High School Journalism Program

The editors and reporters of the Norwood News and the Mount Hope Monitor are running a youth journalism program for Bronx high school students who are sophomores, juniors or seniors.

Classes will begin on Feb. 4 and run every Wednesday for 12 weeks, from 4 to 6 p.m. They will be held at 2001 Morris Ave., in office space provided by Mount Hope Housing Company.

Students will learn the fundamentals of writing, reporting, and photojournalism through classroom instruction, and, more importantly, through hands-on reporting in their own neighborhoods.

Guest speakers will include reporters from the city's daily newspapers.

Best of all, student work will be published in a special youth supplement called Bronx Youth Heard, which will appear in the Norwood News, Mount Hope Monitor, and Highbridge Horizon, another community newspaper the west Bronx, giving Bronx youth a powerful voice in their own communities.

We are looking for students of all academic abilities, but students should be highly motivated, love to write, be naturally inquisitive, and care about what's going on their communities.

For an application form, please call (718) 324-4998, or e-mail bronxyouthheard@gmail.com.

The deadline for applications is Jan. 7.

This will be the third time we've run the program. Read about the first semester here.

Bronx News Roundup Dec.8

Speaking off the record, Adolfo Carrion told a New Haven audience on Friday that he's been offered a Cabinet job with the Obama Administration, according to a college paper. When contacted by Politico, however, Carrion quickly backtracked, saying his comments had been misinterpreted. The Washington Independent has more, under the headline: "How Not to Get Yourself Appointed to A Cabinet Post."

An abandoned, half-finished condo building on Tulfan Terrace in Riverdale has local residents up in arms. The Riverdale Press has more.

Staff at Lincoln Hospital are working to improve the health of cab and limo drivers.

Bob Kappstatter takes a look at Carl Heastie, the Bronx Democratic Party's new boss.

Police shot and injured a man in Fordham, yesterday.

A man was killed in a hit and run incident in East Tremont early this morning.

December's Mount Hope Monitor

The latest edition of the Monitor is now online.

Stories include:

Following Election, Cautious Optimism Among Bronx Africans
At 1:30 p.m. on a recent Friday afternoon, the Islamic Cultural Center on the corner of Walton and Tremont avenues teemed with activity as the faithful arrived to pray.

A Quiet Start for the Tenant Protection Act
A new law designed to protect tenants from being unfairly pushed out of their apartments, has fallen beneath the radar since it came into being last March.

Nelson Castro: A New Force in Bronx Politics
The 86th District, a chunk of the west Bronx that includes Mount Hope, Fordham, and University Heights, has a new assemblyman: Nelson Castro, a Dominican-born 36-year-old who cut his political teeth working for elected officials in Washington Heights.

Residents Blame Precinct for Parking Woes
Cars circle the block, linger, and double-park outside stores and homes, vying for parking space within the two-block radius of the 46th precinct at 2120 Ryer Ave. It is an involuntary game of musical chairs residents have played for the last 20 years.

New Businesses Brighten Up an Ogden Avenue Block
A previously rundown block on Ogden Avenue just south of the Cross Bronx Expressway has been transformed with the recent opening of two businesses: Sal y Pimienta (”Salt and Pepper”) Bar and Restaurant and E & C Fresh Market, a supermarket.

Residents Shap Up Obama Merchandise
These days, it seems like every store and every street vendor in the area is selling some sort of Obama merchandise.

David Gonzalez on Ramon Velez

Sometimes it takes time for a full picture of a recently deceased public figure to emerge. David Gonzalez of the Times adds his brush strokes to the portrait of Ramon Velez. Not to be missed.

Espada Leapfrogs to Plum Leadership Role

Pedro Espada will take office as majority leader of the State Senate in January.

It is probable that only a small percentage of city residents can name their state legislators. But it’s hard to imagine that anyone in the northwest Bronx won’t soon know that their state Senator is Pedro Espada.

