"It's Hard Out There"

Hundreds of unemployed or partially-employed Bronxites lined up in front of the Andrew Freedman Home on the Grand Concourse for a chance to get a job at the new BJ's Wholesale Club at the Gateway Center Mall.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, BJ's is conducting on-the-spot interviews to fill all of its job vacancies, which include everything from bakers to assistant meat merchandising managers.

People in line were mostly people of color and ranged in age from teenagers to senior citizens.

Janette, 21, said she was self-employed as a baby-sitter, but that work had dried up lately, forcing her to look for other work.

Janette and others said the estimated two-hour wait time was worth it for a chance at a BJ's job. Bronx unemployment clocked in at 9.8% for April (8.1% in New York City), the last month where statistics are available. Last year, in April, only 6% of Bronxites were considered unemployed.

Willie Gupton, dressed sharply in a suit and tie, said he'd been out of work for six months despite looking constantly.

Maribelle, who said she was in her 30s has three kids, said her seasonal job with the Parks Department recently ended and that bills were piling up, but that job opportunities were scarce. "There's not a lot out there," she said. "Not a lot of people are hiring."

Another man, who works part-time for the Mets and declined to give his name -- "I will hunt you down if I see my name in the paper," he told me -- said simply, "The economy is [expletive] up right now." He added, "It's hard out here. Real hard."

Ed. Note: BJ's said in a press release, If you're unwilling to attend, call (718) 681-1739 to set up an appointment. You can also fax resumes to (718) 681-4243 or email them to jobs@bjs.com (make sure to include the code: EOH/176/BT).

Cabrera Gets Bronx Dems Nod, Another Blow for Baez

Dr. Fernando Cabrera, a pastor for a Kingsbridge-area church and head of the Councseling department at Mercy College, continues to distinguish himself in the crowded 14th Council District race to unseat incumbent Maria Baez, as reader's of Liz Benjamin's relentless Daily Politics blog already know.

On Monday, the Working Families Party endorsed Cabrera. Then last night he was endorsed by the Bronx Democratic County Committee, who's leaders last fall overthrew former Chairman Jose Rivera, who was vigorously backed by Baez during the takeover.

This represents a huge boost for Cabrera, 44, an unpaid pastor at New Life Outreach International Church and a former member of Community Board 7. (CB7 Chairman Greg Faulkner is also a member of New Life and supports Cabrera's bid.)

Cabrera still trails fellow candidate Yudelka Tapia in fundraising as of the last reporting period on May 15. Baez is third. Former senator Israel Ruiz, who indicated he might be throwing his hat in this crowded ring, is listed as having raised more than any other District 14 candidate, but it's unclear if he's actually running or if his fundraising totals are accurate.

Yesterday, Faulkner said the endorsements show Cabrera's growing support in the community. On Memorial Day weekend, Faulkner said some 90 people showed up at a campaign meeting, which far exceeded their own expecations. He said they'd hoped to get between 20 and 30 people.

In addition to Tapia, Baez and perhaps Ruiz, other District 14 candidates include former organizer Yorman Nunez (who officially announced his candidacy yesterday), Yesenia Polanco, a former staffer for Annabel Palma and Luis Diaz, and Miguel Santana, a city consultant.

Starting June 9, all candidates must gather at least 900 valid signatures to get their names on the ballot.

The endorsements should help Cabrera in that effort. Bronx Dem Chairman Carl Heastie said in the announcement that "we look forward to working strenuously to elect him." And the Working Families Party is known for its on-the-ground campaigning efforts.

Santana, who trails all the other candidates in fund-raising, says the endorsements won't stop his underdog bid and may, in fact, help it. He said it might mean Cabrera and Baez rise to the top of the field and engage in more direct conflict.

"Maybe they go at each other and beat each other up," Santana said earlier today, "and we're able sneak in the middle."

Bronx News Roundup for June 3

Marcos Crespo and Vanessa Gibson were, as expected, victorious in a special election held Tuesday to determine the new Assembly members in the 77th and 85th Districts. They will fill the seats vacated by newly elected Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and his new deputy Aurelia Greene. More on the story here.

A Bronx woman discovered a four-foot yellow rat snake in her Gerard Avenue apartment.

Yankee attendance records are at their lowest since the 2004 season, and a new poll suggests excessive ticket prices at the new stadium are at fault.

The four men charged with the attempted bombings of a Riverdale synagogue pled not guilty at an arraignment this morning in White Plains.

Pedro Espada, Jeffrey Klein, Eric Shneiderman, and Jose Serrano are among 20 New York state senators who say they would vote yes on a bill legalizing gay marriage.

