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New School Library Has PS 8 ‘Believin”

By Rachel Sander

As guests filed down the aisles of the PS 8 auditorium during the Bedford Park school’s celebration of their new library, the Journey song, “Don’t Stop Believin’,” blared from a boom-box.

“I love this song,” said 5th grader Iris Bermudez. “It just feels hopeful.”

For many, the new library is just that — a symbol of hope.

“The library should be the hub of the school,” said head librarian Robin Rosen in her opening speech. “Students will have open access to the library. We will do projects in collaboration with our teachers and also offer all sorts of activities.” Read more

State Budget Saves Some, Cuts Others

By Jeanmarie Evelly

New Governor Andrew Cuomo and the legislature in Albany officially passed a state budget at the end of March, a day before the start of the new fiscal year. It marked the first time in five years that a budget has been approved in New York before its April 1 deadline and will eliminate a $10 billion deficit, Cuomo boasted in a press release.

For the Bronx, the $132.5 million budget contains a mix of ups and downs. Certain funding that was on the chopping block was restored, while other cuts will mean major setbacks for a number of agencies, social service programs and local organizations.

Funding for the operation of senior centers, known as Title XX, was maintained, to the relief of seniors and employees at the 22 locations in the Bronx that would have ultimately closed if the cuts had gone through. Cuomo’s original budget would have shuttered 105 centers across the city.

“This huge victory means that thousands of New York City seniors will not be closed out of their senior centers,” said local Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who heads the Assembly’s Aging Committee.

The Legislature also negotiated the restoration of funding for SUNY and CUNY colleges, for summer schools and the Summer Youth Employment Program, which sets teens up with summer jobs. Money for a number of schools across the state that serve blind, deaf and severely physically disabled students, three of which are in the Bronx, was also maintained. Read more

Frustration Bubbles Over at Reservoir Access Meeting

By Jordan Moss

After a long-delayed report that essentially denies the community greater access to the Jerome Park Reservoir was issued last week, activists and officials are feeling powerless, particularly because a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) official assigned to report to the community on its findings refused to answer any questions.

The Facility Monitoring Committee (FMC), an advisory body that meets monthly at the DEP’s community office on Jerome Avenue to keep tabs on the Croton water filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park and related projects, includes the chairs of the three surrounding community boards, Councilman Oliver Koppell, and representatives of the Parks Department and the borough president’s office.

But despite all that civic firepower, Fr. Richard Gorman, the committee chair, says it has “no juice” in getting the answers it needs. He argued for a higher-level hearing, organized by the borough president’s office.

The last straws appear to be the continued lack of progress in hiring Bronxites to work on the project and the report which, citing security concerns, essentially closes the door on community hopes to have greater access to the path inside the two chain-link fences that ring the reservoir.

(To pave the way for placing the plant in Van Cortlandt Park, the city offered state legislators, whose approval was needed, $200 million in the park improvement funds financed through the sale of water bonds. That influx of cash has fueled many park projects around the borough and was supposed to include $5 million for an enhanced path around the Jerome Park Reservoir.)

At last week’s FMC meeting, DEP representative Mark Lanaghan refused to reply to residents’ questions and concerns about the report they said was riddled with inaccuracies.

“I’m not going to respond to anybody tonight,” Lanaghan said. “I don’t want to indulge in that kind of debate.”

The report, he conceded, “concludes with a suggestion that is most unwelcome here.”  That conclusion calls for a few days of access after the plant is completed in 2013.

Anne Marie Garti, a founder of the Jerome Park Conservancy and longtime advocate of public access, said the DEP is going back on its word. “[Former] DEP Commissioner Christopher Ward promised full public access in April 2004. This was after 9-11, and with full awareness of how the reservoir would be integrated with the filter plant once it became operational in 2013.”

In a phone interview after the meeting, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz agreed that residents should be alowed to enjoy the jewel in their midst. “The reservoir, when it’s full, is one of the most beautiful resources that we have, and in the northwest Bronx that’s sort of our equivalent of the waterfront,” he said. “For a city administration that prides itself on granting greater waterfront access, one would think that part of that would be to get people closer to the reservoir.”

Paul Foster, the chairman of Community Board 7, which covers Norwood and Bedford Park, is more concerned about the jobs issue, as only about 15 percent of the 900 jobs on the site are held by Bronxites.

