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Imperiled Cemetery Workers Say They Have Tapes
January 27, 2011
By David Greene
Defiant Woodlawn Cemetery workers and their supporters recently held a boisterous rally to protest the outsourcing of 23 of the cemetery’s 38 caretaker jobs. Cemetery officials say the outsourcing is a necessary cost-cutting move, but workers claim it’s payback for publicizing their concerns about discriminatory practices among supervisors.
Now, in an attempt to save their jobs, workers are exploring all options, including legal action and the possible airing of tapes that they say expose discriminatory practices among cemetery supervisors. “We have evidence to show and prove some of the discriminatory practices and documentation of grievances,” said one worker who requested anonymity because he feared retribution. The worker said the tapes in their possession could put management in a bad light.
Over the summer, after it hired a firm to investigate workers’ discrimination charges, the cemetery fired at least one supervisor and acknowledged that it needed to change its training practices. But minority employees said little had changed and the practices were continuing.
Workers were back protesting at the cemetery on Sunday, Jan. 16. Many of the union supporters in attendance were wearing shirts with photos of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., using their day off to protest on the birthday of the slain Civil Rights leader.
Workers from Woodlawn and their union leaders were expected back at the negotiating table with management on Jan. 24.
Suspects Sought in Bainbridge Ave. Shooting
January 27, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
Police are still searching for two suspects they say were involved in the post-Christmas shooting of a 16-year-old boy.
The unnamed victim, a Hispanic male, was shot once in the upper leg during a dispute with two other young men at the corner of Bainbridge Avenue and East 212th Street, in the early morning hours of Dec. 26. The injured boy was removed to Montefiore Hospital and remains in stable condition, according to a spokesman for the NYPD. Read more
Assembly to Consider Rent Reform Bill
January 27, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
A package of legislation that would strengthen housing laws in favor of tenants was introduced in the State Assembly last week. Though it has the support of several Bronx Assembly members, including Jeff Dinowitz, the bill will likely face an uphill battle in the now Republican-controlled State Senate.
The bill, introduced by Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez, would renew a number of rent and eviction laws that expire this year. More importantly to tenant advocates, the legislation would repeal vacancy decontrol — the provision that lets landlords enact massive rent hikes at stabilized apartments once tenants vacate them, essentially deregulating rents across the city’s housing market.
Similar legislation has successfully passed in the Assembly in years past, but has failed to get approval in the Senate. “This year the Republicans are back in control, which is really bad,” said Michael McKee, who runs the tenant advocacy group Tenants PAC and the Real Rent Reform Campaign. “The Republicans are owned by the real estate lobby.”
McKee said he and other housing leaders are hoping that the Assembly will put political pressure on the Republican-controlled Senate to get the bills through. “It’s a horse trade,” he said. “Basically, the Assembly’s saying to the Senate: ‘If you want x, we want y.’”
Lopez’s housing bill could come up for a vote in the Assembly in the next two weeks, McKee said.
Bronx BP vs. ‘Idol’
January 27, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., blasted producers of a recent episode of “American Idol” for portraying the borough in a bad light and ignoring all the positive changes in Boogie Down over the past few decades.
In the episode, 16-year-old Travis Orlando, who moved on to the next round after impressing the judges, took camera crews on a tour of the Bronx neighborhood where he grew up. “You have robberies, you have killings, anything you can possibly imagine, it goes on here,” Orlando said of the shelter where he lived with his family, which appears to be on the Grand Concourse. The video, complete with a dramatic musical montage, shows shots of liter on the street and ambulances whirring by, sirens blazing.
In a statement, Diaz said he’s “disgusted” with the show’s treatment of the borough. “Rather than focus on the amazing revitalization the Bronx has seen over the past three decades, the producers of the show chose instead to highlight the negative stereotypes that have plagued our borough for years,” he said. “The portrayal of the Bronx by the producers of American Idol in such an extremely negative light is not only shameful, it does not accurately represent how far the Bronx has come.”
