Pumpkin Fest at Garden

Yesterday, the world's largest pumpkins arrived at the New York Botanical Garden. And like last year, the Garden is hosting fun activities for children and adults through Halloween. Details here.

These photos are from last year's festivities where Scott Cully gave shape to the biggest Jack-O-Lantern on record. Click here for more photos.

Bronx Sept.11 Events

Here are a few events taking place in the borough this Sunday, Sept. 11 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. Let us know in the comments section if you've heard of something we've missed.

Bronx Community College, Meister Hall lobby, 2155 University Ave., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. - The program will feature speakers from campus reflecting on their personal connection to 9/11. For more information, call (718) 289-5193.

Lehman College, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., at the College Walk outside Shuster Hall in front of the campus 9/11 memorial, 1 p.m. - The program will include a song by children from Lehman’s Childcare Center as well as “The Star Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” sung by the Lehman College Community Chorus, also speakers, and concludes with the playing of “Taps.” For more information, call (718) 960-4992.

The New York Botanical Garden is offering free All-Garden Pass admission from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, 2011. All New Yorkers, particularly Bronx residents who may be in search of a way to commemorate the anniversary locally, are invited to enjoy the Botanical Garden as a beautiful venue that naturally lends itself to both quiet contemplation and family sharing. Add reflections to the memorial tree, which was planted in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden on the first anniversary (10 a.m. –12 p.m.) Hear readings of Jeannette Winter’s September Roses, a resource provided by New York Council for the Humanities, which tells a story of the ways people of diverse backgrounds came together to help each other in the aftermath of the tragedy. (10:30, 11, and 11:30 a.m.)

Bronx Events: Flamenco, Pickles and More at the Botanical Garden

Enjoy beautiful music in the tranquil surroundings of The New York Botanical Garden during the latest edition of the Waterlily Concert Series, tomorrow night at 7 p.m. (Before it starts, head over early to experience an extended viewing of the Garden’s popular exhibition, Spanish Paradise: Gardens of the Alhambra.)

Tomorrow's performance will feature a Flamenco Ensemble and the music will range from traditional flamenco to more contemporary jazz-infused compositions, combining old and new.

 

Also be sure to check out NYBG's "Pickle Me!" Event going on now until Aug. 26. Take a walk through the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden to learn about different plants that are pickled. Harvest fresh cucumbers and make your own fresh pickles to take home!

    Check out our calendar for more upcoming events.

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

Bronx News Roundup, July 26

Weather: Sunny and in the mid-80s today.

Story of the Day: Are Bronx Subway Stations the Ickiest?
A new report out of the MTA found that the Bronx's many subway stations are the dirtiest  in the city, plagued by garbage, leaks and rodents. MTA board member Charles Moerdler, who lives in Riverdale, told his fellow board members that some local stations were in such bad shape they could be condemned, a sentiment echoed by Borough President Diaz who says the Bronx is tired of waiting for much-needed station renovations.

Which made us want to ask you, our dear readers: what do you think is grimiest subway station in the Boogie Down? Where would you most like to see a makeover? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Bronx Events: "Parent Power" Film Screening at the NYBG

As part of the onoing Bronx Week festivities, the Borough President's Office and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform are hosting a special film screening of "Parent Power," on Thursday night, at the New York Botanical Garden. The documentary chronicles grassroots efforts in the Bronx and other communities of color to improve and reform local schools.

Check the flier below for more and for RSVP information. You can see a full calendar of Bronx Week events here. Other Bronx events can be found in our community calendar, here.

Azaleas Are Everywhere at the Botanical Garden

(Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen)

The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx has a new Azalea Garden opening Saturday. (Photo by Larry Lederman)

Earlier in the Bronx news roundup, we linked to this review of the New York Botanical Garden's new Azalea Garden, which opens tomorrow. Garden spokesman Nick Leshi sent over these photos to whet your appetite. Enjoy.

(Photo by Larry Lederman)

Bronx News Roundup, Friday, May 6

It's a beautiful Friday in the Bronx, people. Enjoy. Now, let's get down to business.

