Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, Aug. 2

Weather: After today's sizzler -- high of 92 expected -- Bronx air will cool back down into the low 80s tomorrow and should stay comfortably below 90 for the rest of the week.

Story of the Day: Bronx Kids Writing Around Town
This summer, the Bronx Council on the Arts is transporting Bronx youngsters to destinations outside of the Northern Borough for rich cultural experiences they otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy. Before, during and after they go to galleries, museums or places like the Anne Frank Center in SoHo, the kids write about what they've seen and experienced. The goal of the Bronx Write Bus, says program director Maria Romano, is two fold: keeping kids stimulated and off the street and, at the same time, exposing them to cool cultural places and ideas. Good story from former BxNN intern turned Times scribe Andrew Boryga. The program ends next week.

Quick Hits: 
Sad, bizarre crime story in the NY Post today about two clerks at the AutoZone on East 149th Street who chased after and caught a shoplifter yesterday. One of the AutoZone employees managed to wrestle the thief down and call police before the perpetrator turned the tables, for a minute anyway. Eventually, as onlookers told the employees to just let the guy go (why, they wondered, would they risk injury for a business they didn't even own?), the thief gave up the goods and departed before the cops arrived. Later, the Post found the alleged thief, who was sporting a shiner and other injuries. He said he was homeless and that "they didn't have to do that to me."

Bronx Events: Classical Guitar Concert, Blood Drive and more

The Bronx Council on the Art’s ‘Bronx Beat Concert’ series continues tonight from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Wave Hill. Renown Classical Guitarist Andrew Geddis, who has played for former Mayor David Dinkins, will perform. You’ll have to pay $8 admission to the grounds for adults, $4 for students and seniors 65 or older, and $2 for children over six, but the concert is free. For more information, head to www.bronxarts.org.

In other local events: Twin Park Kids and Aquinas Housing is holding a blood drive tomorrow from 2 to 8 p.m. in honor of Daisy Perez, who while pregnant with her daughter, had to get several blood transfusions due to complications. The blood drive will be held at 961 Cassella Plaza, at East 180 Street and Vyse Avenue.

Check out our calendar for more upcoming events.

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Street Sculpture Goes Up on Fordham Road

Bronxites ponder a new art sculpture that's on display at Fordham Road and Grand Concourse.
(All photos by David Greene)

By DAVID GREENE

Locals passing the Grand Concourse at East Fordham Road have been scratching their heads recently at the sight of a newly-erected piece of public art.

The ten-foot metal sculpture titled, "Silver," by Bronx artist Christian Marche was created from recycled materials found on the streets of the city. The work depicts a woman in a cage and a cat sitting on top of a street sign, among other unusual details. The project is sponsored by the Fordham Road Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation's Urban Art Program and the Al Johnson Art Studio.

Additional funding came from the Bronx Council on the Arts, through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Greater New York Arts Development Fund Re-grants Program. The official unveiling is expected to take place next week, and the sculpture will be on display until the end of the year.

Bronx Events: Fun Outdoor Summer Stuff, Tonight

(Photo: Bronx Council on the Arts)

If you're looking to take advantage of the great outdoors before the next two days of super-stifling heat hit (it'll be a manageable 80 degrees tonight), there are a couple of events taking place in the parks.

Flutist and Latin Grammy Award nominee Dave Valentin will perform tonight at Wave Hill, at 7 p.m., part of the park's "Sunset Wednesdays" and the Bronx Council on the Arts' "Bronx Beats" concert series. The show is free with admissions to the Wave Hill grounds ($8 for adults, $4 for students and seniors and $2 for kids over six.) Visit www.wavehill.org or www.bronxarts.org for more info.

For those with little ones, Friends of Crotona Park will be showing Justin Bieber's movie (they made a Justin Bieber movie?) "Never Say Never," at the park's amphitheater, at Charlotte Street and Crotona Park East. Show starts at 8 p.m.; come early to have your face painted by Chussie the Clown. The film is free, but bringing your own blankets and chairs is recommended. Call 718-716-1128, ext. 10 for more.

Check out these and other neighborhood events in our Bronx community calendar, below.

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, April 5

Speed roundup today as we're going to press with the latest edition of the Norwood News, which will hit streets in Fordham, University Heights, Bedford Park and Norwood tomorrow.

First, the weather: Rainy, with temperatures falling into the high 40s and winds gusting up to 36 miles an hour.

To the news!

