tenants in the building put up a small shrine of candles, flowers and teddy bears on the front stoop. The shrine has remained for a month.

After hearing of Ramharrack’s loss, community activist Joe Thompson reached out to the family, along with Pastor Jay Gooding of Fellowship Tabernacle Ministries.

"She was at sea, she was lost," Thompson said. "You can’t do this by yourself. I was moved by her circumstances, and I know Pastor Gooding was moved to help out."

They contacted other churches, the 49th Precinct Community Council and local elected officials to ask for their help in getting the word out and raising money to cover funeral expenses.

PS 86 Community to DOE: Don’t Fix What Isn’t Broken

By Alina Rodriguez

The entire PS 86 community — parents, faculty, students and alumni — came out in force recently to vehemently oppose two city proposals that would dramatically change the landscape of this overcrowded, but successful school.

Hundreds of PS 86 supporters gathered on Nov. 18 at a Community Education Council of District 10 meeting to demand the Department of Education stop proposals to eliminate the school’s 6th grade and re-zone it to reduce the number of families who could send their children there.

Longtime PS 86 Principal Sheldon Bernardo, who also attended the school in his youth, was upset with not only the proposals, but also how the DOE approached the school about its plans. He said the DOE talked to the school only after speaking with the education council, which must approve of any zoning changes.

“The conversation consisted of this is what we plan and if you don’t like it you can go to Brooklyn,” Bernardo said. “They came without Spanish speakers, knowing our community is 85 percent Hispanic. They cannot communicate with our community and it is insulting, ridiculous and unfair.”

Located on Reservoir Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights, just across the street from the massive Kingsbridge Armory, PS 86 is currently overcrowded in both the main building and its satellite mini school.

There are currently 1,767 students enrolled in facilities built to house 1,200 students. The school offers two bilingual classes per grade, a pre-k program, and special education. It has received an A grade on its progress report for each of the past three years.

To ease some of the overcrowding problems, the Office of Portfolio Planning at the DOE is proposing to eliminate the zone of choice shared by PS 86, PS 340 and PS 246, which enables close to 300 families whose addresses fall within the zone to choose which school their children will attend. That zone would be broken up into three smaller zones corresponding to each school.

“I do not want re-zoning,” said Kathy Ann Jeremiah, a parent of two children who attend PS 86. “As a parent, I should have the option of choosing which school is best for my child to attend.”

The proposal also calls for the “truncation” (or elimination) of the 6th grade at PS 86 and PS 340. Last year, the DOE eliminated the 6th grade at PS 246 without much opposition. DOE representatives said the elimination of 6th grade would regulate enrollment and permit students to enter the middle school choice process at the same time.

“It’s scary to be living in limbo,” said Gladys Hechaverria, a 6th grade teacher at PS 86. “And not knowing the status of my job.”

In a meeting with the school last month, according to PS 86 officials who attended the meeting, a representative from the Office of Portfolio Planning said the re-zoning and the elimination of 6th grade would open up space for the co-location of a new middle school within the building.

“People from Planning talk in numbers, they don’t talk about children,” said Bernardo. “They are not parents [and don’t] live in the community, so how can they come into our community and force these ideas down people’s throats that are so strongly opposed.”

The school has collected over 900 signatures of opposition to the re-zoning and truncation of the 6th grade. They also held two bilingual meetings to inform their large Hispanic community.

After learning about the proposals, the consensus among the PS 86 community was clear.

“This cannot happen. Our community will be damaged,” said Sonny Rodriguez, a 1st grade teacher. “We have two bilingual classes per grade and have received an A on our progress report for three years now. Don’t fix something that is not broken.”

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who represents many PS 86 families, attended the Nov. 18 meeting to show his support for the school and his opposition to the proposals. “I believe the proposals will not pass and am here to ensure PS 86 and support them any way I can,” Cabrera said.

Since the zoning proposals were never officially proposed, the education council didn’t vote on them. It’s unclear what will happen to the truncation proposal. The DOE did not respond to inquiries.