Weather: As I mentioned in the brief pre-amble, it's a beautiful day in the Bronx. Nary a cloud in the sky right now and temperatures are expected to top out in the low-70s. Enjoy it will it lasts -- showers are forecast for Saturday and Sunday (at least until about noon and then it should clear up for the rest of Mother's Day).

Story of the Day: Garden's Ambitious Azalea Project Opens Saturday
Flower-ophiles, this story is for you. (Plus it keeps with the "beautiful Bronx" theme I'm working on this morning.) The Bronx's New York Botanical Garden opens its 11-acre Azalea Garden tomorrow and Times critic Edward Rothstein weighs in with a rave review. While the garden, made up of more than 70,000 new plants at a cost of $5 million, appears wild, but is actually a meticulously plotted, researched and arranged vision. It's part of a larger plan for the Garden, which is being orchestrated by designer Laurie Olin of the Olin Partnership, called "Heart of the Garden." Rothstein gushes: "This is a garden designed to display the suitability of plants to place, while demonstrating the inexorable passage of time — and that may be the most natural phenomenon of all."

Quick Hits: 
Also opening tomorrow is the Bronx Heroes Comic Con at the Bronx Museum, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Now, for the un-beautiful. Police charged 17-year-old Martin Quirindongo of Brookly with murdering his 32-year-old girlfriend's nine-month-old baby boy in Marble Hill.

Following the deadly casino tour bus crash in the Bronx almost two months ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced new safety regulations for bus drivers and new bus companies.

In City Hall's weekly "Winners and Losers" feature, former Bronx state senator and current State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman gets a victor label for his focus on prosecuting mortgage fraud, which is bringing in big bucks for the state. In the Losers column was Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein's independent caucus for focusing on necktie germs, rather than more important Albany business like negotiations over ethics reform, rent regulation and tax caps.

A violent mugger is preying on the elderly women in the Bronx, the last attack happened near Fordham Road. Really? And we thought the church robberies were heartless acts. See video below:
 

A wild scene played out in a Bronx courtroom yesterday when former Co-op City janitor Paulino Venesuela was sentenced to 90 years in prison for murdering his boss and wounding two colleagues in 2007.

Who says the Bronx doesn't have proper lodging options for visitors? Ok, lots of people. But The Guardian says The Bronx Guesthouse, on E. 233rd Street, is one of the 10 best places to stay in New York City outside of Manhattan.

In case you missed it, here's Bronx Foodie's awesomely simple guacamole recipe.

And we'll end with this heart-warmer in honor of Mother's Day. Last mom's day, Cynthia Cruz took her 3-year-old daughter Mia to The Children's Hospital at Montefiore after she fell down. Doctors there discovered a seven-centimeter cancerous tumor, which they removed. Because Mia was so young, they decided against the usual treatment of radiation and instead used a combination of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. It worked! Two weeks ago, a scan showed zero signs of a recurring tumor.

Editor's note: A special shout out to all mothers in the Bronx and beyond, especially my own beautiful and extraordinary mom, Lyn Kratz, who I hope will read this and know her oldest son is mostly staying out of trouble, washing behind his ears and using proper grammar. Love you, ma.

Bronx Events: Kids Spring Break Guide

New York City public schools are closed for spring recess this week through next Wednesday, April 27th. Here's our pick of Bronx, family-friendly events taking place until then. 

Spring Break at the Botanical Garden

Photo courtesy of NYBG

The Garden is hosting a number of kids' activities and shows this week and next. An Earth Day festival this Friday, April 22, features an outdoor scavenger hunt, guided tours of the Native Forest, a lesson on earthworms and how to start your own compost pile. On Monday, April 24, the Bronx Arts Ensemble will perform a musical version of "Peter and the Wolf" at 1 and 3 p.m. For a complete list of events, visit www.nybg.org.

