It's Organ Donor Month

April is Donate Life Month--check out the flier below for more info on how you can register to be an organ donor.

Bronx's Largest Employer, Montefiore, Expands No Smoking Policy (Video)

New signage prominently displays Monte's new expanded No Smoking policy. (A. Kratz)

 Editor's note: this article was first published in the most recent edition of the Norwood News, which is out on streets and online now. 
 
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, 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 (see video below) 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.

Untitled from Alex Kratz on Vimeo.

See 'The King's Speech' Tomorrow Evening

Lots of quality free entertainment coming out of the two neighboring northwest Bronx hospitals tomorrow. As we mentioned yesterday, North Central Bronx will be holding a lunchtime concert. And at 5 p.m., Montefiore Medical Center, in honor of World Voice Day, will be hosting a screening of the Oscar-winning film, "The King's Speech," which recounts the story of the King of England overcoming his stuttering problems. See details below in our oft-updated Bronx Events calendar.

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

Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, April 12

Weather: Light rain is expected here in the Bronx sometime after noon, with temperatures dropping into the 40s as night falls on our lovely borough.

To the news!

Story of the Day: Kazimiroff Boulevard Re-Renamed
It is said that Dr. Theodore L. Kazimiroff, a jack of many trades (dentist, naturalist, Indiana Jones wannabe) and the Bronx's first historian, once removed a tooth from a lion's mouth in the Bronx Zoo. He had become such a legendary borough figure that, just a year after his death in 1980, a section of the winding road that runs from East Fordham Road to Allerton Avenue and cuts between the New York Botanical Garden and Fordham University was remaned Dr. Theodore L. Kazimiroff Boulevard.

For years, the Garden and Fordham complained that the new street name confused drivers who wanted access to its institutions. (Current Bronx historian Lloyd Ultan was skeptical about this claim). In any case, they finally got their way Monday when Mayor Bloomberg signed into law a bill, sponsored by Bronx City Councilman Oliver Koppell, renaming the street Southern Boulevard, as it was known before it took on Kazimiroff as its namesake. Kazimiroff's widow, Emilia, who still lives close to her husband's former street, wasn't happy about the change, which is apparently such a rarity that Henry J. Stern, a former parks commissioner who reportedly knows everything about New York City ("a living compendium of New York trivia"), couldn't remember it ever happening before. "It is sort of a slap in the face," she told the Times. Dr. Theodore L. Kazimiroff will remain the unofficial and honorary name of that stretch of Southern Boulevard.

Quick Hits:
Speaking of street renaming, honorary or otherwise, Community Board 3 is considering a proposal to rename Jennings Street, between Prospect and Union avenues, after The Chords, a Bronx rhythm and blues band that crossed over into pop stardom with their hit, "Sh-Boom," which ruled the summer of 1954.  Here's The Chords singing their hit in 1980:


To the chagrin of many Bronx artists, Latin jazz is being removed as a Grammy category.

Some food activists, including Karen Washington of the Bronx group La Familia Verde, say the city needs to do more to get Farmer's Markets set up in poorer areas of the city.

Community Board 7 -- Norwood, Bedford Park, North Fordham and University Heights -- has more buildings with rat problems, 14% of them, than any other board in the borough. CB6 is second.

The Capitol profiles Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a former Bronx state senator.

East Bronx Councilman James Vacca is starting to feel some heat for not supporting a living wage bill that the rest of the Bronx delegation has signed on to.[Link fixed]

Montefiore Medical Center is working to teach its patients how to cook colon-healthy meals to help them prevent colon cancer. Speaking of cancer, the New York area is reportedly very aggressive in its end-of-life cancer care as there are financial incentives to keeping patients out of hospices. But Montefiore's chief medical officer, Dr. Gary Kalkut, says this trend has nothing to do with federal financing.

Bronx Weekend News Roundup, Monday, March 28

Welcome to Monday, Bronx folks. I woke up this morning to the sporadic hissing of the radiator and immediately went about locating my long johns. Despite the calendar's best attempts to tell us otherwise, it's clear winter is making an extended appearance in 2011. Indeed, it remains long john weather. Weather.com says it's 28 degrees this morning, but feels like 16. Temperatures are expected to rise to a less bitter 44 by the afternoon.

