A Farmers Market for Echo Park

Starting tomorrow, Echo Park will host a farmers market every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Nov. 18.

The park is located between East Burnside and East Tremont avenues, just west of Valentine.

More here.

(Illustration by Alice Chao)

Bronx News Roundup July 7

The owner of Stella D’oro, the cookie factory in Kingsbridge, will close the plant permanently in October, after deciding it's no longer profitable. The decision comes just days after a judge ordered the company to rehire 130 striking workers, and pay them a couple of months of lost wages.

Police are hunting a man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl in Fordham last Friday.

This fall, the city plans to open a "Family Justice Center" in Concourse Village to help domestic violence victims rebuild their lives. It'll be located in the same building as the DA's office.

Liz Benjamin has the latest on the bickering and finger-pointing in Albany.

State Senator Jose M. Serrano has an op-ed in the Gotham Gazette in support of arts education, which he fears will become "the next casualty of the Albany war."

A look at what Burnside Avenue's commercial strip has to offer. If community leaders get their way, a Business Improvement District (or BID) will be created on Burnside in the not too distant future.

Bronx Youth Address Social Issues Through Their Art

Students from Accion Academy and Middle School 219 in the Bronx, who transformed school lunchroom tables into colorful works of public art, got the opportunity to showcase their work on June 15 as part of the largest student art exhibition in the history of NYC parks.

Accion Academy’s table, titled “Achieving our American Dreams and Overcoming the Obstacles That Stand in Our Way” serves as an expression of the students’ hopes and dreams as well as obstacles they face. Their table takes into account factors such as violence, gangs, guns, drugs, and racism. The table is located at Crotona Park East and Charlotte Street near the flagpole.

The middle school students at MS 219 created a table illustrating how the effects of pollution on our environment and endangered species, titled “All of the Above” at Claremont Park, located at Morris Avenue & Teller Avenue, near park house.

These tables, along with eight others installed in 10 community parks across the five boroughs from June 15 to 19, were created for “A View from the Lunchroom: Students Bringing Issues to the Table,” a summer exhibition launched at Union Square Park on May 28. Developed by the nonprofit LEAP’s Public Art Program, this second-annual citywide exhibition seeks to empower young people to have a voice in their communities and become catalysts for social change through their art. The 10-park exhibition will be on view through August.

Teen to Teen News Video

Click here to watch the Teen to Teen news crew's second broadcasting titled Take #2.

Teen to Teen News is an after-school program that allows teens to learn about broadcast journalism while producing their own original news segments. The Mosholu Montefiore Community Center is home to this teen newsroom every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, read our article about the program in the Norwood News.

Bronx News Roundup, July 6

New York Magazine recently published an extensive profile of the Bronx State Senator Pedro Espada Jr.'s rise to power and role in the Albany leadership coup. From his humble beginnings in Puerto Rico to his seemingly ruthless quest for domination in the Senate, Espada makes for a fascinating story. This article provides some clarity for the web of chaos in Albany.

Highly disturbing, though, is Espada's confession, "Plotting [the coup] was fun.” Also discussed in the article is Espada's mysterious financial situation. Espada has circumvented the campaign finance disclosure rules by simply not filing reports of where his money comes from. Instead, Espada frequently chooses to pay a fine and not disclose his monetary sources. Still, the article holds that even though Espada appears to be relishing in the fact that he is a villain in the Senate, he is not entirely at fault for the corruption in Albany. New York Magazine also places some of the blame on the Bronx political system's corruption and lack of diversity.

Right now, New York State Republicans are dangerously close to securing Espada in his much sought-after throne as Senate president. Governor Paterson’s decision to continue with the Senate’s voting on bills despite the coup could lead to an alliance between the Republicans and Democratic Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz Sr. When the same-sex marriage bill is put on the table at the Senate, many suspect that Diaz, who is anti same-sex marriage, will side with the Republicans. This could be the force needed to ensure Espada’s presidency.

In other news, Republican and fellow Bronx native C0lin Powell defends Sotomayor, despite the Supreme Court's ruling reversing her decision against white firefighters denied a promotion due to their race.

In a drug bust in the Bronx on Saturday, police found millions of dollars worth of heroin hidden in Build-A-Bear stuffed animals. 12 suspects were arrested and charges are still pending.

Former police cadet, Tommy Rodriguez, shot in the Bronx early this morning is now in stable condition after surgery.

On Saturday, July 4, a police officer in the Bronx shot an armed man, Jesus Roldan. Roldan did not drop his weapon despite multiple orders. He is now in critical condition.

Fondation Cartier in Paris will display the works of South Bronx-born graffiti artist and rapper, Koor in an upcoming exhibition. Koor is now based in Brussels.