Kids Week at Crotona and Van Cortlandt Parks
Join the Urban Park Rangers for  a scavenger hunt on Thursday and a "Meet the Critters" session on Friday at the Van Cortlandt Nature Center; the group will also host "Animal Games" in Crotona Park on Wednesday. See the Parks Department's Kids Week guide here or call (718) 378-2061.

Animal Tales at the Bronx Zoo
This weekend, the Bronx Zoo brings all of your favorite animal characters to life. On Saturday the 23rd, Spiderman and his Marvel super hero friends will make an appearance, while bestselling children's author Michelle Knudsen reads from her book "Library Lion." Celebrate Easter Sunday on the 24th with a Rotten Egg Hunt featuring the cast members from Broadway's "The Addams Family." For more, visit the Zoo's events calendar here. 

Family Art Project at Wave Hill
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday, visiting artist Miwa Koizumi shows you how to reuse colored plastic bags and recycle them into rain hats, rain gear and Earth Day flags and flowers for a festive Earth Day parade.

Photo courtesy of Wave Hill

Class is free with admission to the grounds. More information about Wave Hill here.

Fun at the Library
Every neighborhood branch of the New York Public Library hosts a litany of free events for children, teens and families. From story time to craft workshops, you can check out what's happening at your local branch at the NYPL's program calendar here, which lets you search by borough, age group and type of event. 

Barney Live at the Paradise Theater
Everyone's favorite purple singing dinosaur is visiting the Bronx this weekend, performing his "Birthday Bash" live show at the legendary Paradise Theater on the Grand Concourse with three shows on Saturday, April 23. Visit the theater's website here for more details or www.ticketmaster.com to buy your tickets.

Easter Egg Hunt at St. Mary's Park
Bring the kids out to St. Mary's Park, on St. Ann's Avenue at East 149 Street and Jackson Avenue, this Saturday for an Easter egg hunt from 1 to 3 p.m.

You can see what else is happening in your neighborhood this week by visiting our Bronx events calendar.

Bronx News Roundup, March 4

Happy Friday everyone! Apparently, it's warming up just enough for it to rain all weekend. Lovely. To the news!

Story of the Day:
Ridiculously tragic story in the Post today about a 25-year-old Bronx woman, Lana Rosa, who was beaten into a coma, allegedly during a dispute with a man over a parking spot in the East Village. Police arrested Oscar Fuller and charged him with the crime. Here's a video report from the Post:


Quick Hits:
Ex-State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. is due in a Brooklyn federal court today for a pre-trial hearing. Espada and his son are facing federal fraud charges involving the nonprofit health care clinics Espada founded and runs. 

Police are searching for a crew of fire escape burglars who are targeting apartments in Morrisania.

Lots of coverage today on the Bronx's New York Botanical Garden's upcoming "The Orchid Show: On Broadway," a collaboration between the Garden and theater folks (hence the "Broadway" theme) that opens tomorrow. The Times calls it a "Grand Stage for a Diva Plant." Here's video from the Daily News:


A housing coordinator at a special needs apartment building in Melrose was fired after allegedly scamming tenants out of thousands of dollars.

The "Guido Monologues," directed by Pelham Bay native Joseph Mileto, opens off-Broadway next week.

A couple of Bronx teens were nominated for an Emmy this year for a show they did on Bronxnet.

Some love for the grand architecture at Bronx Community College.

The Riverdale Press has a bunch of new Riverdale-Kingsbridge-related stories on its website. I'll let you sift through them.

A Tropical Oasis Emerges In the Dead of Winter

A version of this story first appeared in the latest edition of the Norwood News. You can see more photos from the exhibit here. 

 (Photos by Haybee Camacho)

By Haydee Camacho

Weather forecasters were issuing yet another winter weather advisory on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. But inside the Bronx’s New York Botanical Garden, a new Caribbean Garden exhibit provided welcome relief for winter-weary patrons.

Upon entering the main atrium of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, visitors are transported to a tropical oasis of towering palm trees and lush ferns.