To the news!

Story of the Day: Budget Deal Cuts Health and Education Spending
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Albany legislative leaders, five days before the April 1 deadline, announced a budget deal last night that would decrease overall spending by 2 percent and include no new taxes. The deal would, however, cut $2 billion in spending on health care and education, drawing immediate criticism from advocates. Before the budget deal was reached, many city Democrats, including Bronx State Senator Gustavo Rivera,  said such cuts would not have been as substantial if Cuomo had renewed the so-called "millionaire's tax," which had increased tax rates for wealthy New Yorkers over the past two years, but was set to expire this year. On Friday, Rivera told BxNN he wasn't especially confident the millionaire's tax or the extension of rent regulations -- another Bronx Democratic priority -- would be included in this budget, but Democrats would be pushing for both in separate legislation.

On the plus side, state funding for senior centers -- the absence of which could have led to the closing of dozens of Bronx centers -- has been tentatively restored. Details on the budget will be hammered out this week. We'll have more as they come in.

Quick Hits:
In a story that went national, on Friday afternoon, the Bronx Zoo closed its Reptile House indefinitely as it looks for a missing Egyptian cobra. “We are confident that the snake, about 20 inches long, is contained in a non-public, isolation area within the building,” Zoo officials said. As of last night, the snake was still missing. Somewhere, Indiana Jones is terrified. No word yet on whether the Zoo has called in Samuel L. Jackson, who has a history of battling snakes on planes.

A wild car chase on Friday night (early Saturday morning) between police and a fugitive ended in a traffic jam on the Major Deegan, near Alexander Avenue, with cops firing 19 shots and killing 28-year-old Bronxite Orlando Santos, who had an extensive criminal record, but was unarmed. Police said Santos tried to run officers down with his car and would not stop despite repeated warnings. Santos' sister said the shooting was unjustified and friends of Santos orchestrated a protest by slowly retracing the chase route and causing more traffic jams. Here's a map showing the chase route.

According to Census data, the areas of Melrose and Morrisania experienced some of the highest rates of growth in the city, with population up 27.1 percent since the last Census in 2000.

UniverSoul Circus performed in the Bronx this past week on 149th Street. (A toddler was hurt during one of the shows.) Just for fun, here's a youtube clip:



Two lawsuits have been filed in the deadly tour bus crash in the Bronx two weeks ago.

Local residents who live around Yankee Stadium are dreading the coming of Opening Day on Thursday, saying parking in the area turns into a huge, complicated problem.

Speaking of the Yankees, Forbes said the value of the famed Bronx franchise went up 6 percent this past year and is now worth $1.7 billion, almost double the value of the next most valuable team, the Boston Red Sox ($912 million). The average major league team, Forbes says, is worth $543 million.

To operators of the struggling Yankee Stadium parking garages might want to tap into some of those substantial team resources to help dig themselves out of debt, sources told the Daily News.

We'll have more on this, but the City Council last week approved the rezoning of Webster Avenue.

Montefiore Medical Center has revamped its intensive care units and it's working.

Bronx News Roundup, March 23

Weather: Snow, then rain, maybe a little more snow, rain, a little sleet thrown in for good measure, more rain.

Story of the Day: Friends Wrongly Thought They Pulled a Fast One
Busted! Last summer in Highbridge, police say a group of eights friends came up with a money-making scam. In the middle of the night, they piled into three cars, drove around searching for a secluded block and then coordinated a fender bender. Though there wasn't much damage, police said all eight claimed injuries to the insurance companies. Skeptical invesigators eventually found videotape of the allegedly staged crash and discovered that the group of eight were all pals. The Daily News has video of crash released by the NYPD:


Quick Hits:
Last few hits have been filled with crime and gore. A little relief today. 

The First Lady of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, will deliver the 42nd annual Lehman Lecture at Lehman College's Lovinger Theater. Not able to make it to Bedford Park this morning. No problem.Watch live on the school's website.

More on the arrest of Eddy Coello, who was charged with murdering his wife, Tina Adovasio, on the day of her funeral.