Community Education Council President Marvin Shelton said he anticipates further discussion on the zoning in the area as well as the overcrowding of PS 86.

Free Snuggies and More as Retailers Gear Up for Holidays

By Layza Garcia

Local retailers from Fordham Road to Gun Hill Road and Jerome Avenue kick-started the holiday shopping season last weekend with late-night preparations and Black Friday bargains.

Garl Robinson, the general manager of P.C. Richard & Son, the electronics emporium on the Grand Concourse and Fordham Road, said that he was up at 3 a.m. on Black Friday getting the store ready while customers were already forming a line outside.

“It was fantastic,” said Robinson. “Everything went well.”

His main goal was to have every customer leave the store with a P.C. Richard bag in hand.

Unlike most stores that have specific hours when their sales start and end, P.C. Richard & Son had sales all day long from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m.

For the first time all year, a huge line formed outside of the Modell’s Sporting Goods on Fordham Road for its holiday sales event, which started on Black Friday.

Modell’s had hourly specials from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., said Malvin Brown, an associate manager at the sporting goods store. In the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, the store will have different flyers throughout the holiday season filled with sales for shoppers.

“We sent out flyers to our MVP customers with specials and sales,” Brown said.

Conway did something differently this Black Friday. They gave away a free Snuggie — the blanket with sleeves advertised on television — to every customer who spent over $25 or more.

“There were 372 Snuggies and all of them ran out by 4 p.m.,” said the store’s manager Zeleena, who declined to give her last name.

In addition to their Snuggie special, Conway placed advertisements in newspapers and flooded the store’s windows with sales posters.

The holiday sales and specials aren’t over yet. The Fordham Road Business Improvement District, a local non-profit group created to improving this commercial corridor, will kick off its sixth-annual Sparkling the Heart of Fordham, with a tree-lighting event on Friday, Dec. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Bryan Park (East Fordham Road and East Kingsbridge Road).

The event is open to the public and will include a special visit from Santa Claus with free gifts for the first 350 children as well as holiday music, a special performance by the Fordham University Gospel Choir, raffles, prizes, and giveaways.

Nearly 80 BID businesses are participating in a special Holiday Shopping Promotion in which they will offer 10 percent public discounts. Shoppers must display one of the many BID sponsored newspaper advertisements, downloadable online coupons, or a MetroCard at the time of purchases. The holiday promotion runs Friday, Dec. 3 through Sunday, Dec.19.

Businesses in the commercial shopping districts of Gun Hill Road, Jerome and Bainbridge avenues and Kingsbridge Road will also be offering their own specials and bargains.

Ed. Note: For a list of all the participating stores in the Fordham Road discount program, go to www.fordhamroadbid.org.

Filter Plant Contractor Admits to Fraud

By Alex Kratz

One of the primary contractors that worked on the enormous Croton Water Filtration Plant being built in Van Cortlandt Park admitted on Monday to committing fraud in reporting its sub-contracting of minority and women-owned businesses.

Schiavone Construction, which performed much of the tunneling and trucking during the early phases of the filtration plant project, agreed to pay the federal government $20 million in penalties. The company now doing the bulk of the construction work on the filtration plant, Skanska, is also under investigation for similar misdeeds. Read more

Teen Fitness Program Wins $20,000 Grant to Expand

By Jeanmarie Evelly

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, about a dozen teenagers darted back and forth across the gymnasium at PS 8, their sneakers squeaking on the polished floors. Running drills were followed by several minutes of jumping jacks, then a game of basketball. Despite what looked like rigorous exercise, the kids were joking and smiling.

The teens are part of “B’N Fit,” a year-round intensive fitness program run by Montefiore Medical Center and the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center that aims to help adolescents lose weight and embrace a healthy lifestyle.

This month, the program scored $20,000 from the Coca-Cola Foundation to expand its service — part of a $300,000 pot of funds that the beverage company gave out to organizations this year in the form of “Healthy Active Living” grants.

“This program is really a program that combines medical expertise with community service,” said B’N Fit Director Dr. Jessica Rieder, at a check presentation ceremony on Nov. 23. Read more

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