“The emphasis has to be more on getting jobs [for] this community,” he said.
Foster also thinks that seeking a larger meeting facilitated by the borough president will hurt the FMC’s efforts.

“I feel that that will weaken the committee,” he said.  “The committee has been assigned to monitor the work. If we’re not going to do that, we are not carrying out our task.”

2010 Census Numbers Show Significant Bronx Growth

By Jeanmarie Evelly

The Bronx gained more new residents than the other four boroughs over the last decade, and had the second highest gain in the state, according to recently released data from the 2010 United States Census.

The numbers, released by the Census Bureau on March 24, show that the Bronx gained 52,458 people since the last count in 2000, a growth rate of 3.9 percent, which was only surpassed in the city by the borough of Staten Island.

A look at the new figures reflect similar trends taking place in other large urban areas, according to William Bosworth, a professor at Lehman College who studies demographics and Census data.

“Generally, just because an area is minority doesn’t mean it’s going to lose population,” he said. “On the contrary — the areas that are losing population are mainly middle class, white areas.”

Indeed, the Bronx’s population boost is due to a spike in its number of Hispanic residents, who now account for 53.5 percent of the borough. Meanwhile, the number of whites and non-Hispanic black residents in the borough has decreased sharply since 2000 — the white population is down 22 percent — and now makes up 10.9 and 30.1 percent of the population, respectively.

The Bronx neighborhoods that saw their populations grow the most over the last 10 years are Morrisania, Melrose and Mott Haven, according to Census data compiled on the Department of City Planning’s website.

Local neighborhoods Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham North and University Heights saw their populations decrease just slightly since 2000, by a few hundred residents.

But while the population of the Bronx and the city overall have both increased, local legislators and Mayor Michael Bloomberg say the Census count comes up short.

There’s a lot at stake, as the amount of federal funding that states and cities receive depends on population numbers drawn from the Census.

“We have schools so overcrowded, they are bursting at the seams. New Yorkers can’t find affordable housing because the demand is huge and our streets are congested with pedestrians and automobiles,” said Bronx Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, in a press release.  “It is beyond ridiculous that based on the figures and the reality of life in the city that we have to accept Census numbers that are obviously and critically wrong.”

Bloomberg and other elected officials are calling on the Census Bureau to recount their numbers, especially in parts of Brooklyn and Queens that showed especially low numbers.

“I am certain that there was a slight undercount in the Bronx, as there are still many undocumented who are fearful of visits by government officials,” said Congressman Jose Serrano, whose district represents Fordham and University Heights as well as most of the south Bronx. “That said, the increase in our Bronx community by more than 50,000 people shows that our borough is on the rise and is a desirable place to live and do business.”

Living Wage Campaign Heats Up

By Jordan Moss

The campaign that would require developers of retail projects receiving taxpayer subsidies to pay a living wage — $10 with benefits and $11.50 without — is heating up as advocates press for an April City Council hearing. Council Speaker Christine Quinn has said she would allow hearings on the bill, which has 29 supporters, including every member of the City Council except for James Vacca of the east Bronx.

Vacca was very much on the minds and tongues of numerous speakers at a Living Wage NYC rally Monday night at the Bronx Pentecostal Deliverance Center on the anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.

The legislation was introduced by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., who led the fight to defeat the city’s plan to build a mall at the Armory, mainly because the developer would not guarantee that retail workers  be paid a living wage. Council Members Oliver Koppell and Annabel Palma are leading the charge in the Council. All three spoke at the rally on Monday night.

Mayor Bloomberg is on record opposing the bill, but with five more backers, the Council would have enough votes to override his veto.

Montefiore Enacts Expanded No-Smoking Policy

By Jeanmarie Evelly

Like many longtime smokers, Jarrel Jackson wants to quit smoking. Fortunately for his sake, so does Montefiore Medical Center, his employer and the largest employer in the Bronx, which recently expanded its No Smoking zones and is now offering smoking cessation resources for its employees.

The new policy, Montefiore officials say, is part of a larger, comprehensive healthy living strategy, one that would affect a population even greater than the medical center’s nearly 18,000 employees.

“Montefiore is not one big hospital,” said Dr. Steven M. Safyer, MD, Montefiore’s president and CEO. “It exists in 100 sites, including three campuses and a vast ambulatory care network. We wanted to do this for our associates, patients and visitors in every venue. We need to encourage people to quit and diminish temptation for those who want to smoke.”