City Launches ‘Proactive’ Housing Initiative
January 27, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
Mayor Michael Bloomberg launched a new housing initiative this month largely inspired by the plight of the Milbank properties — the 10 neglected northwest Bronx apartment buildings that have fallen apart since foreclosure began two years ago.
The mayor made the announcement Jan. 8 at Our Lady of Angels Church, in Kingsbridge Heights, before a crowd of Milbank tenants and organizers from the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, who have been fighting for almost a year to draw the city’s attention to the deteriorating buildings.
The new “Proactive Preservation” program will essentially allow the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to more aggressively identify and inspect distressed properties, intervening to make repairs if necessary, in the hopes of preventing another Milbank scenario from taking place. Read more
Be Healthy Tips: Staying Fit in Winter Weather
January 27, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
Exercise during the winter months is hard—nothing makes parking yourself inside on the couch all day more appealing than when it’s freezing outside. But weeks of inactivity can often mean weight gain and have other negative health consequences.
If it’s too cold to head out for a brisk walk or for a loop around the running track, and if you can’t afford to splurge on a gym membership, there are a number of exercises you can do at home with little or no equipment to help stay fit, says Manhattan-based personal trainer Lisa Monaco. “Cardiovascular exercise is important to burn calories, fat and keep the heart healthy,” Monaco said. “The best cardio exercise to do at home is jump rope. If you don’t have enough room, or if you don’t have a rope, do jumping jacks. They have the same benefit.” Read more
Local Health Leader Remembered
January 27, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
The local health community lost a pioneer this year with the passing of Dr. Robert Massad, founding chair of the Departments of Family Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and the 
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who died this past August. He was 75 years old.
More than 100 colleagues and loved ones attended a memorial service for Massad at Montefiore on Nov. 30. Massad started work at the hospital in 1978, where he established the Family Medicine program and launched family health centers in neighborhoods across the Bronx, including locations in Castle Hill, Fordham, Marble Hill, University Avenue and West Farms.
“He helped, physically, to build new centers, and organize the ones that had been built before he arrived,” said longtime co-worker Dr. Hal Strelnick. “His passion was to provide primary care just as you would provide it to a millionaire, and to have facilities that were as nice as any private practice doctors.”
Massad was also a founder of the Bronx Health Plan, today known as Affinity Health Plan, which provides health care coverage for thousands of low and moderate-income residents across New York City.
Massad retired from Montefiore in 1998. He died at his home in Camino, Calif., on Aug. 10, and is survived by two daughters, Jessica and Rachel Massad.
Photo courtesy Montefiore Medical Center
Dr. Robert Massad (at lectern) speaking at an event with former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo (seated, front row, left) in 1991.
Another Break-in at Saint Ann’s
January 13, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
Local Catholic school St. Ann’s, on Bainbridge Avenue and East Gun Hill Road, was burglarized last Friday or Saturday in the second robbery to take place there in the last two months.
In November, a thief broke into the parish building connected to the school and made off with cash, school officials said.
“The first time, they didn’t get into the school proper, but this time they did,” said principal Cecile Rodriguez, who said she was told by police not to publicly discuss details of the most recent robbery, as their investigation is ongoing. Read more
Bronx Pols Welcome Rivera as New Senator
January 13, 2011
By Jordan Moss
Democratic politicians from the Bronx and beyond attended the swearing-in of State Senator Gustavo Rivera at Bronx Community College on Saturday. (Photo by Jon Reznick)
This is the time of year for the formal, though not required, swearing-in ceremonies of elected officials in their home districts. They are usually for rookie legislators, like the one on Saturday night at the stately Gould Memorial Hall at Bronx Community College for newly minted State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a newcomer politician who is no newcomer to politics, having worked on the staff of other legislators — including Kirsten Gillibrand and Andrea Stewart-Cousins — and on the 2008 Obama campaign in Florida.