A Massey Knackal broker, David Simone, is starting his own real estate brokerage firm focusing on the Bronx and Northern Manhattan.

Here's a fun fact: A breakdown of New York City school names reveals that "Bronx" appears in 65 names, the most appearances of any borough, by far.

DN columnist Michael Daly rails against Bronx Council member Fernando Cabrera for his residency flap.  

Montefiore Medical Center will announce a campus-wide no smoking policy today.

For all you science geeks out there, this website breaks down the new technology being used at the Croton Water Filtration Plant that is taking shape in Van Cortlandt Park. [Link fixed]

Bronx hip hop duo Camp Lo are teaming up with producer Pete Rock on a new album titled, "80 blocks from Tiffany's," a shout out to the recently released documentary about 1970s Bronx street life.

Bronx Health: Teen Fitness Program Wins $20,000 Grant to Expand

With more funding, the B'N Fit program at the Bronx's PS 8 will expand and work to incorporate the whole family.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, about a dozen teenagers darted back and forth across the gymnasium at PS 8, their sneakers squeaking on the polished floors. Running drills were followed by several minutes of jumping jacks, then a game of basketball. Despite what looked like rigorous exercise, the kids were joking and smiling.

The teens are part of “B’N Fit,” a year-round intensive fitness program run by Montefiore Medical Center and the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center that aims to help adolescents lose weight and embrace a healthy lifestyle.

This month, the program scored $20,000 from the Coca-Cola Foundation to expand its service — part of a $300,000 pot of funds that the beverage company gave out to organizations this year in the form of “Healthy Active Living” grants.

“This program is really a program that combines medical expertise with community service,” said B’N Fit Director Dr. Jessica Rieder, at a check presentation ceremony on Nov. 23.

Bronx Health: On World AIDS Day, Diaz Jr. Says Fight Against Disease is Personal

In a speech today, World AIDS Day, at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. called the fight against HIV/AIDS personal and said battling the disease was one of his administration's top priorities.

"No one is immune," said Diaz, adding that two of his uncles passed away due to AIDS complications and that his chief of staff, Paul DelDuca, is HIV positive.

Even though it was gloomy outside, with heavy rain and gusting winds, it was full of sunshine on the 3rd floor of the FCC Building in the Montefiore Medical Center.

Patients and staff of the Center for Positive Living/ID Clinic were singing and dancing together to commemorate World AIDS Day. With live music and nutritious snacks floating around the room, patients got the chance to shop for free in a vintage shop, win cash prize raffles, design a hand-painted survivor quilt and more.

Diaz and one of the city's deputy health commissioners, Dr. Monica Sweeney both spoke at the event.

"This clinic is dynamic," said Diaz, praising the clinic for its work with HIV and AIDs patients.

Sweeney advised everyone to tell their friends, family, and community to get tested.

According to the latest statistics from the Health Department, 22,961 Bronx residents are living with HIV/AIDS.

Bronx Foodie: Tasty (and Healthy) Supermarket Finds, Plus 5 Healthy Cooking Tips

The Food Education Project at Montefiore Medical Center held its second workshop-type session this past Wednesday about choosing healthy products at the supermarket. Guest speaker and seasoned chef, Allison Fishman (pictured), author of "Cook Yourself Thin" and former co-host of TLC’s "Home Made Simple," led the hour-long session on buying healthy and tasty foods.

Fishman shared a list of relatively healthy products found in most supermarkets that she and other Cooking Light staff members personally taste-tested for a recent issue.

Here are some of Fishman’s picks:
• Rudi’s Organic Bakery, 100% Whole Wheat Bread
• Uncle Ben’s Boil-in-Bag Brown Rice
• Progresso Reduced Sodium Chicken Noodle Soup
• Fage Plain, nonfat Greek Yogurt
• Tribe Classic Hummus
• Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean Light Ice Cream
• Del Monte No-Salt Diced Tomatoes
• Hellman’s Canola Mayonnaise

Audience members received samples of many of the products. Fishman also made a “1-Minute Salad” with arugula, parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, and truffle oil for the audience to taste as well. She ended the session by providing her top 5 cooking tips. Check them out below.

