Fire on Gun Hill Road and Rochambeau; Minor Injuries to 3 Residents, 3 Firefighters

Fire marshals strap on their boots to investigate a Norwood fire that may leave several families homeless temporarily. (Photo by Alex Kratz)

At about 9:45 a.m. this morning, Ashley Santiago looked out the window of her apartment on the corner of Gun Hill Road and Rochambeau Avenue and saw fire raining down from the sky.

"My mom told me, 'Look, there's fire coming down from the sky,'" she said, two hours later.

Dressed in shorts and a tank top, the 18-year-old grabbed her wallet, cell phone and keys and ran out of the building, 3504 Rochambeau Ave., along with the her mother, aunt and two dogs. On the way out, one of the dogs, Nena, a Rottweiler-Pit Bull mix, ran back up the stairs, forcing Santiago to run after her and corral her before she made it up to the fifth floor where a fire had engulfed a corner apartment.

Santiago's family and every other resident, including two teenagers who were in the apartment where the fire erupted, made it out of the building in plenty of time, but damage from the fire may leave several families homeless, at least temporarily.

'Gun Hill Road', Not Your Typical Bronx Tale

Editor's note: A version of this story appears in the latest issue of the Norwood News, out on streets now.

By Alex Kratz

One of the great pleasures of watching “Gun Hill Road,” a new independent film by Bronx native Rashaad Ernesto Green that debuted in front of a New York audience during the first-ever Bronx Week Film Festival in mid-May, is its familiarity.

Look, there’s New Capitol diner on Kingsbridge Road and Jerome! Is he getting on the 2 train or the 4 train? Wait, isn’t that the bodega on Gun Hill Road in Norwood?

“The Bronx itself is a character,” Green said during a question-and-answer session after the screening.

While the setting, characters and dialogue all feel like the Bronx, the storyline deals with difficult topics — most notably, transgender lifestyle choices and how they play out in Latino families — that are only now starting to be discussed openly in the borough.

The history of Bronx-based film is filled with crime stories and gangster tales (think: “A Bronx Tale,” “Fort Apache, The Bronx,” or “The Wanderers”). And “Gun Hill Road,” shot entirely in the Bronx, contains some of those elements. It begins with a prison cafeteria stabbing carried out by the main character, a father played by Bronx-native Esai Morales, who has lived a life of crime.

But the heart of the story centers around how Morales’ character, having just been released from prison, deals with the discovery that his teenage son is transgender. Green, whose family has long hailed from the area around Gun Hill Road and Burke Avenue, says the story is based on a family member who dealt with issues similar to those Morales’ character deals with in the film. Although it’s not your usual Bronx “shoot-em-up” flick, one audience member said, “This is a film we in the Bronx need to see.”

Bronx News Roundup, Feb. 1

Welcome to February, Boogie Downers. Everyone enjoying Mother Nature's offering  this morning of a swirling, prickly mongrel mix of snow and ice? It feels like someone's tossing a fistful of tacks at you while you walk around in this stuff.

This type of sleet/snow is expected to continue through the morning, tapper off in the afternoon and then pick back up tonight with winds blowing everything around after midnight. Then, for a fun change of pace tomorrow, it's going to rain!

[Pause for everyone to throw something or bang their head against their desk.]

OK, we've regrouped. On to the news.

Story of the Day:
Norwood's Foodtown supermarket, which burned down 13 months ago in a fire that investigators say was the result of arson, is scheduled to re-open this month, say co-owners Dan and Noah Katz. Residents say Foodtown's big (11,000-square-feet of shopping space) return will be a boost to a community beset by two devastating 2009 fires.

The other fire, on Halloween of last year, destroyed a bustling commercial corner (where Bainbridge Avenue turns south toward Mosholu Parkway) of 10 businesses. That lot remains vacant and serves as a constant reminder (read: eyesore) to residents. But as we reported last month (and the Daily News reiterated today), West Bronx Stores, Inc., the entity that owns the lot is actively trying to lease and develop the property. Stay tuned.

Quick Hits: 
Despite vague and gossipy rumors of a serious illness, the Bronx's own Father of Hip-Hop, DJ Kool Herc, aka Clive Campbell, is simply recovering from surgery to remove kidney stones. However, it is true that Herc doesn't have medical insurance and is struggling to pay for continued health care.

The Baron Ambrosia, aka Justin Fornal (does everyone have a moniker these days?), the colorfully eccentric star of Bronxnet's "Bronx Flavor" food show, hosted the First Annual Bronx Pipe Smoking Society Small Game Dinner at the old Bronx Borough Courthouse. The Baron asked chefs to prepare meats taken from small woodland creatures, including beavers, muskrats, otters, a squirrels, an opossum and a fisher. Yum.

Cory Gunz, the Bronx rapper managed by his father, Bronx rapper Peter Gunz, is set to star in a new show on MTV. 

More reflections from Bronx-born filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green following the debut of his film "Gun Hill Road" at Sundance.

The DN's Bob Kappstatter says Bronx State Senator Jeff Klein's bold move to break away from the Democratic minority conference and form his own independent caucus is paying dividends, as the foursome has garnered three chairmanships (which are handed out by the GOP majority) and is increasingly making the John Sampson-led Democrats "irrelevant." Kappy also has some nice to things to say about the late Bronx pol Guy Velella who died last week and a buffet of other Bronx nuggets.

[Editor's Note:] Just a reminder to our readers that the Bronx News Network is in the middle of our annual fundraising appeal. If you value quality local journalism, please consider donating so we can continue to bring you news and features, like our daily roundup or our borough events calendar. More details on how to contribute can be found here.

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 28

Just a few Bronx news stories to get you caught up on this snow piled Friday afternoon.

A very important cautionary tale from yesterday. Two young Bronx girls collapsed from carbon monoxide poisoning after their mother left them in her running car while she dug it out of the snow. Problem was, fire officials said, the mom neglected to clean the tailpipe, causing carbon monoxide to flood the interior of the car. Both kids are in stable condition and are expected to be fine.

But let this be a stern reminder to all parents digging their cars out of this massive snow build-up: CLEAN THE TAILPIPE FIRST!

More on the death of former Bronx State Senator Guy Velella who died yesterday: Times,  Wall Street Journal, NY1 and WNYC. 

Bronx-born director Rashaad Ernesto Green recounts his experience showing his new Bronx-based movie "Gun Hill Road" at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. At the end of the week, the movie was picked up by a startup distributor.

Upstate local governments are combining forces to clean up the Bronx River before the water even gets to the Bronx.

Enjoy the weekend.

Stories Not About Politics in Norwood News

While we're waiting for election results, just a reminder: the latest edition of the Norwood News is out on streets and online now. Here's a sampling of some non-election stories you'll find.

Rashaad Ernesto Green, a young film director from the Bronx is putting the final touches on his new movie, "Gun Hill Road" -- filmed largely on and around, you guessed it, Gun Hill Road.

Police are still looking for witnesses to come forward with information about killing of a 20-year-old father who was exiting St. James Park in University Heights. The victim was shot six or seven times in the chest in broad daylight. Police and experts say it's difficult to find witnesses willing to aid in the investigation of violent crimes for a variety of reasons.

Plus more crime news in our Police Report.

As part of the Norwood News' new "Be Healthy" section, we profile a new kidney transplant clinic that caters to Spanish speakers. and also offer some health tips for parents with kids heading back to school. 

A Norwood artist looks to break into the world of cartooning.

In our Business Beat section, we take a look at the string of shops offering fruit smoothies in the area.

Also, don't forget to access our online-expanded Neighborhood Notes section for all the latest on local programs, services, events and announcements.

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.

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.