Rivera was backed by a star-studded cast of New York Democrats and they all seemed to want to be on hand for the event. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., former borough president Fernando Ferrer, and many more were there to mark a rare, lopsided victory over the powerful and controversial incumbent Pedro Espada. Read more
Botanical Garden’s New Webster Ave. Parking Garage Coming Along
January 13, 2011
By James Fergusson
An artist’s rendering of the Botanical Garden’s 825-space parking garage. (Photo courtesy the Botanical Garden)
The Botanical Garden is making progress on its long-delayed new parking garage at Webster Avenue and Bedford Park Boulevard.
When open, the garage, next to the Metro-North Botanical Garden station, on the west side of the tracks, will accommodate 800 cars. It will be open to Garden visitors, but also local residents and commuters who use Metro-North.
“This new parking facility was designed to accommodate the Garden’s growing audience,” said Nick Leshi, a Garden spokesman, in an email, “but it will also benefit the community in a number of direct and indirect ways. By taking advantage of new Garden membership packages, community residents will be able to park their cars overnight and commuters may use the garage to park and ride.” Read more
‘Best Choir’ Award for Celia Cruz High School
January 13, 2011
By Alina Rodriguez
Celia Cruz Bronx H.S. of Music choir after their big victory. (Photo courtesy Wildlife Conservation)
The Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music is ringing in the New Year with the title “Best Choir in New York City” after winning the Bronx Zoo’s inaugural SING! For Wildlife competition. The Hard Rock Café sponsored the event, which featured 250 students from seven schools.
“Besides being a wonderful opportunity to perform, the students were able to see that all the hard work they put in to develop their repertoire, technique, and musicianship really does pay off,” said Lisa Gwasda, Celia Cruz’s choir director. Read more
Klein Leaves Senate Leadership to Form Independent Conference
January 13, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
Bronx State Senator Jeffrey Klein shook up Albany at the start of the year when he announced his departure from the Senate Democrats to form a new, “Independent Democratic Conference” along with three of his colleagues.
The announcement came days after Klein resigned his position as Democratic Deputy Leader, citing his disapproval of Democratic Leader John Sampson and other problems within the party.
“We’re moving away and distancing ourselves from dysfunctional leaders of the Senate, and working with the new majority and other Democrats,” Klein told the Norwood News at the swearing-in ceremony of State Senator Gustavo Rivera. The group includes Senators Diane Savino, David J. Valesky, and David Carlucci. Read more
Riders Riled Over MTA Fare Hikes
January 13, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
The Metropolitan Transit Authority put a damper on the New York holiday season, enacting subway and bus fare increases on Dec. 30, just in time for the New Year. It’s the third year in a row that the agency has hiked its prices, an attempt to close a seemingly never-ending budget gap. Read more
Halloween Fire Lot for Rent
January 13, 2011
By James Fergusson
In October 2009, a major fire destroyed 10 stores on the corner of Bainbridge Avenue and East 204th Street.
The charred remains were torn down, and since then the lot has stood empty, dotted with weeds, and surrounded by plywood boards. The landlord has been unreachable during this time.
In the last few days, however, a sign has appeared on one of boards advertising retail space, along with a phone number: (212) 599-3700.
The realtor is Robert K. Futterman & Associates, which is headquartered in Manhattan. According to their website, the space will be available in the fall, presumably after the site is developed.
Further details couldn’t be determined by press time. Evelyn Jacobsen, the landlord, couldn’t be reached for comment.
When Does it Make Sense to Buy the Monthly Metrocard?
January 13, 2011
By By Jeanmarie Evelly
Commuters who don’t take mass transit every day might save money by skipping the monthly-unlimited MetroCard, which now costs a whopping $104, and opting to pay $2.25-a-ride instead.
In order to make the monthly card cost-efficient, a rider needs to take the bus or subway at least 47 times a month. That’s about 12 rides per week during a four-week month—the equivalent of going to and from work for six days in a week. Don’t forget: you get automatic free transfers between the subway and bus, or between buses during a trip.