Fishman’s 5 Tips for Healthy Cooking
1. Use low calorie, high flavor ingredients, like herbs, lemon juice, yogurt, and balsamic vinegar.
2. Use high calorie ingredients sparingly. For example, nuts, seeds, and cheese.
3. Eat mostly plants and foods that your grandmother would recognize. (Borrowed from Michael Pollan)
4. Give hearty foods a healthy makeover. Try using chicken sausage instead of pork.
5. Fill half of your plate with vegetables.

The next workshop will be held Wednesday, Nov. 3, and will feature a presentation about the Norwood Food Co-op by Greg Lobo-Jost.

The Food Education Project is sponsored by Montefiore's Office of Community Health in conjunction with the medical center's departments of Food and Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition. Sessions are held every other Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. in the Food Pavilion at Montefiore's Moses Division. For more information, call (718) 920-4692.

Ed. Note: Ivonne Salazar is a contributing writer for the Bronx News Network and a healthy eating enthusiast. As the "Bronx Foody," she will be writing regularly about healthy eating and other food-related issues.

Diaz and Montefiore Promote Tour de Bronx

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. was at Montefiore Children's Hospital this morning to promote the Tour de Bronx, the borough-wide group bicycle ride taking place this Sunday. This year's tour will honor Megan Charlop, a longtime health advocate and Montefiore employee who was killed in a cycling accident this spring.

"Montefiore has always had a tradition of being deeper in the community, promoting wellness and prevention," said Steven Safyer, MD, president of Montefiore, one of the tour's major sponsors. "This big bike ride is an important activity, and an example of adults creating the right examples for children." 

The Bronx News Network is this year's Tour de Bronx media sponsor. If you haven't registered already, you can do so here.

Watch the video below to hear Borough President Diaz' comments about the tour, and about what Megan Charlop meant to the Bronx.


Untitled from Jeanmarie Evelly on Vimeo.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 17

Wow, looks like the Bronx lucked out yesterday when a torrential, tornado-like storm ripped through Brooklyn, Queens and parts of Long Island. Here's a link to some intense footage taken by readers of the City Room blog.

In the Riverdale bombing plot trial, the FBI informant at the center of the case revealed a complex past during his testimony that involved a friendship with the former Prime Minister of Pakistan.

A Bronx man was charged with sending explicit pictures of himself to an 11-year-old Throggs Neck girl who has been missing for three days. The man maintains he had nothing to do with her disappearance.

In perhaps the least surprising new story of the day, people in the Bronx and elsewhere in the city are struggling to make ends meet during this recession.

Fordham University's The Ram newspaper opines about plans to beautify Fordham Plaza.

A City Island woman who works at Montefiore Medical Center is selling bags and donating a portion of the proceeds to a women's center in Ethiopia.

"Krackoon," a horror film about a crack-addicted raccoon, made by Throggs Neck film makers in the east Bronx is generating some buzz.

City Limits riffs off of a Norwood News story about the death of a homeless man in Norwood. Police are considering the death an accident, but friends believe it was the result of a beating. A new study says the country's homeless population is increasingly becoming a target for attacks.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 7

A nurse at Calvary Hospital was flabbergasted to discover that her new patient was her long lost father, who vanished from her life some 40 years ago when she was just a baby. Sadly, the reunion is bittersweet because the father has terminal cancer.

The name of a 19-year-old Bronx man killed in Vietnam has been added to a war monument in Van Nest, after his friend noticed the oversight and did something about it.

1520 Sedgwick Ave., a high-rise near the Harlem River often called the birthplace of hip-hop, has been sold. Tenants and housing advocates are hopeful the new landlord will address many of building's housing violations. More on 1520 Sedgwick here.

State Senate candidate Gustavo Rivera is asking the Justice Department to send federal election observers to the northwest Bronx on Primary Day. He says he's concerned Espada may attempt to suppress voter turnout. As close followers of this race will have heard by now, lawyer Daniel Padernacht has dropped out and is now supporting Rivera. This morning Padernacht's making his endorsement official. (Espada is also unveiling endorsements today.) With Padernacht gone, the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter says Rivera and Espada are now "neck and neck." That and more in his weekly column.