Seabrook on BronxTalk

On Monday night, June 1, Councilman Larry Seabrook was the guest on BronxTalk with Gary Axelbank. He discussed the recent cop-on-cop shooting in Harlem, racial disparities in the police force, mayoral control of the schools, and took phone calls from viewers. See the entire show here.

BronxTalk is seen live each Monday night at 9pm on channel 67 (Cablevision) in the Bronx and is repeated each day at 9:30am, 3:30pm, and 9:00pm. It is produced by Jane Folloro.

Art Rich Bronx

On Wednesday June 3rd in conjunction with the Bronx Culture Trolley, the Bronx Council on the Arts is organizing an evening of art to celebrate BRIO's 20th Anniversary. Click here for details.
A month ago on May 2nd, the Bronx Council on the Arts organized the 3rd annual Mott Haven Open Artist Studio Tour. The photographs are a fleeting glimpse into the Bronx art universe, rich in art and personalities. I would like to thank Mr. Ben Stock for being my guide and introducing me to the artists and their work. Please click on the images for captions and larger images.

Concert Celebrating the Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor

Bronx assemblyman Jose Rivera is hosting a concert featuring salsa legends Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz and the dynamic Choco Orta. The concert will take place on Saturday June 6 at 7 p.m. at the Main Theater of Hostos Community College in honor of the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Since Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court on May 26, the Puerto Rican and Bronx communities have been supportive of the success of one of their own. Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. immediately voiced his support for Sotomayor at a recent press conference. At this conference, he encouraged the Senate to confirm Sotomayor quickly and to ignore the unfounded Republican insults to her character. If elected Sotomayor, who grew up in a Bronx housing project, would be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice along with the first Bronx-born Justice. Furthermore, Sotomayor would be the third female Justice.

At the concert, Rivera wishes to celebrate Sotomayor's Puerto Rican heritage and the Bronx along with her success.

Bronx News Roundup, June 2

I wonder how many more times we'll write this: State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. still hasn't opened his district office. BoogieDowner has the latest, and wants you to get involved.

A special election is being held today to determine the next assembly members in the 77th and 85th Districts. The seats are vacant because the previous office holds, Ruben Diaz, Jr. and Aurelia Greene, have moved on to bigger things. The Bronx Dems are already planning a victory party for their candidates, Vanessa Gibson (77th) and Marco Crespo (85th). It'll be held at Maestro's Caterers at 9:15 p.m. Joel R. Rivera, Gibson's chief opponent and the most active outsider in either race, will hold a press conference at 10 p.m. at 1781 Jerome Ave.

Swine flu is suspected in the death of a Bronx baby last Thursday. See here and here.

More on the closure of PS 209 after a swine flu scare.

Civil liberties advocates have been questioning the informant's role in last month's failed bombings in Riverdale. Said Michael German, a former FBI agent:

Why the FBI is going out to create a terrorist group just so they can then solve the crime by prosecuting the terrorist group seems a little odd.

The number of New York City public school students passing state math tests is on the rise, Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday.

Bronx Lebanon Hospital has been ordered to re-test hundreds of patients who had their blood drawn in 2008, following an investigation into possible labeling errors in the lab.

A Bronx girl has won second place in an entrepreneurship competition for teen girls.

Westchester Square merchants say city and federal agencies take up much of the metered parking in the area - parking their customers could be using.

Councilman Larry Seabrock has a penchant for framed photographs, and taxpayers are fitting the bill.

John Patrick Shanley, the director of "Doubt," gave the commencement speech at the College of Mount St. Vincent on May 16.

Phillip Morrow, president and CEO of the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, is against a bill that would force low-cost housing developers to pay construction workers a higher wage. [via BoogieDowner]

WFP endorses Cabrera for City Council

The Working Families Party will support Pastor Fernando Cabrera in September's Democratic primary. Cabrera - and a host of others - are trying to unseat Councilwoman Maria Baez, who is running for a third term.

Swine flu concerns shutter PS 209

PS 209, an elementary school on East 183rd Street near Tiebout Avenue, has been closed for the rest of the week, after two students came down with severe flu-like symptoms.

It will likely re-open on June 8, according to a woman who picked up the phone there a few minutes ago. She didn't give her name saying she wasn't authorized to speak.

According to Mariela Arias, Assemblyman Nelson Castro's district office manager, the first student became ill last week, and on Friday, only 13 percent of students showed up for school. Arias said parents kept their kids at home becuase "they were scared it was going to spread and that their children were going to get sick."

Castro's office became involved when the school's PTA contacted them on Friday saying parents wanted the school closed - something the DOE was refusing to do. "In Queens [they've shut schools after scares], why would it be different in the Bronx?" asked Louella Hatch, a local resident whose grandson goes to the school.