“We have so many beautiful plants in our collection and so many grown in the Caribbean,” said Karen Daubman, the Garden’s director of exhibitions and seasonal Displays. “We wanted to highlight those plants. It’s so beautiful for people to stroll through and feel like they are on vacation.”

Visitors agree. “It’s fantastic,” said Marlene Ostertag, an avid gardener who was visiting with her daughter, Karen, a librarian. “There is a little too much snow piled up and having a place of tropical green in the middle of winter is fantastic.”

Near a fountain, Lisa Imundo watched as her 11-year-old daughter Francesca sketched.

“It’s like a little mini vacation,” she remarked. “It lifts the spirits to come in out of the ice and snow. It’s beautiful like summertime.”

Tropical Color In the Bronx

Yesterday after a 30 minute walk in the snow the Caribbean Garden exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden was a great place to spend a couple of hours observing the play between light and plants. If you want a dose of warm weather and tropical color, head on over to the Caribbean Garden exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden. Please click here for details.

The Bronx is in the House -- The White House; NYBG President Gregory Long and Community Garden Activist Karen Washington Accept Award

New York Botanical Garden President Gregory Long and long-time community garden activist Karen Washington were guests at the White House on Friday, where Michelle Obama "presented the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Services to The New York Botanical Garden and nine other cultural institutions. The NYBG was also singled out for its contribution to international cultural understanding."

Here's more of what the First Lady said:

"While some of your work may be national in scope," said the first lady in her opening remarks, "ultimately your most powerful impact is local ... For example, The New York Botanical Garden started the Bronx Green-Up revitalization program, and they helped plant hundreds of school and community gardens in struggling neighborhoods so that families could grow their own fresh produce."

For more information about the Garden of Happiness, founded by Karen Washington on an eyesore of a vacant lot across from her home on Prospect Avenue, or Bronx community gardens in general, check out our stories in the Tremont Tribune, by clicking here, here and here.

Congrats to the NYBG and to Washington, who serves on their board and is a Home Care aide at Montefiore Medical Center.

Bronx Events: Holiday Train Show at the Botanical Garden

(Photo courtesy of NYBG)

Thanksgiving is over, and the holiday season has officially begun. You can get in the spirit this weekend by checking out the New York Botanical Garden's annual holiday train show, a local favorite since it first launched in 1992. Model trains wind across a half-mile of track and around replicas of famous New York City buildings and landmarks (NY1 has video of the exhibit here.) For tickets and more information, visit the NYBG wesbite at www.nybg.org.

This 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.

Botanical Garden Honored with National Service Award

The New York Botanical Garden has been named the winner of a prestigious award for community service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of only 10 groups across the country to receive the honor this year.

An ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C. to recognize the winners of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, which includes a $10,000 award. The Botanical Garden was selected for its work in horticulture research and botanical conservation, as well as its community service projects, like "Bronx Green-Up," a gardening outreach program that helped turn vacant lots in the borough into community gardens and urban farms.

“The NYBG is a treasured resource in the Bronx, and the acknowledgment of their exemplary service is long overdue," said Congressman Jose Serrano.

For more info on the Botanical Garden and its programs, visit www.nybg.org.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 17

Police nabbed a Bronx man, wanted for robbing a pharmacy, in upstate Kingston.

The NYPD is looking for three suspects who they believe committed a string of robberies in Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx since August.  

A man armed with an ice pick has been robbing women in Co-Op City. The man has been known to follow his victims into elevators; he's suspected to have committed three muggings in the last week.

NY1 polled some Mott Haven students about advice from soon-to-be Schools Chancellor Cathie Black.

A group of Bronx merchants and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto are asking the city to suspend parking meters during the holiday season to help boost local shopping sales. 

The City Council is giving out $400,000 to select homeowners, including some in Soundview, to upgrade their houses to be more energy efficient.

Sustainable South Bronx founder Majora Carter is taking questions from Huffington Post readers this week as part of its "Creative Minds" series.

Lawmakers are trying to stop car rental companies from charging higher rates to residents who live in the outer boroughs (the companies in question charge Bronx residents an extra $53 a day).