Robert Schimmel, a Bronx-born stand up comic who's best known for his appearances on The Howard Stern Show, has died in hospital from injuries sustained in a car accident last month.

The owner of a Bronx nail salon faces a hefty fine after refusing to serve a disabled woman. "We don't take her kind here," the store owner allegedly said.

The city's public beaches and swimming pools have closed for the season. Roberto Clemente State Park's pools never opened to begin with.

In a Labor Day editorial, the NY Post bashes the modern day labor movement, which, it says, is partly to blame for the country's high unemployment rate. Not for the first time, the paper also goes after Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. who helped nix plans to turn the long-vacant Kingbridge Armory into a mall, after the developer refused to agree to a "living wage" requirement. 

The Times profiles the Ghetto Film School, a non-profit organization which runs an after-school program in Mott Haven.

A new program at Montefiore Medical Center has put cameras in the hands of seriously ill teenagers, to help them express their emotions.

The long disrupted express service on the 5 Train is being temporarily restored.

ShopRite, a supermarket chain, is considering opening a store on East Gun-Hill Road near Allerton Avenue.

A preview of the upcoming Bronx A boys soccer season.

Bronx News Roundup, July 23

Kenneth Clarke, 40, who worked for Con Edison, was gunned down Wednesday night in his home on Van Nest Ave. The Daily News has the story.

Crystal Reyes, one of the teens who drowned in the Bronx River on Sunday, was laid to rest yesterday morning. (Here's more on the tragedy, and its aftermath in the community).

The Times reports that only 53 people attended the Charter Revision Commission’s public session on Wednesday at Bronx Community College. The group's mission was to create proposals to put before the voters in November.

Ex-Bronx cop Juan Acosta was sentenced yesterday to 11 years in prison for aiding the distribution of cocaine and aiding the robbery a rival drug courier.

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Montefiore Medical Center, along with four other hospitals in Manhattan and Brooklyn, have agreed to a pilot program that seeks to cut medical malpractice costs. [You may need a subscription to access this story in the Wall Street Journal; another version of the article is available here.]

Following the rape of a 79-year-old Bronx woman on Monday, officials have put a $12,000 bounty on the offender's head yesterday. State Senator Pedro Espada,Jr. helped with the bill, adding $5,000 of his own money that was matched with $5,000 from the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation.

Robert Bella told indiewire.com that his well-received film, “Colin Fitz,” was largely shot in the Bronx's Woodlawn Cemetery. The film was shot on 35mm and was “in-the-can” for $150,000, he recalled.

Speaking of film, the UK's dailymail.com reviewed the flick "City Island," which was named after and filmed on Bronx turf, this morning.

In an article headlined "Ruben's No Pedro," the Albany Times-Union reports that Democratic conference leader John Sampson is co-hosting an August fundraiser for Ruben Diaz, Sr. next month in the Bronx, at Maestro's. Senior's son, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., is sharing the hosting duties with Sampson. 

Bronx News Roundup, May 12

Here's some BX-related news on this rainy Wednesday.

The four Bronx-bred stars who will be inducted into the Grand Concourse's Bronx Walk of Fame next weekend will be former Congressman Herman Badillo, magazine founder Edward Lewis (he started Essence), Celtic flutist Joanie Madden and balladeer Jerry Vale. They will be honored at the Bronx Ball next Saturday and inducted into the Walk of Fame on Sunday morning before the parade on Mosholu Parkway.

After three years of renovations, the High Bridge Public Library reopens.

NY1 takes a look inside the Kingsbridge Armory and the renovation challenges that await the Kingsbridge Armory's Task Force.

Thanks to the Melrose community rallying together, the restaurant Coqui Mexicano has received an additional six months to pay back the $11,000 they owe in back rent.

The City Council is introducing the New York Anti-Asthma program, which will require landlords of the most poorly maintained buildings to clean up their premises. If not, they will have to face liens filed against their properties.

This Friday, "The Real Million Dollar Baby," Bronx boxer Maureen Shea will get back in the ring at the Paradise Theater.