At a press conference last month, on national Kick Butts Day, March 23, Safyer said he could remember a time when doctors and other employees not only smoked outside of the buildings, but in the buildings.

The institution, which Safyer called the “biggest economic engine in the borough,” has come a long way since then. Smoking is now considered almost synonymous with heart disease and lung cancer, two of the country’s biggest killers, and the hospital has taken steps to limit patient, employee and visitor exposure to it.

For the past decade, smoking was prohibited within 25 feet of building entrances.

Now, according to the new policy, smoking will not be permitted in any area around Montefiore locations, including common areas in residential buildings, parking garages and community sites. The shelters set up around Montefiore campuses, once a bastion for smokers, have now been removed.

For employees like Jackson who want to quit, the medical center will be providing smoking cessation literature and resources, including smoking alternatives like the nicotine patches and gum.

Safyer didn’t get into specifics about how the policy would be enforced. Instead, he focused on how the medical center would be “changing the culture” of smoking on its campuses and promoting an environment where smoking is discouraged.

According to Bronx Breathes, a nonprofit organization that trains physicians on smoking cessation strategies and how to assess tobacco use, 18 percent of Bronx residents smoke.

Barbara Hart, Bronx Breathes’ program manager who attended the Kick Butts Day press conference and set up a table in Montefiore’s Norwood campus cafeteria, said, “This is an exciting day for the Bronx. If Monte can do it, anybody can do it.”
Several Montefiore employees approached the table on Kick Butts Day, which was also staffed by representatives from American Cancer Society and the NYC Coalition for a Smoke-Free City, the group that successfully lobbied for a smoking ban at city parks and beaches, a policy that will be implemented in May.

Jackson, who works in the hospital’s oncology department and moonlights as a rapper (moniker: Cap’n J. Crunk), stopped at the table. He said he wanted badly to stop smoking for himself, but also for the sake of his 19-month-old son.

“I hope it works,” said Jackson, who said he has been smoking Newport brand cigarettes since he was 15 years old. “I hope this patch guides me.”

Juilliard Instrumental in Ursula Music Program

By Haydee Camacho

When 11th grader Mayira Rodriguez heard The Juilliard School would be offering free instruction in playing musical instruments at her high school, The Academy of Mount St. Ursula, she was one of the first to sign up for the program.

“I thought I would just sign up to get the information,” Mayira says. “But once I found out more about it, I never took my name off.”

The partnership with Juilliard and the program began this past fall and currently has 11 participants, including Mayira, who receive twice weekly instruction from two Juilliard teaching fellows on brass and woodwind instruments. The Bedford Park all-girls academy is the only city high school participating in the renowned music school’s program.

The program provides a boost for the academy’s efforts to expand its arts program, said the school’s president, Father John Vigilanti. “When so many schools are cutting back on the arts, we want to make the arts what we are known for,” Vigilanti said.

Plus, Vigilanti added, “It costs the school nothing except the girls’ dedication to do this.”

Juilliard’s reputation attracted several students. “I wanted to see what the caliber of people from Juilliard was like,” said ninth-grader Josephine Nguyen. “I never knew music could be so fun and that I would be able to read the notes and make a pretty sound out of it.”

Junior Nicole Carumba agreed. “Juilliard is one of the greatest schools of music and you are learning from the best.”

Freshman Awura Ama wanted to learn to play the clarinet. “I wanted to learn to play an instrument and I like how the instructors simplify it so it is not so hard.”

Juilliard’s Instrumental Music Program started in 1999 and is funded by Mr. and Mrs. Lester S. Morse. In order to become teaching fellows, Juilliard students undergo a rigorous application process that includes an audition, creating lesson plans, and attending training sessions.

Donna White, Juilliard’s educational outreach director, is impressed with the students. “The fact that they are sounding like a cohesive unit in addition to their instruction and expanded horizons  is quite an accomplishment,” White said.

St. Brendan Boys Fall Just Short of State Hoops Title

By Alex Kratz

With time running out in the first half of the biggest game of his young life, St. Brendan School hoopster Brian Ortiz launched a one-handed desperation shot from the other end of the basketball court. The Hail Mary-type shot, fitting for a boys Catholic league state championship match, was perfectly on target. Just a tad long. It bounced hard off the back rim.

The tantalizingly close, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempt drew cheers from the St. Brendan fans that travelled up to Yonkers for the game. It also proved a fitting analogy: so close, yet so far away.