College football is coming to Yankee Stadium this Saturday, as Notre Dame will face Army for the first time in the Bronx since 1969.

The New York Botanical Garden's famous holiday train show returns this weekend.

The Observer has this photo slideshow of a number of South Bronx blocks. 

Giant Pumpkin Carver's Quest Brings Him to the Bronx

Scott Cully's Giant Jack-o-Lantern from Alex Kratz on Vimeo.
Video: Scott Cully talks about engineering challenges in carving giant pumpkins, his vision for this particular pumpkin and some of the tools he uses.

As an Oregon farmer, Scott Cully grows one of nature's smallest fruits: blueberries. But his passion in life -- or "quest" as he calls it -- leads him to the world's largest pumpkins, which he transforms into the world's largest jack-o-lanterns.

This weekend, Cully's quest brings him to the north Bronx's New York Botanical Garden, where he is molding the latest record-breaking pumpkin, raised in Wisconsin and driven here in the back of pickup truck, into a spooky and somewhat gory three-faced jack-o-lantern (he talks about his vision in the video above).

The giant pumpkin-carving bug bit Cully on a sunshine-drenched fall day in 1988 when Cully was living in Hartford, Conn., where he grew up (he now lives in Eugene, Ore.). After harvesting a 400-pound pumpkin from his personal patch, Cully sat down with his wife, a "smoking hot" pitcher of apple cider, a bunch of knives and went to work. He took the jack-o-lantern to a Halloween party that night. It was a hit. He's been carving enormous pumpkins ever since.

Cully says he usually carves about 10-12 pumpkins a year; at casinos, shopping malls and county fairs throughout the United States. "I always try to find the biggest pumpkins," he says.

The gregarious Cully started carving today. This afternoon, he posed for photos with Garden visitors, making faces and stabbing motions toward his latest creation. He will be working publicly tomorrow during the day and finishing up on Sunday around noon.

"It's great, I've never seen anything like it," said Garden volunteer Marge Graham.

Flanking Cully's piece will be almost-as-big pumpkins carved by local pumpkin-carving artists Michael Natiello (who is turning into a furrowy-browed, big-eyed face with a stem nose) and Sara Mussen (hers will consist of spiders and spider webs: "a little creepy but not too scary"). Natiello and Mussen work together carving pumpkins in Westchester. They are working on the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze at Croton-on-Hudson's Van Cortlandt Manor.

Bronx Halloween Guide

Decorative pumpkins on display at the New York Botanical Garden's Halloween Hoorah (photo by NYBG)

Plenty of Halloween fun in the Bronx this week, leading up to the big day on Sunday. Here's a rundown of some haunted happenings taking place in the borough. Read more after the jump.

Edible Garden at NYBG

Sunday was a lovely day at the New York Botanical Garden's Edible Garden Exhibition which goes through Oct. 17. My wife and daughter and I got there in time for a cooking exhibition by the blogger/author Cathy Erway (photo in slideshow) who spent two years blogging about her experience NOT eating out at a single restaurant. For her demo she roasted different varieties of eggplant, whipped up a couple of sauces -- east-west she called them (one was a pesto and another a sesame paste like the kind you put on Chinese sesame noodles) and served them up to the audience. Mmmmmm.

Later we took the shuttle through the grounds to the Family Garden where we were permitted to harvest a bunch of different vegetables and herbs like basil, peppers, cucumber, chard, etc. Then my daughter was taught how to pickle the cucumbers (she's anxiously awaiting Sept. 1, which is the date on the ziploc bag in our fridge, indicating when they'll be "pickled" and ready to eat). At the Family Garden, kids dug for worms and went on a little scavenger hunt testing their knowledge of all things pickle. (American's favorite kind of pickle? You guess it: Dill.)

Other photos in this slideshow including kids digging for worms in the family garden, my daughter in front of the "pizza garden" (includes all kinds of vegetables you could put on a pizza), gourds hanging from an arbor, colorful chard, and some flowers I unfortunately don't have the names for (feel free to fill me in). 