As public employee unions file legal action in federal court against Gov. Paterson's one-day furloughs, Paterson's office is feeling the heat for giving staffers raises and promotions.

Students at the Bronx School of Science Inquiry and Investigation showcased their exceptional knowledge of science at the first-ever sixth grade science fair yesterday. This event was part of the Connect A Million Minds initiative.

Marching for Babies in Van Cortlandt Park

The March of Dimes March for Babies kicked off at Van Cortlandt Park on Sunday. Thousands of mothers and children and Montefiore Medical Center employees joined Don Ashkenase, Montefiore Event Chairman, Lou Young, WCBS-TV Ch. 2, Jesse Mojica, Director of Education and Youth at the Bronx Borough President's Office and Bronx Ambassador mom Natesha James on the walk.

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, the March of Dimes walk was the first in the country, and over the past 40 years has raised over $1.8 billion to support programs of research advocacy, community programs and education to prevent birth defects and reduce infant mortality.

Montefiore Leads Fight For Sugary Drinks Tax

On Friday morning, Dr. Steven Safyer (speaking in video), the president of Montefiore Medical Center, made an impassioned plea for the implementation of the sugary drinks tax, a.k.a. the "soda tax."

The fight for and against this proposed state tax -- which health officials say would amount to about a 17% increase in the cost of drinks with a high sugar content (Coke, Pepsi, Snapple, Orange Crush, etc.) -- is being waged on airwaves, in supermarkets and on city streets.

Crain's estimated last week that the beverage industry (against the tax) and the Alliance for a Healthier New York (for the tax) had each spent some $2.9 million on their respective campaigns.

The beverage industry is making the argument that this is an unfair tax that will hit working-class families hardest. But Safyer, who spoke at a press conference at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, and the alliance say it will only affect families who continue to make the unhealthy choice of buying sugar-heavy drinks that are a primary culprit in the the Bronx's (and the state's) growing obesity and diabetes "epidemic."

Health care officials say this tax is an easy win-win. It will cut consumption of sugary drinks by an estimated 10% (which obviously isn't good news for the beverage companies) which, in turn, will prevent 150,000 people from becoming obese, according to Deputy Health Department Commissioner Dr. Andrew Goodman, who also participated in the press conference.

In addition, while it's unclear exactly where the tax money will go, Ken Raske, president and CEO of the Greater New York Hospital Association, said the funding would go back into the state's struggling hospitals. He pointed to the recent shuttering of lower Manhattan's St. Vincent's Hospital as a reminder of what can happen when a facility is "chronically" underfunded.

Montefiore kicked off the press conference with a health fair where they showed some of the effects of drinking soda. Doctors there compared the proposed tax to the taxes on cigarettes, saying the taxes had proved effective. They compared the obesity epidemic to tuberculosis outbreaks and the spread of AIDS/HIV in the 1980s.

This fight, inevitably, will end up in the hands of the state legislature. So far, Bronx senators Jeff Klein and Ruth Hassell-Thompson have stated their opposition to the tax, while Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz says he's for it. If you know of others who have stated their position, let us know.

Bike Ride in Memory of Megan Charlop

On Saturday, Transportation Alternatives and the Montefiore School Health Program are holding a bike ride in memory of Megan Charlop, the much-loved Montefiore employee and Norwood resident who was killed last month while cycling along Crotona Avenue.

At the end of the ride, a "ghost bike" will be unveiled near where she died.  All are invited to participate.
BikeRideDetails

Bronx News Roundup, March 17

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Let's be safe, enjoy the weather and read some Bronx news!

A little less than 700 Bronx residents remain without electricity in the aftermath of last week's storm, but Con Edison promises to have all residents electricity restored by tonight.

Thanks to the $10.6 million from the federal stimulus package, the Jericho Project, will be able to continue their development of two residences for homeless Bronx veterans at Kingsbridge Terrace.

Bronx P.S. 59's the Keltic Dreams Irish Dancers are taking a trip to the White House today. They will be performing at a reception for Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Montefiore Medical Center can now help patients who experience severe allergic reactions to medicine with a new specialty service, the Drug Desensitization Program. They are the only hospital in the metro New York region to offer this service.

