New Program Helps Young Bronxites Revive Woodlawn Cemetery’s Crypts

By WENDY JOAN BIDDLECOMBE

Recently, Luis Cruz worked inside Woodlawn Cemetery’s workshop at East 233rd Street to re-attach an angel’s head that had fallen off a 19th century monument years earlier. Later, students from Bronx International High School in the South Bronx searched the snow-covered grounds for a missing piece of that angel’s wing after failing to locate it behind the shop’s somewhat creepy pile of broken faces, arms and other stone extremities. The students are part of the Woodlawn Preservation Training Program, which has been working since the summer to restore monuments on the 400-acre landmark cemetery that would otherwise have gone unrepaired.

By DAVID CRUZ

In a proposal that’s likely several years away from construction, Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. unveiled his vision to generate more development by plating over existing open air rail yards dotted around the borough. The concept served as the crux to his ten-page report on the promise three rail yards hold for development. And while two yards in the Concourse and Riverdale sections of the Bronx would work as pragmatic sites, Diaz zeroed in on the Concourse Yard, a breathtaking span in Bedford Park, as having “tremendous potential” in seeing any type of development. The yard houses the B, D and 4

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will host its general board meeting Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bedford Park Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St. CB7 committees are held on the following dates at the board office, 229A E. 204th St. at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Public Safety & Quality of Life Feb. 4; Education/Libraries & Youth Services Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.; Housing/Land Use Feb. 8; Environment & Sanitation Feb. 9; Senior Services Feb. 10; Parks & Recreation Feb. 10 at 7:15 p.m.; Traffic & Transportation Feb. 11; Veterans committee Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call

Blood Drive St. Brendan’s Church, 333 E. 206th St. presents the annual “After Super Bowl Blood Drive” on Feb. 14 at 10 a.m., in the rectory. Donors are required to eat a full meal and drink plenty of water before donating. For more information, call (718) 547-6655. BMCA Seeks Flea Market Donations The Bedford Mosholu Community Association is accepting donations for its annual flea market set for March 5. Bring new and used items (except clothes) to 400 E. Mosholu Pkwy. So., apt. B1 (lobby floor) on Wednesdays, Feb. 17 and 24 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Feb. 27 from

By VIVIAN R. CARTER

Wheeled vehicles powered by humans, not steam engines, may again be able to traverse the Old Putnam Trail in Van Cortlandt Park. But not anytime soon. Two community boards are considering a controversial $2.5 million proposal to redesign the trail by adding a 10-foot wide asphalt surface and 3-foot wide jogging trail. The trail, once the New York Central Railroad line, cuts through the center of Van Cortlandt Park, from its southern border, north to the city line with Yonkers. In 2013, a plan to redo the trail was rejected by Community Board 8 of Riverdale/Kingsbridge. The park is designated

Three Lehman College business majors have been selected to join the Bronx Arts Ensemble (BAE) as interns for the spring 2016 term. The Lehman interns will be responsible for assisting in the management of BAE programs. The entrepreneurial, dynamic office environment exposes the interns to many aspects of arts administration, including but not limited to, marketing, program management, accounting and fundraising. Lehman President Ricardo R. Fernandez commented: “I am delighted about this new initiative. Lehman and BAE have partnered in various artistic endeavors over the years. The partnership is now expanding into the business management realm and I am confident that

This week we asked readers about the city’s response to the recent record-breaking blizzard Jan. 23-24, compared to last year’s cleanup efforts. I guess it was better for what we got slapped with this year. Some places got like 20 inches, you know? It actually doesn’t look too bad, it’s only been a couple of days. I actually got an e-mail about helping out shoveling, so I do like the fact that they were reaching out to residents to help out. Kyante Adams Hollis, Queens For me it was fast enough, they did a good job. I remember last year,

STATE OF THE CITY REMARKS BY MAYOR DE BLASIO, AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY One New York: Working for Our Neighborhoods Thank you to everyone here tonight, everyone watching at home, and all our friends here at Lehman College. Thanks for hosting us. And thank you to Ausar. The future of our city is in the hands of young people like you, Ausar, and we’re very proud of you tonight. For too long, many of our young men weren’t treated like our future. They were treated as something less. But we are changing that. We are lifting up our young people.

[URIS id=20221] In his third State of the City address, that once again captured the tenor of inequality, Mayor Bill de Blasio offered a synopsis of citywide initiatives while unveiling a short list of goals specific to the Norwood and Mott Haven sections of the Bronx. Presenting his evening address at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts in the Bronx, the first for de Blasio, Mr. de Blasio summarized policies that he points have raised quality of life for New Yorkers, particularly the city’s downtrodden. Without the help of a teleprompter, Mr. de Blasio’s speech seemed to be refresher on