Story of the Day: Bronx Boy Leads UConn to National Hoops Title
Soundview's own Kemba Walker, who attended IS 174 before heading to Rice in Manhattan to play his high school ball, was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in leading the University Connecticut men's basketball team to its third national championship. They beat Butler University, a relatively tiny Indiana school, 53-41. Jason Fisher, who apparently played with Walker back in the day, said he was proud to see his fellow Bronxite make it on the big stage. "It's spirit and hard work," he told the Daily News. "It's something we all dreamed about when we were playing way back in the third grade. It's a dream that came through for Kemba, and I'm really happy for him." Here's how they celebrated on the UConn campus (skip it if you don't want to see college kids deliriously happy):


Quick Hits:
More than 33,000 people wrote in suggestions to name the Bronx Zoo's most famous reptile -- the Egyptian cobra who was on the loose for a week -- and the finalists have been revealed: Agnes, Amaunet, Cleopatra, Subira Egyptian, Mia. Click here for more on the names and to vote for your favorite of the top five.

JPMorgan Chase donated an old Washington Mutual building, on East Tremont in Westchester Square, to the Bronx Council on the Arts.

HBO ran a documentary last night about Hollywood super producer Jerry Weintraub, who's a Bronx boy.

Watch and then vote for the winner of WNYC's Bronx Battle of the Boroughs music contest. The winner moves on to represent the Bronx in the citywide Battle of the Boroughs showcase in June.

A major rehab is beginning at the old Bronx County Courthouse.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio showed up at a Bedford Park building the other day to tout his new plan to hold shady landlords more accountable. The plan will include a link on craigslist that would lead apartment seekers to de Blasio's list of the city's worst landlords.

Valentine's Day Events

Happy Valentine's, Bronxites! Wishing you a lovely day, whether you're single or paired up this year. Here are some events taking place in the borough in honor of the day of love.

--Councilman Joel Rivera and Bronx AIDS Services will be offering free HIV tests at 1901 Southern Blvd, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Results are available in as little as 20 minutes. Free HIV counseling also available.

--The Bronx Health Center is hosting a discussion on safer sex practices and improving your relationship with your partner today at 1 p.m., at 975 Westchester Ave. Call the center at (718) 320-4466 or email info@chnnyc.org for more information.

--The Bronx Council on the Arts invites you to a free concert, "Love, Love, Love! A Celebration of Love Through Song," at City Island’s Pilot Cove Manor Community Room, 160 Pilot Street. The show will feature soprano Elizabeth Farnum accompanied by her husband, Kenneth Farnum, Jr., on piano.

These and other Bronx events are listed in our community calendar, below.

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Bronx Culture Trolley & Other Events

(Photo by Bronx Council on the Arts)

The Bronx Culture Trolley returns tonight, as it does the first Wednesday of every month, to take riders on a tour of the borough's top arts and cultural destinations. The tour is free, and departs from Hostos Community College's Longwood Art Gallery, at 450 Grand Concourse, at 5:30 p.m. The trolley, and many of the venues along the way, are wheelchair acessible.

Tonight's route includes stops at Hostos' Las Casitas Revisited exhibit and a free Latin jazz concert. More details are at the Bronx Council on the Arts' website, here. Check out this and other Bronx events in our community calendar, below.

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Bronx News Roundup, April 27

Yesterday, President Obama met with the Yankees at the White House, where he singled out a few of them for their community service and charity work.

A Yonkers man who gave police a DNA sample after a drink-driving incident last year has been charged with the long-ago murders of three women, two of whom were from the Bronx.  (Just last month, following another DNA breakthrough, a serial killer already serving time was charged with the 1981 murder of a Bronx woman.) 

On Saturday, a not entirely successful soda buyback event was held at Richard R. Green Middle School in the north Bronx, in support of the proposed "soda tax."  (Earlier this month, Dr. Steven Safyer, president of Montefiore Medical Center, made an impassioned plea for the tax's implementation. Supermarkets and beverage companies, meanwhile, are fighting against it - they claim it would unfairly burden low-income families.) 

BronxWorks (formerly the Citizens Advice Bureau) is holding its annual fundraiser at the Yankee Stadium on Saturday. Bill Aguado, a long-time BronxWorks board member and the former executive director of the Bronx Council on the Arts, is among the honorees.

Speaking of the Bronx Council on the Arts, the group is looking to move to Westchester Square from their current location in Morris Park.

State Senator Marty Golden (R-Brooklyn) has been talking to his Democrat and Republican colleagues about a possible resolution which could strip the scandal-hit Pedro Espada of his majority leader post.

With Espada in trouble, will Community Board 6 still get the $58,000 in discretionary money he's promised them?  (Espada announced the allocation at last month's board meeting.  He also presented ceremonial  checks to Tanima Productions, which runs after-school programs, and Tremont United Methodist Church.)

Marc Sternberg, the former principal of Bronx Lab, a high school on the Evander Childs campus, has landed a high-up job at the Department of Education where he'll be in charge of designing, selecting, and placing new schools.  (Sternberg, by the way, is a huge fan of mayoral control.)