Be Healthy: Q&A with David Lehmann, Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership
January 13, 2011
By By Jeanmarie Evelly
David Lehmann, a longtime worker in the public health field, heads the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership, a program funded by the State Department of Health and Human Services based at 1826 Arthur Ave. The Partnership works with community groups and organizations throughout the Bronx to prevent young people from smoking and to shape public policy against the tobacco industry. Earlier this month, the Norwood News sat down with Lehmann to get his take on cigarettes and smoking in our community.
How long has the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership been here on Arthur Avenue?
The grant came through from the health department last January, but we officially launched in May of this year during the Borough President’s Bronx Week. So we’re sort of the new kids on the block.
What were you doing before you came to the Bronx?
I worked for the American Cancer Society—I retired for a year before I decided that I missed tobacco control. I’ve worked in tobacco control for 25 years.
What does the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership do?
Tobacco use is still the number one cause of preventable death in the United States, and our main focus is keeping our youth smoke free, and creating more smoke-free environments. The City Council has introduced a bill that would prohibit smoking in parks and beaches, and almost all of our Bronx representatives have signed on as supporters.
One of our other campaigns is our “point of sale,” campaign—we’re trying to get local merchants to either stop selling tobacco or to at least reduce the visibility where they place cigarettes.
How many employees does the Partnership have?
There are just three of us, but we have about 40 community partners. We provide them with PowerPoint presentations and information that they can then take into the community. So it’s a big borough, but once you get these community partners on board, it’s easy to get your message out on the streets.
What’s been your biggest challenge so far?
Since we’re a new organization, just getting the lay of the land and getting started, making contacts. All of the elected officials here have been wonderful.
How are smoking habits in the Bronx different from other parts of the city?
In the Bronx, we have the second highest adult smoking rate in the city—second to Staten Island. But at the same time, we have the lowest youth smoking rate in the city, and we want to keep it that way.
How might a parent’s smoking habits influence their children?
The amazing thing about parents is that they want their kids to be healthy, so even if they might smoke, they don’t want their children to. When I grew up, everybody smoked. Both my parents smoked. But I never did. There are so many influences out there.
Do you think the city’s tactic of hiking cigarette taxes is an effective one?
New York has the highest cigarette taxes in the country, and the price increases are definitely effective. It stops kids from smoking because they simply can’t afford it.
What other tactics are successful at stopping young people from using tobacco?
These new gruesome anti-smoking ads on TV that show the effects of tobacco—that has a huge impact on kids. If they see what can happen, they’re less likely to do it. People need to know the consequences.
Editor’s Note: If you’re a community organization or group and would like to find out more about working with the Bronx Smoke-Free Partnership, contact program manager David A. Lehmann at (718) 466-8857.
Local Groups Push for Parks And Beaches Smoking Ban
January 13, 2011
By Jeanmarie Evelly
Community groups and local legislators are looking to drum up support this year for a City Council bill that would ban smoking in public parks, beaches and pedestrian plazas across the five boroughs. Read more
Monte Nurse Book Drive
January 13, 2011
By Norwood News
Montefiore nurses collected books for the hospital's young patients. (Photo courtesy Montefiore Medical Center)
A group of nurses at Montefiore Medical Center held a book drive this holiday season, collecting children’s books to distribute at one of the hospital’s children’s health clinics. The drive was through the national program “Reach Out and Read,” which promotes early age literacy by providing donated books to pediatric offices, which children can read during their visit and take home afterwards. Montefiore’s book drive was organized by Sara Buros, a registered nurse at the medical center.
Kappy Heads Downtown With One Foot in Boogiedown
January 13, 2011
By Jordan Moss
The Daily News’ Bob Kappstatter, who writes the popular political news and gossip column in the paper’s weekly Bronx Boro News section (get your copy on Tuesdays), is leaving his longtime role as the News’ Bronx bureau chief to chase down citywide police and crime stories.
But Kappstatter will still be doing the weekly column, thank goodness. Patrice O’Shaugnessy takes his place as bureau chief. We wish her the best.
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