Espada, a newly elected state Senator for the 33^rd Senate District, which includes all the neighborhoods of Community Board 7 and much of Community Board 5, has catapulted himself to the top of the Senate leadership with some audacious, bare-knuckles deal-making.

By threatening not to support Queens State Senator Malcolm Smith in his bid to ascend to majority leader now that the Democrats have a two –seat majority in the chamber, Espada and two other renegade Dems – Ruben Diaz, Jr. of Brooklyn and Carl Kruger of Brooklyn -- extracted tremendous concessions from Smith.

Smith will still be the top Democrat in the chamber, but he’ll only retain the Constitutionally-proscribed title President Pro-Tempore. Espada, will be the majority leader and will control the Rules Committee, through which all legislation flows.

Diaz was made chair of the Aging Committee and Kruger chair of the powerful Finance Committee.

The deal was reportedly brokered by Queens Congressman Gregory Meeks and upstate billionaire and perennial political aspirant Tom Golisano in a meeting also attended by Governor Paterson.

Also reportedly part of the deal, and a concession to Diaz, was a promise not to bring legislation legalizing gay marriage to the floor of the Senate next year, according to the Times. The Daily News report on the deal implies a longer ban.

The Gang of Three or Three Amigos – as they’ve been called in the press – also exacted changes in the way the Senate is run, making it easier for Republicans to bring their legislation to the floor and assigning seating by alphabetical order rather than by party. The three Democrats have flirted with supporting the Republican leadership, making them unpopular on their own side of the aisle. But they’re now among the most powerful legislators in the Capitol.

As the Times put it: “The deal is a particular triumph for Mr. Espada and Mr. Kruger, who went from being pariahs in their own party to being two of its leading members.”

The rule changes that will allow Espada -- who still has not registered his campaign committee a month after the election accord --- to ascend to the carved out position of majority leader will have to be voted on in January, so anything could still happen.

But Espada's victory takes some of the pressure off Gov. Paterson to appoint a Hispanic to Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat. Espada and Diaz said the lack of Hispanic leadership in significant positions was a key motive for their high-stakes political gamesmanship. They can certainly check that off their to-do list now.

Bronx News Roundup Dec. 4

An assistant principal at the High School of Contemporary Arts (in Williamsbridge) has been fired after the Department of Education determined that she corrected her students' multiple choice answers in last summer's Regents Exam.

The NYT takes a brief look at the career so far of Bronx BP Adolfo Carrion, who may be in line to land a plumb job with the Obama Administration (possibly as HUD Secretary). At one time or another he's been a teacher, a pastor, a district manager (Community Board 5), the VP of a community development group (Promesa), a councilman, a specialist with the Department of City Planning, and more. Does Carrion have what it takes to lead a federal agency? Lukas Herbert, an urban planner and former CB 4 board member, whom Carrion fell out with over the Yankee Stadium project, doesn't think so. (For some background on that dispute, see here and here.)

More on the life, career, and legacy of one-time Bronx political powerhouse Ramon S. Velez, who died last Sunday.

Here's one story local Realtors won't be showing their potential clients.

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 3, Part II

Here's a few more stories we've been meaning to post.

Two big stories and an op-ed about problems concerning the Yankee Stadium project:

-Due to the new stadium's construction schedule and the fact the team has yet to raze the old stadium, replacement baseball fields won't be available to little leaguers for at least a year or two, despite the team's promise that the community would have uninterrupted access to temporary replacement fields throughout the construction process.

-The Bloomberg administration pushed hard to get a free luxury suite at the new stadium, going so far as to offer the team 250 additional parking spaces in exchange for one.

-Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates and Bettina Damiani of Good Jobs NY argue that the stadium is much less beneficial than Yankee and city officials are making it out to be.

Also:

-The sister of the K-Mart employee who was trampled to death in Long Island is a Bronx resident. She filed a lawsuit against the company in Bronx Supreme Court today.

-The Streetsblog reviews the new transit and shopping hub in Melrose.

