Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 18

Weather: Cool and mostly cloudy with on-and-off rainstorms predicted.

On to your Bronx news!

Story of the Day: DOE Meeting Tonight to Discuss 'Toxic' P.S. 51
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott and other city officials will  be in the Bronx tonight to meet with parents and members of the community to discuss P.S. 51, the Bedford Park elementary school that's being moved because its current building was found to be contaminated with high levels of Trichloroethylene--an industrial solvent that can potentially cause serious health problems that affect the central nervous system, including the liver, kidney, and the immune system, according to the EPA.You can read more coverage on the situation here; details about tonight's meeting are here.

The DOE said there are no immediate health risks posed to students at the school, but that doesn't seem to have done much to ease parents' concerns. "All parents in this school should have their children tested because as you can see from this issue the Board of Education can't be trusted to tell the truth," one BxNN reader and PS 51 parent commented. We'll be covering tonight's meeting and will keep you updated.

Quick Hits:
The funeral for Christina Santiago, killed this weekend in Indiana when a concert stage collapsed, takes place today in the Bronx.

Great story in the Times this morning about parents who are caught with minor amounts of marijuana--not enough to charge them with a crime--getting  subject to extra scrutiny from child welfare on accusations of neglect.

Bronx Events: Local Celebrity Theatre Presents 'Beyond Therapy'

Bronx-based not-for-profit theatre group Local Celebrity Theatre performs "Beyond Therapy," tonight and tomorrow night at I.S. 192, 650 Hollywood Ave.

A description of the show, via a press release:  

"A farcial comedy that follows Prudence, an uptight writer who has trouble finding satisfying relationships, and Bruce, an emotional bisexual, two Manhattanites both seeking stable romantic relationships with the help of their psychiatrists.When their psychiatrists suggest they place personal ads in the paper, their lives intertwine and become evermore complicated."

Tickets are $15; more info can be found here. Check out what else is happening in the Bronx this weekend in our community calendar, below.

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

Bronx 'Guidos' on Stage

A new comedic play that's coming to Manhattan's off-off Broadway circuit in March aims to show a different side of New York City's "guidos."

"The Guido Monologues: Evolution of the Italian Americans," opens March 8 at The Producers Club Theater on West 44th Street. The cast and crew, according to a press release, are largely Bronx-born and raised, and the play itself focuses on several characters growing up in the Boogie Down.

But don't expect this to be an episode of "Jersey Shore" on stage, says the producer: the play wants to spread a "more positive message about Italian American culture," than Snooki does. Watch the clip below for more info.

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 1

Police arrested Tyrone Hunter, of the Bronx, yesterday in connection with a string of robberies that took place last week on the Upper East Side.

The body of a man killed in an apartment fire in Mount Eden over the weekend has been identified as 48-year-old Juan Marte, a local barber and father of three. Police are still looking for a group of teens spotted in the lobby before the blaze began.

A Bronx man has started his own theatre group, Local Celebrity Theatre. Proceeds from many of the groups' plays and performances are donated to charity; this month's original production, "Telethon for Santa,"will run at Lehman High School and will raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Police are beefing up patrols around local Catholic schools and churches after a number of them were burglarized over the last month or so.

To add to their worries: 15 Bronx Catholic schools are still in the lurch after the Archdiocese of New York announced that they may cut funding for them. A decision is expected over the next month.

Speculation over Yankees superstar Derek Jeter's future: will he leave the Bronx in search of more millions? It's unlikely, according to the Times.

Bronx Councilman James Vacca's new bill is looking to put a stop to bad landlords and shady developers. The legislation would require any developer with violation fines or debts to the city to pay up before they are allowed permits for any new projects.

Despite an economic uptick this year, stalled building sites increased across the city. There are 30 suspended projects in the Bronx.

A Bronx landscaper believed to have caused a fatal car crash on Long Island this Sunday had a bottle of vodka in his truck, according to prosecutors. Everado Nieto's blood alcohol level was within legal limits at the time of arrrest. The crash left another man dead and his wife critically injured.

Police are looking for witnesses to a fatal hit-and-run crash on the Upper West Side Friday night in order to prosecute 24-year-old Bronx resident Jessica Altruz. She's been accused of leaving the scene of a crime and who could face manslaughter charges for the accident, which killed 67-year-old Margaret Fisher.

Dave Levitt, a lifelong klezmer musician--music of Eastern European Jews--is delighting seniors at Jewish Home Lifecare on Kingsbridge Road, where he works as a "music specialist."

City Harvest, and Food Network star Ellie Krieger, gave out 20,000 pounds of fresh produce to Bronx residents on Thanksgiving.