On Thursday night, a community meeting is being held in Mott Haven to help address gun violence in the Bronx. 

A 75-year-old Morrisania man has been missing since last Tuesday. Vincent Durso suffers from early-stage dementia.

Pompeii Lounge, a nightclub on East Tremont Avenue, is a terrible neighbor, say local residents who tell stories of noisy revelers, brawls, and gun fights.
 
Recently, scores of middle school students at Riverdale Country School attempted to survive without their cell phones for two whole days.

Coqui Mexicano, a restaurant in Melrose, is in danger of losing its lease.  Local residents and community groups are doing their upmost to make sure this doesn't happen.  [via BoogieDowner]

Mo Gridder’s famous BBQ trailer is for sale.

Bronx News Roundup, Feb. 17

Lots of Bronx news out there, let's get right to it. 

Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez reminds everyone that the old Yankee Stadium remains firmly in the way of new replacement community ball fields, leaving youth leagues with no place to play. (The old fields were destroyed to make way for the new Yankee Stadium.) A spokesman for the city's Economic Development Corporation says the stadium will be fully demolished by the spring and the replacement fields will be ready at the end of 2011, five years after the original fields were destroyed.

Neil deMause at Field of Schemes chimes in and notes how activists Joyce Hogi and Karen Argenti say federal funds should be withheld for non-compliance.

Speaking of the Yankees, the club is talking to promoters about holding a big-ticket fight between Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman at the new Yankee Stadium in June. 

Carlos Gonzalez, the son of former Bronx state senator Efrain Gonzalez, is exploring a run for state office. City Hall magazine says he could challenge Assemblyman Jose Rivera in the 78th Assembly District. Gonzalez points out that he also lives in the  33rd Senate District, which is currently represented by Pedro Espada.

Surprise! The Bronx is the most unhealthy county in the entire state of New York, according to a recently released report that measured access to health care, economics, behavior and environmental factors. Westchester County, just north of the Bronx, is one of the state's healthiest. 

Here's a video report about the dramatic fire and rescue in Pelham Bay on Monday.

The Times' story about the troubling record of the top to aide to Gov. Paterson takes a detour into the Bronx, where the aide, David W. Johnson, reportedly had an altercation with a woman in October that led to police intervention. (Paterson's office says the complaint about Johnson in the Bronx was withdrawn and that Johnson had turned his life around after being arrested on drug charges as a teenager.)

The Riverdale Press has a list of all the recipients of grants handed out by the Bronx Council on the Arts.

Granola-y tree-hugger Matthew Modine adds some star power to the recently formed Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy.

Bill Aguado, Champion of Bronx Art Scene, in Times

In case you missed it on Friday (we were all out of the office so didn't get to post to the blog), David Gonzalez had a wonderful column paying tribute to Bill Aguado, who is departing the Bronx Council of Arts after three decades of service. Under Aguaudo's leadership BCA has built an incredible infrastructure for Bronx artists and art enthusiasts -- places for Bronx Artists to create and exhibit/perform their art, services to help artists thrive, and programs that honor and reward Bronx artists for their creations.

On a related note, if you've never been on the Bronx Culture Trolley which stops at several south Bronx cultural venues the first Wednesday of every month, you don't know what you're missing. The next one is Aug. 5. For more info click here.

Art Rich Bronx

On Wednesday June 3rd in conjunction with the Bronx Culture Trolley, the Bronx Council on the Arts is organizing an evening of art to celebrate BRIO's 20th Anniversary. Click here for details.
A month ago on May 2nd, the Bronx Council on the Arts organized the 3rd annual Mott Haven Open Artist Studio Tour. The photographs are a fleeting glimpse into the Bronx art universe, rich in art and personalities. I would like to thank Mr. Ben Stock for being my guide and introducing me to the artists and their work. Please click on the images for captions and larger images.

Bronx News Roundup, May 15

Not a whole lot out there on the Bronx today, but here's what we found.

We'll start with more about the Hero dogs on the Major Deegan.

Following an onslaught of complaints from fans and unflattering newspaper opinion pieces, the Yankees are opening up access to the stadium's lower concourses for pre-game batting practice. Now, if they could just get that old stadium torn down. The NY1 report on this.

High school softball: Bronx Science and Clinton won. Kennedy, Walton and Lincoln all lost. There's only one game remaining in the regular season.

Bronx Council on the Arts was one of seven groups to receive a grant from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. Bill Aguado, the council's executive director for the past 28 years, is stepping down to "bring in a new generation."

A woman was convicted of fatally stabbed to death a pregnant woman (who was from the Bronx) in 2007 was convicted of murder on Thursday.

Bronx News Roundup, April 6

Neighbors spoke to the NY Times about the Bronx police officer convicted of second-degree manslaughter last week, while Rev. Al Sharpton called for the maximum sentence possible in the case. The officer, who shot a drunk driver to death, claimed he acted to save his own life.

