PS 86 Community to DOE: Don't Fix What Isn't Broken

Hundreds of PS 86 supporters came out to a Nov. 18 meeting to pretest proposals that would eliminate the school's 6th grade and change its zoning. (Photo by Alina Rodriguez)

[Ed. note: This article appears in the latest edition of the Norwood News, which is out on streets and online now. Pick up your copy today.]

By Alina Rodriguez

The entire PS 86 community — parents, faculty, students and alumni — came out in force recently to vehemently oppose two city proposals that would dramatically change the landscape of this overcrowded, but successful school.

Hundreds of PS 86 supporters gathered on Nov. 18 at a Community Education Council of District 10 meeting to demand the Department of Education stop proposals to eliminate the school’s 6th grade and re-zone it to reduce the number of families who could send their children there.

Longtime PS 86 Principal Sheldon Bernardo, who also attended the school in his youth, was upset with not only the proposals, but also how the DOE approached the school about its plans. He said the DOE talked to the school only after speaking with the education council, which must approve of any zoning changes.

“The conversation consisted of this is what we plan and if you don’t like it you can go to Brooklyn,” Bernardo said. “They came without Spanish speakers, knowing our community is 85 percent Hispanic. They cannot communicate with our community and it is insulting, ridiculous and unfair.”

Bronx News Roundup, April 10

Happy Friday everyone. Not a whole lot in the way of Bronx news out there today, but a couple of must-read stories. 

Here's a lovely northwest Bronx story from the NY Times: A group of 32 PS 86 (Kingsbridge Heights) students are heading to Germany after spending the year studying the Holocaust. 

And this fantastic column by the Daily News' Juan Gonzalez about how the city and the Yankees are allowing the community to suffer while making every effort to make sure the stadium was done on time and in grand fashion. I want to quote Gonzalez's indictment, because it gets right to the very heart of the story, which we've followed and trumpeted in this space with our "Tear Down Yankee Stadium" campaign:

"Somehow, the new stadium has opened on time, the new Yankee garages are on schedule and the new Metro-North station is done. [The station actually won't open until mid-May]  

"Only when it comes to replacing the community's lost parkland are huge delays acceptable to the Yankees and Mayor Bloomberg's people. After all, its just thousands of poor black and Hispanics who will suffer." 

[Blog note: Check back here every Wednesday for updates on the Yankee Stadium replacement parks and other news about the club's often contentious relationship to the community. And later today, reporter Graham Kates will write about the team's rough start to the season (though looks like they won yesterday).]

A little sports news from Five Boro Sports. Bronx Science pulled out a crucial victory earlier this week to keep pace in the Bronx A division.

The Columbia Spectator writes about the Bronx Art Museum's Grand Concourse exhibit. 

Finally, the Spectator writes that Salsa is making a comeback. 

News Roundup for July 3

You heard it here first.
And now it's a done deal. The Bronx Times and Bronx Times Reporter have been gobbled up by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, owner of the New York Post and, as of last year, a bunch of Brooklyn and Queen weeklies.
More on this later.

The Gotham Gazette has a report from Comptroller Bill Thompson on the lack of oversight of Beacon Centers. In the current issue of the Norwood News, we report on a local Beacon Center being taken over by Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC). The center at PS 86 was formerly run by the non-profit Aspira.

In the Daily News:
A team of Daily News reporters learned that the owner of the Grand Concourse building that collapsed Sunday morning, critically injuring two kids, is Gerald Lieblich, the developer who owns the Paradise Theater and the Russian Tea Room. Lieblich faces a hearing on August 17 for allegedly failing to maintain the facade of the 1-story building. He would not comment for the Daily News story.

In "Around the Bronx," Patrice O'Shaughnessy profiles John Mateo, the city employee who died June 24 after being beaten into a coma on Kingsbridge Road and Morris Ave. a month ago. Mateo was a Lehman College graduate and a Latin jazz musician. A suspect has been arrested in the attacks on Mateo and several other men. (Not online yet)

The Bronx section also reports on a Bronx eviction prevention program that's being expanded to Brooklyn and an initiative by Councilman James Vacca to put all Buildings Department permits and applications online to help people monitor what's going on in their neighborhood.

And there's a farewell to CB 7 district manager Rita Kessler, who is leaving the board after 18 years. Here's the Norwood News' story on Kessler's retirement.

The Gotham Gazette has a report from Comptroller Bill Thompson on the lack of oversight of Beacon Centers. In the current issue of the Norwood News, we report on a local Beacon Center being taken over by Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC). The center at PS 86 was formerly run by the non-profit Aspira.