Senator Eric Schneiderman, of the Bronx/Manhattan, introduced the Strangulation Prevention Act on Tuesday. This bill will upgrade the crime of choking a domestic partner into unconsciousness to a felony. Currently choking is charged as a misdemeanor in most domestic violence cases.

State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., a staunch opponent of gay marriage, feels a compromise can lead to the legalization of civil unions or domestic partnerships in the next session.

Legendary Cuban trumpeter Alfredo (Chocolate) Armenteros will be reuniting with the influential Bronx ensemble Grupo Folklórico y Experimental Nuevayorquino. They will be performing on Sat. March 20 at Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture.

NY Daily News: "Best of the Bronx is its people."

Find out where the best food and entertainment is available in the Bronx, according to the NY Daily News Best of the Boros.

Cash AND condoms for gold at a Bronx pawn shop on 161st street.

Bronx News Roundup, March 5

The Bronx may get a lovin' spoonful of springtime this weekend. Forecast calls for sunny days with highs in the 50s. Of course, there is always the chance that it will snow again and I'll have wet socks for another week.
Some Bronx news:

The John F. Kennedy girls basketball team will be competing in the city finals this Saturday at 11am at Madison Square Garden. The Lady Knights beat out the #7 seed, Manhattan Central, in a semifinals game earlier this week to reach the finals for the first time since 2007. J.F.K will be playing the #1 seed Murry Bergtraum for the title.

Some Bronx seniors are speaking out against the MTA's decision to cut the Bx14. Many seniors rely on the Bx14 to get around. A large portion of middle school students also rely on the Bx14 to get to and from school at Villa Maria Academy.

Montefiore Medical Center recently developed a hand held device that may help prevent migranes.

More of a city-wide story here. The City Room blog at the Times talks about some new traffic signals that have been installed around the city.

Boxing comes back to the Bronx. Migul Cotto and Yuri Foreman will compete to see who can punch each other in the head the hardest at the new Yankee Stadium in June.

A woman, recently appointed "rabba" (a feminized version of rabbi) of a Bronx synagogue, is creating a stir amongst Jewish Orthodox authorities.

Here's a slideshow giving an update of the old Yankee Stadium demolition process. Is it just me, or does the stadium looks like a perfect location for future Snake Plissken adventures?

Assessing The Bronx's 'Most Dangerous Road'

 

 In a recent study, Gun Hill Road, especially the section between Bainbridge and Webster Avenues in Norwood, was named the Bronx’s most dangerous street for pedestrians and drivers. (Photo by Adi Talwar)

By Alexander Gibbons

In 2006, Ellen McHugh, 66, was struck by a city bus while crossing the intersection at Bainbridge Avenue and Gun Hill Road. She died soon after. Six weeks before that, another senior, Kenneth Filacchione, was killed in a hit-and-run accident at the same intersection. A total of five pedestrians were killed on Gun Hill Road in 2006 and 2007.

Because of this cluster of deaths and a total of 57 serious accidents between 2006 and 2008, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign (TSTC) named Gun Hill the most dangerous street in the Bronx, with the intersection at Bainbridge Avenue being particularly perilous.

The Grand Concourse and Broadway (where two women were struck by a vehicle last Friday) were named the Bronx’s second and third most dangerous roads, respectively.

While acknowledging the inherent dangers associated with Gun Hill Road, some local observers contend the traffic safety issues are compounded by impatient drivers and pedestrians putting themselves and others in harms way.

The Gun Hill Road corridor snakes, east to west, through the north Bronx for 3.5 miles, ending just short of Mosholu Parkway. Along this route are several schools, a Metro North stop, a hospital, a nursing home, and over 250 businesses.

Cars, trucks and buses jockey for position on the busy 4-lane road while hurried pedestrians cross during lulls in traffic, regardless of whether or not they see a “walk” sign.

Maribele Gonzales, a crossing guard with the 52nd Police Precinct who overlooks the corner of Kings College Place and Gun Hill Road, sees the congestion every day. “There’s too much traffic, in the morning and in the afternoon,” says Gonzales.