If you haven't gotten to the Edible Garden yet, it's worth the trip. In addition to the activities above there are also audio tours guided by celebrity chefs. Check it out.

Bronx News Roundup, July 22

Sherr-una Booker says she'll refile charges against David Johnson, the former top aide to Gov. Paterson. Booker filed a police report last fall saying Johnson assaulted her in their Bronx apartment, but the case was dismissed when she missed a court appearance the day after getting a phone call from the governor.

Sam Suzuki, the slumlord who got prison time for ignoring court orders to repair his crumbling apartment building on E. 172nd Street, was released from jail this week but could be sent back by the courts as early as next week.

Funeral services were held yesterday for the two teens who drowned in the Bronx River last weekend. (See here for more on the incident, and its aftermath in the community).

A kitten named Motz was rescued from a sewer by city workers yesterday in Morris Park.

A new documentary called "The Lottery," tracks students from the Bronx and Harlem as they compete for a seat at the very competitive Success Academy charter school in the Harlem (Success Academy will open two schools in the Bronx this fall).

Roses at the Bronx Botanical Garden are being bred to resist insects, meaning some of the plants will be pesticides-free. 

AM New York says rats are making nests in MTA metro card machines. That's not the only foul thing that maintenance workers have to deal with--they say riders use the machines as personal urinals (the article calls out several Bronx stops along the D among the worst offenders).

Construction could be finally in the works for a towering, long-unfinished apartment complex on Oxford Avenue.

What’s Going On This Weekend?

Residents participate in a Family Art Day at Wave Hill. Photo by Joshua Bright.

Friday
Come see the salsa group El Gran Combo perform with La Excelencia at the Lehman Center for Performing Arts at 8 p.m. $35-$55 tickets are on sale. For more info call (718) 960-8833 or visit www.lehmancenter.org.

Celebrate Family Yoga Day at Wave Hill! Members pay $15, non-members $20. One parent/one child. Each additional child is $5. More info at http://www.wavehill.org/calendar/event_2168.html.

Award-winning writer and playwright will perform Becoming Joaquin, a play about a Latino transgendered man working to own his life, at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information and directions call (718) 842-5223 or visit www.bronxacademyofartsanddance.org.

Saturday
8 y Mas joins El Gran Combo at the Lehman Center for Performing Arts. Show at 8 p.m. $35-$55 tickets are on sale. For more info call (718) 960-8833 or visit www.lehmancenter.org.

Get crafty at Family Art Project Day: Rainbow Feathers of Clay at Wave Hill! Visit birds, draw them, and craft a colored clay relief. The event will be held at the Ecology Building from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free with admission to grounds. For more information call (718) 549-3200 ext. 305 or visit www.wavehill.org.

Learn To Ride Clinic for Adults is this Saturday 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at Concrete Plant Park. Learn to ride a bike with Bike NY and the Bronx River Alliance for free! Bring your bike or reserve one for a fee. Registration is required. Visit www.bronxriver.org or call (718) 430-4665 for more info or to register.

Highway to Health Festival & Youth Forum will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at PS 64. Join community members and health activists for live entertainment, Zumba, capoeira, jousting, rock climbing, unicyclist, interactive exhibits, tacos by Chipotle, cooking competitions, mini film festival, bike advocacy, health screenings, dance, yoga, gardening and more. The event is free for all generations. Visit nycyouthforum.com for more info.

Global Family Gardening: Spring Harvest Celebration will take place at the New York Botanical Garden this Saturday and Sunday from 1:30-5:30 p.m. Come taste, see and craft plants from around the world! More info at http://nybgeducation.com/plan_your_visit/planyourvisit_results.php?event_type=7.

Verve and Swerve sweeps the stage 8 p.m. at the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance. Come watch a dance celebration of pride and power. Tickets are $20. For more information and directions call (718) 842-5223 or visit www.bronxacademyofartsanddance.org.