Youth Theater Director Carlos Laboy Passes Away

Carlos Laboy loved the theater. He also loved teaching everything about the theater -- from acting to stage production -- to the youth of the northwest Bronx where he founded the StageKids program that is run out of Mosholu Montefiore Community Center. It was his great passion in life.

Laboy (pictured, center) passed away yesterday at the age of 59 after a months-long battle with an aggressive form of cancer.

"Carlos will be greatly missed and will live on in our hearts," his family wrote in a statement announcing his death.

On Wednesday afternoon, from 3 to 9 p.m., there will be a wake for Laboy at Ortiz Funeral Home, 2580 Grand Concourse (just north of Fordham Road).

In lieu of flowers, the family is asking people to donate to the Teen Program at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center. Contributions can be sent to MMCC at 3450 DeKalb Ave., Bronx, NY, 10467. Just write: "Re: MMCC Teen Program."

Fore more on Laboy's work in the community, click here, here and here. Here's the StageKids website.

(Photo by Adi Talwar)

New from the Norwood News

Check out the latest jam-packed-with-news edition of the Norwood News, which on streets and online now. Here's a quick preview to get you started.

Local residents continue to use Harris Field, which is contaminated in parts with high levels of lead. Concerned residents say the city isn't doing enough to keep people out of the site.

[Two additional points about this story before we move on: 

1) Someone called the Norwood News office today to say he saw more people using the fields and was incredulous to find no signage declaring the site contaminated. There is one sign saying "Danger" and telling people to stay out because it's a construction site, but it obviously is not keeping people out. 

2) It's still unclear when the contamination was found. The Norwood News filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request for documentation concerning the contamination and has repeatedly and specifically asked when the contamination was discovered. Advocates claim the Parks Dept. should have discovered the contamination before it began construction, but that doesn't appear to be what happened. It's been more than 130 business days since we first filed the FOIL request. The Parks Dept. originally said it would take 60 business days to fulfill the request. We will continue to beat this drum until we get some answers.]

Ok, moving on.

Find out everything going on for Bronx Week.

Lehman College recently unveiled its multi-million dollar Multimedia Center.

The PS/MS 15 chess team won its second national chess title in five years.

The Dept. of Transportation is studying and will make recommendations on how to mitigate the congestion on Gun Hill Road, which was recently named the Bronx's most dangerous road in terms of traffic accidents and fatalities.

With the weather warming, Devoe Park is again turning into a haven for raucous late-night/early-morning parties, local residents lament.

Youth theater director Carlos Laboy is being forced to take a break from the work he loves while he gets treated for cancer.

Beloved St. Ann's Priest Misael Bacleon ("Father Mike") passed away last week.

And much more. Enjoy.