The NYPD is asking for help finding two Bronx teens, both missing since last week.

The annual Anarchist Fair came to the Bronx on Saturday, though it didn't draw much of a crowd.

Bronx state Sen. Jeff Klein is taking on illegal online cigarette vendors, which evade the city's high tobacco taxes.

The Bronx Council on the Arts is providing its own stimulus package to 19 art organizations in the Bronx.

There are growing security concerns about the Bicentennial Veterans Memorial Park in Throggs Neck.

Joel Osteen, minister and author of the New York Times Best Seller, Your Best Life Now, will bless the new Yankees Stadium on April 25.

The Big Read in the Bronx.

Wednesday April 1, 2009, evening: The Bronx Council On the Arts hosted Read it aloud, Pass it Along. A Public Reading of To Kill a Mockingbird, At the Longwood Art Gallery, Hostos Community College. The 2nd image in the slide show has Maria Romano of BCA looking on as Mr. Ron Kavanaugh reads at the Longwood Gallery.

Later that evening at the Pregones Theater the INSPIRIT Dance Company performed a response to To Kill a Mockingbird. The INSPIRIT Dance Company shall be performing again at the Bronx Library Center on Saturday April 4 at 5:30pm.
As always, I hope you enjoyed the images as much as I did making them.

Bronx Arts Scene: Culture Trolley to Run on Saturdays

On the first Wednesday of every month (bar one or two), the Bronx Culture Trolley ferries art lovers from one South Bronx art spot to another. Now, the Bronx Council on the Arts, the organization behind the trolley, is starting a Saturday run. The first one will be held on Saturday, March 14, from 12 to 5 p.m. The trolley, and all participating attractions and venues, is free. More here.

Funding permitting, the Saturday Culture Trolley will become a monthly occasion. Already there's plans for May and June. For information, call Leenda Bonilla at (718) 931-9500 ext. 23 or e-mail saturdays[at]bronxarts.org.

The BCA hopes the Saturday runs will attract families with young children who may have struggled to make the "First Wednesday" events because they're held in the evenings.

Also this week, the Bronx Academy of Arts & Dance (BAAD!) kicks off its spring season with BAAD! ASS WOMEN 2009, its annual cultural festival celebrating the empowerment of women. The festival will open on Friday at 8 p.m. with a special concert by BRIO Award-winning Bronx choreographer Jessica Danser. More here.

(Photo illustration courtesy of the BCA)

Bronx Arts Scene: The Bronx's Big Read Starts Tomorrow, with "To Kill a Mockingbird"

The Bronx Council of the Arts is one of many community organizations across the country helping organize events for National Endowment of the Arts' Big Read program, which aims to celebrate great books and the culture of reading.

The Big Read kicks off tomorrow, March 12, from 6 - 8:45 p.m., at the Bronx Library Center, 310 E. Kingsbridge Road, with a reading of Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird."

Ray Raimundi of News 12, media personality Valerie Smaldone and City Councilman James Vacca will begin reading. Once they read, the microphone will open to all attendees to continue reading the story. Some light refreshments and free CDs will be available.

From tomorrow until April 18, BCA will celebrate "To Kill a Mockingbird" with full calendar of events. Click here for a full listing of events.

Free Workshops for Bronx Artists

The Bronx Council on the Arts is holding its free 2009 Professional Development Program for Bronx artists. Workshops are held on Saturdays from 12 to 2 p.m. at Hostos Community College, 450 Grand Concourse at 149th St. RSVP to finearts@bronxarts.org as seating is limited.

Workshop Schedule:

Grant Seeking Basics on Feb. 28; Financial Tool Kit for Artists on Mar. 7, Finding Work Now on Mar. 14; Access and Alternatives to Health Insurance on Mar. 28; Be Well/Stay Well on Apr. 4; Want to get Published? This Is What You Need to Know on Apr. 11; Housing Alternatives for the Bronx Artist on Apr. 18.

For more information, visit www.bronxarts.org.

Feb 5th “Not-for-Profit Incorporation” Workshop.

We thought this might interest our readers:

Bronx Council on the Arts presents a “Not-for-Profit Incorporation” workshop on Thursday, February 5, 2009 at the Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos. Learn the Essentials of Not-for-Profit Incorporation and 501(c)(3) Tax Exemption with a panel of experts from the private bar and the Legal Aid Society. This Professional Development Workshop, a program of BCA’s Cultural Venture Fund, a free and open to the public, but an RSVP is necessary. The workshop is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and co-sponsored by the Bronx Council on the Arts, State Senator José M. Serrano, and CheckSpring Bank. Click here for a printable flyer detailing the workshop.