-A missing 3-year-old girl from the Bronx was found in Brooklyn after two days of searching.

Resources for Students and Parents

Click here for an archive of posts from the Bronx News Network about education and Bronx schools.


Agencies and organizations:

The city Department of Education website carries a wealth of information about the city’s public school system. Locate a school, find out what your child is learning, look up a school’s latest progress report, and much, much more.

Inside Schools, a project of the Center for New York City Affairs, conducts and publishes independent public school reviews. Inside Schools also runs a blog called the InsideSCOOP.

The education arm of the Office of the Bronx Borough President assists students, families and educators, provides contacts to educational resources, and regularly hosts workshops and meetings.

The After-School Corporation (TASC) is New York City-based non-profit working to change public policy and expand funding for after school programs.

The United Federation of Teachers is a labor union representing teachers, secretaries, social workers and other professionals working in public schools.


Get involved:

There are 32 Community Education Councils (CECs) in the city, six of which are in the Bronx. Each CEC represents a community school district. Each CEC has 12 members, including nine parents selected by the district's PA/PTAs, two members appointed by the borough president, and one student member selected by the district's community superintendent. CECs hold monthly public meetings, and contribute to shaping educational policy in their districts. Their responsibilities include: approving school zoning lines, holding hearings on the capital plan, evaluating community superintendents, and providing input on other important policy issues.

To get involved, or to find out when a CEC meets, contact the CEC in your school district:

• District 7 (Office address: 501 Courtlandt Ave.; phone: (718) 292-0164; e-mail CEC7@schools.nyc.gov)
• District 8 (Office address: 1230 Zerega Ave.; phone (718) 828-6417; e-mail CEC8@schools.nyc.gov)
• District 9 (250 E. 164th St.; phone (718) 861-0058; e-mail CEC9@schools.nyc.gov)
• District 10 (One Fordham Plaza, 8th Floor; phone (718)-741-5836; e-mail CEC10@schools.nyc.gov)
• District 11 (1250 Arnow Ave.; phone (718) 519-2647; e-mail CEC11@schools.nyc.gov) 
• District 12 (1434 Longfellow Ave.; phone (718) 328-2310 ext. 4091; e-mail CEC12@schools.nyc.gov)

If you don't know what district your school, or your child's school, is in, contact the Department of Education's Office for Family Information and Action at (212) 374-2323, or e-mail ofea@schools.nyc.gov.


News, commentary, and opinion about schools and education:

The New York Times Education page includes links to all recent education stories published in the paper, as well as links to external education resources.

Gotham Schools, a blog run by a Manhattan-based non-profit, publishes news and analysis about public school politics, policy, and research, as well as commentary from educators, parents, researchers and others.

City Limits’ recent coverage of education and schools.

Gotham Gazette’s recent coverage of education and schools.

Education Notes Online offers information on current education issues and organizing activities in New York and beyond.

NYC Teachers is a social networking site for public school teachers.

The NYC Public School Parents blog carries news, commentary and humor written by parents, for parents.

Lorri Giovinco Harte, a former teacher, writes about education in New York City for the Examiner website.

The Learning Network, a blog published by The New York Times, offers lesson plans and other learning resources for teachers and students.


Editor’s note: This blogroll is a work in progress. E-mail items for consideration to bronxnewsnetwork.org.

Tonight: The Bronx Cultural Trolley

The Bronx Cultural Trolley, a project of the South Bronx Cultural Corridor, will be making its monthly rounds tonight. Stops include the Bruckner Gallery at the Bruckner Bar & Grill. The trolley departs from Hostos Community College (450 Grand Concourse) at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m. More here.

World AIDS Day

To mark World AIDS Day, the Citizens Advice Bureau held a candlelit vigil at their community center on the Grand Concourse on Monday, Dec. 1.