Brian and his fifth and sixth grade St. Brendan teammates battled valiantly against a bigger St. Joseph’s team from Kingston, but their opponent’s size, which gave St. Joe’s an enormous rebounding advantage, proved too much to overcome. St. Brendan lost 40-29. Tears were shed. Hugs were needed.

But coach Peter Soroa, whose son, Peter, Jr., tussled all afternoon with St. Joe’s army of mini giants, tried to keep the loss in perspective. “I told them they had nothing to hang their heads about,” he said afterward, sweat still on his brow. “This season was a great season.”

Indeed, this St. Brendan team rolled through the regular season, took the Bronx borough title and then kept on rolling until the championship bout with St. Joe’s.

“We played hard, it was a long season and we made an amazing run,” Soroa said.

He credited their success to the team’s “resiliency and never-say-die attitude.”
Ray Cordero, who coaches the varsity St. Brendan squad, watched the entire game standing up on the baseline at one end of the gym. He gushed about this group of 10 and 11-year-olds. “They play together — I wish they had a little more height — but they play with heart, big hearts,” he said.

Down 18-11 at halftime, St. Brendan mounted a thrilling comeback in the third quarter. Abdala Garcia, who attended every St. B’s game this season, yelled encouragement from behind the basket. “They play with a lot of pride,” he said. “It’s not over.”

At one point, St. Brendan narrowed the lead to one point, 24-23, but couldn’t quite get over the hump and St. Joe’s height advantage wore them down. Nonetheless, to the bitter end, Brian and his teammates launched themselves, like a team of Hail Marys, at St. Joe’s.

“There’s no give up in this team,” Soroa said.

Lady Mustangs Reign!

By Norwood News

Last month, the Monroe College Lady Mustangs won the women’s junior college (Division II) national championship in an upset victory over the top-seeded Pima College (Ariz.), 78-74.

Sophomore Shanee Williams was named tournament MVP. It was Monroe’s third national championship and first since moving to Division II two years ago. The Monroe men’s team finished third nationally.

Webster Rezoning Okayed, Setting Up Makeover

By Jeanmarie Evelly

A plan to rezone Webster Avenue between East Gun Hill and Fordham roads was officially approved by the City Council at the end of March, the culmination of years of planning by local leaders and elected officials to help transform the 1.75-mile corridor.

“We worked very diligently over a five-year period to craft this proposal,” said Community Board 7 member Ozzie Brown, who said the plan lays the groundwork for a more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly Webster Avenue.

“We were able to set the context for what might happen in this region for the next 10, 15 years or so,” Brown said.

The new zoning allows a mix of residential and commercial spaces, with incentives to encourage the development of affordable housing. Webster Avenue’s previous zoning prohibited residential properties, and the gritty stretch of road is now comprised largely of auto-related and industrial businesses.

“Webster Avenue has been underdeveloped and underutilized,” said Bronx Council Member Oliver Koppell, who voted in favor of the plan at a hearing on March 23, where the rest of the Council approved it unanimously. “I am pleased that the Council has approved this rezoning, which is essential to transforming Webster Avenue into a vibrant, inviting and walkable area.”

Brown said Community Board 7 will work with the public and the Bronx’s major institutions over the next few months to draft a “Vision for Development,” a plan of what the community would like to see the neighborhood look like, which can then be presented to potential developers and investors.

“The potential there is really great,” he said. “We’d like to see bookstores — where can you go to buy a book in this area? We’d like to see some galleries there. We’d like to see family-style dining. We want to see a very significant shift that can help reprogram some crucial elements in our borough.”

Change won’t be immediate, however. A spokesperson for the Department of City Planning said the goals for rezoning are long-term, and that what happens in a particular neighborhood depends largely on the property owners and market conditions there.

Other Bronx neighborhoods have been similarly rezoned over the past few years. Like Webster Avenue, sections of Morrisania in the south Bronx were rezoned in 2003 to allow for residential housing where it had previously been prohibited. The area has since seen a small building boom and the development of over 900 affordable apartment units.

This fall, the City Council passed a similar plan for Third and East Tremont avenues, and a plan to rezone a stretch of East Fordham Road is currently under review.

The zoning changes also included the down-zoning of select blocks in Norwood and Bedford Park, a move designed to maintain the low-density character of those areas.

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