Castro visited PS 209 this morning to talk to parents and teachers. Afterwards, he sent out a press release that read in part: "It is very alarming that neither the DOE nor the NYC Department of Health has communicate[d] with the parents of this school to keep them informed of what efforts are being taken to safe guard their children."

Following this afternoon's decision to close the school, Castro send out another statement. "I am gratified that the Mayor and Chancellor have responded to our inquiries and have taken this action," he said.

No word yet on whether the students, both of whom are believed to be boys, do indeed have swine flu.

Bronx News Roundup June 1

The two Bronx synagogues targeted in the recent bombing plot revealed on May 20th will each receive $25,000 in federal money from the Department of Homeland Security. This money will be used to provide alarms and surveillance equipment to protect the synagogues. Senator Kristen E. Gillibrand has also requested an additional $25 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative that will finance further security initiatives at organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.

A recent audit confirmed a Daily News report from last July that Bronx Court officials broke the law by illegally investing estates of the deceased in uncertain securities.

The fifth New York City swine flu related death to be reported is that of a Bronx infant. City officials have yet to confirm if the death is a result of the virus.

Critics of the recently nominated Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor are openly labeling the Bronx native as harsh, difficult to work with, unintelligent and racist against Caucasians. Judge Sotomayor's critics mainly consist of conservative groups and Republicans. In fact, Judge Sotomayor graduated from Princeton and Yale Law School and has a track record of rejecting more discrimination claims than accepting them. None of these critical claims have been found to have substantial proof.

Sonia Sotomayor's classmates recall the Supreme Court nominee as distinguished even in high school.

Joel R. Rivera announced his candidacy for the Bronx 77th Assembly District.

Bronx Democratic Senator Jeffrey Klein announced that he plans on introducing a school governance bill that will allow the mayor to retain control of the Panel on Education Policy. However, Klein also want to increase parental involvement in the local community boards by incorporating the boards with local Community Educational Councils. Klein believes that local boards will give parents a stronger voice to improve the conditions and test scores at local schools.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Fire Department conducted a full-scale emergency response drill at Bronx Reservoir on Sunday.

St. Barnabas Residents Seeking to Form Union

Photo by Alma Watkins

Resident doctors at St. Barnabas Hospital are trying to form a union, citing safety concerns, low pay, bad equipment, too few nurses and other staff and a recent cut to health and disability benefits for the hospital’s non-union employees. The hospital has challenged the residents’ petition to unionize, arguing at the National Labor Relations Board that the residents are students, not employees. The Board rejected that argument in a ruling on May 22. St. Barnabas has announced it plans to appeal the decision.

On Friday, residents joined organizers and staff from the Committee of Interns and Residents for a press conference asking St. Barnabas to abide by the ruling. They were joined by Assembly members Jose Rivera and Michael Benjamin and Crotona Community Coalition board members Andrea Dozier and John Taylor in the D’auria-Murphy Triangle, across from the hospital.

“I have a vested interest because I go to this hospital, I go to this clinic. We need them,” said Dozier, whose doctor, Mahesh Dangal, was one of the residents holding a sign behind her as she spoke.

St. Barnabas declined to comment beyond a short public statement, which reads in part:

Our stance against the unionizing of residents is not about being
anti-union - in fact St. Barnabas Hospital prides itself on being a
union-friendly shop - but instead has to do with fundamental and
philosophical differences over our view of residents as students, not
employees. From our perspective, they are in an educational training
program and so, as students in training, are not covered by the
National Labor Relations Act.

Special election to be held tomorrow

A special election is scheduled for tomorrow to determine who will become the new assembly member in the 77th District. The seat used to belong to Aurelia Greene, but she stepped down last month to take a job as deputy Bronx borough president.

On the Mount Hope Monitor's Web site, we have profiles of the two candidates: Vanessa Gibson, a former staffer of Greene's and the Bronx Democratic Party's pick (and hence the favorite); and Joel R. Rivera, a community activist who despite his underdog status - he's been forced to run as a Conservative - has been putting up a spirited fight.

The district covers Morris Heights, Highbridge, and Morrisania.

New Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr's old assembly seat (85th District) is also up for grabs.

Typcially, very few people actually vote in special elections. More here on the process and why many think it's flawed. Still, if you want to vote, you can - providing you're registered. Call (866) VOTE-NYC for polling locations.

UPDATE: I left a couple messages with the Bronx Republican Party asking who the Republican candidate was in the race for the 77th Assembly seat, but no one got back to me. The Bronx County Young Republican Club seems to be much more responsive, however. I just heard from Chance Haywood, their president. He said there is indeed a Republican candidate, and that her name's Barbara Bowland. There's little on the Web about Bowland, except that she's raised zero funds for her campaign.