On a related note, a campaign launched earlier this year to get more Bronx adults tested for the disease has so far been a success, according to the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

(Photo by Alma Watkins)

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 3, Part I

Welcome to Wednesday's roundup. Since we haven't done one of these since last week, this will be more like a week's roundup and I'll try to touch on all of the big stories floating around right now. There's a lot to get to, so I'm going to break this up into two parts. First, let's talk politics.

Adolfo to Replace Hillary?
With Senator Hillary Clinton taking the Secretary of State job in the Obama administration, pundits and politicos around the country are talking about her successor. One name that keeps coming up: Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, who has been getting decidely mixed reviews on this blog ever since it was first brought up.

Here's MSNBC's take, the LA Times, Congressional Quarterly offers up its short list, CNN weighs in.

The ultimate call is up to Governor David Paterson, who had his eyes on the seat until his former boss, Eliot Spitzer resigned under a cloud of scandal. Paterson says he'll wait to make a decision, probably until January. If Paterson goes with a Hispanic candidate, the general consensus is that he'll choose either Carrion or Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, who's represented the Lower East Side and parts of Brooklyn and Queens since 1992.

The Future of the Bronx Dems
Daily News Bronx Bureau Chief Bob Kappstatter's Monday column talks about the fallout from Carl Heastie and the Rainbow Rebels court victory last week, which gave them control of the Bronx County party. He writes that former party boss Jose Rivera's supporters -- including Council members Oliver Koppell (11th Council District) and Maria Baez (14th and the party's number 2), and Assembly members Naomi Rivera (80th Assembly District and Jose's daughter) and Nelson Castro (86th) -- could feel a backlash in upcoming elections.

The Death of Ramon Velez
Controversial South Bronx leader Ramon Velez, the borough's political "godfather," died on Sunday after a years long battle with Alzheimers disease.

During some of the Bronx's worst times, in the 1960s and 1970s, Velez built the Hunt's Point Multi-Service Center into a hub for social services with millions of dollars in government contracts as well as one of the borough's most powerful political organization. (Former Bronx Borough Prez Fernando Ferrer and Congressman Jose Serrano both came out of his camp. Serrano sent out a fawning press release following Velez's death.).

He also turned the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade into one of the biggest ethnic showcases in the country and championed Puerto Rican causes at the highest levels.

Velez was also investigated dozens of times for corruption, but was never convicted of anything.

Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez brilliantly puts Velez's life and contributions into perspective. If you read nothing else about Velez, read this. Great personal story from Gonzalez at the end.

Here's the Times' obituary of Velez.

Look for Part II later this afternoon.

New from the Norwood News

Ok, we're back after an extended Thanksgiving holiday. I blame the tryptophan, a chemical found in turkey, but apparently that's not really a valid excuse for post-dinner nap lovers or blogging journalists.

In any case, we'll begin our comeback with a quick preview of stories you'll find in the newest edition of the Norwood News, on streets and online now.

Hundreds of neighborhood senior centers, including many in the Bronx, may be closed if the Mayor's "modernization" plan goes through, despite stiff opposition from our elected officials and other senior advocates.

The Department of Education's new school construction plan is underwhelming, especially in the Bronx's District 10, one of the most crowded districts in the city, where only one new school was included.

Distressed Bronx homeowners are actively fighting foreclosure thanks to workshops, new state laws and help from banks. But problems persist and prospective borrowers may now find it more difficult to secure a loan. Also, we provide a quick tip sheet for homeowners facing foreclosure.

Our special Holiday Guide (available in the print version only) provides a glimpse into the preparations for Fordham United Methodist's performance of Handel's "Messiah."

As we've mentioned here before, last week, a Bronx court found Assemblyman Carl Heastie (and his Rainbow Rebels coalition) to be the rightful leaders of the Bronx Democratic Party.

The Bronx's Van Cortlandt Park, the fourth largest in the city, is on its way to significant trail renovations, thanks to a new grant secured by the nonprofit Friends of Van Cortlandt Park.

Also, check out all of our regular features, including our online-expanded Neighborhood Notes, our Out & About arts and entertainment calendar and our ever Inquiring Photographer.