The historical Bronx church, Saint Augustine's Roman Catholic Church, held its last mass yesterday. The church, which opened in 1849, is set to close due to a decline in attendance and structural problems.

The Bronx Zoo will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Congo Gorilla Forest this month. Activities will include guided tours, African arts and crafts and African dances.

Work in Retail? We Need to Hear From You (Today)

Good morning. I'm posting this again, because we're still looking for input from Bronxites and other New Yorkers about their experience working for retail chains. Deadline is today at 5 p.m., so if you can help out, now's the time. Thanks! -- Jordan Moss

Central to the roiling debate over the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory is a demand by community organizations that the developer require prospective retailers to pay a "living wage." So, we thought we'd ask our readers who work in retail a few questions, including what your hourly wage is and whether it's enough to support you and your family.

The responses we get will be incorporated into an article we are working on for the next edition of the Norwood News. We are collaborating on this with the Huffington Post, which has a brand new New York site. The article we write will appear both in the Norwood News and on the Huffington Post. (The same questions are being asked on Huffington Post.)

So, tell us about your own experiences working in the city's retail stores by sending answers to the following questions to nycwages@gmail.com. If you can't answer all of the questions, we still want to hear from you - the ones below are just a guide. We will be using your anecdotes to compile a story this week.

Where do you work?

What is your hourly wage?

What kind of benefits do you get, if any?

What kind of work do you do?

How long have you been in your current job?

Are you unionized? What union do you belong to?

Is your wage enough to support you (and your family if you have one)? Or do you rely on other sources of income/support, such as a spouse/partner's/child's salary, another job, or public assistance (food stamps, section 8, etc.)? How many people are in your family?

Include any other information you'd like us to know.

Please submit your responses to nycwages@gmail.com.

For the Record: Fernando Cabrera Opens Up His Home, Talks About Switching Political Parties

Fernando Cabrera at his apartment on Sedgwick Avenue. Photos by Ashley Villarreal.

Many people have been talking, and talking loudly about Fernando Cabrera, who's running to replace Maria Baez as the Council Member for District 14.

Does he actually live in the Bronx? Is he really a Democrat?

Northwest Bronx residents are understandably wary given the recent and unpopular actions of State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., a Democrat by name only whose support of Republican leadership is effectively paralyzing Albany.

Much has been made of the fact that Espada claims to live in a Bedford Park condo but appears to spend the bulk of his time at his home in Mamaroneck. Espada's Westchester County home is just a 10-minute car ride north, but local residents say his actions (and inactions) in Albany show he's out of touch with the needs of his Bronx constituents.

But yesterday, as he opened up his freezer and then fridge to offer me an ice cold soda, Cabrera assured the Bronx News Network that he, his wife and teenage son live in this apartment on Sedgwick Avenue, near 197th Street. Inside the ice box are leftovers in Tupperware and bags of frozen tamales made by his Mexican wife.

Cabrera says they moved in last July from Pelham, a suburburban town just northeast of the Bronx. Just two months later, Cabrera announced his intention to run in the 14th District Council race. Cabrera says he still owns a home in Pelham, but that his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren live there.

Trying to set the record straight, I toured the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and living space, scouring for evidence of a quick move-in, such as the one neighbors claimed Espada did in preparation for a media visit. (He showed up the night before with vacation bags and suitcases.)

Cabrera's new Bronx digs appear legit.

Toothpaste stains on the mirror, a son's bruised drum kit and a baby crib, which Cabrera said is used for visits from his grandson, were all evidence in his favor.

Cabrera, a Mercy College professor, also boasts he is on the advisory board for the building complex, and he seems to be on a first-name basis with the building's super.

Bronxites are also concerned Cabrera may not really be a Democrat. Up until last year, he was a registered Republican. He doesn't deny this. However, Cabrera, the pastor of New Life International Outreach Church on Morris Avenue, said he recently switched parties to sympathize with what he says are values more in line with his lifestyle.

"When I started to re-analyze the work I've done for the past 20 years and started to see the platform the Democratic Party has, I saw myself with the Democratic Party," said Cabrera, as he talked to me on couches in the seemingly lived-in common area he shares with his son, a Columbia University student studying English and computer science.

Cabrera, who is backed by the Bronx Democratic Party and the left-leaning Working Families Party, said what really made for the switch was the work he has done over the years -- counseling teens, being an educator and as a Community Board 7 member (2004-2006) -- that all align with the values Democrats put on social issues.

All the political leaders that came to his church, Cabrera said, were Democratic. And let's not forget new President Barack Obama, who Cabrera says he voted for and who also played a role in inspiring the former Republican to switch parties. "What I love about the Democratic Party is that they're a party of inclusion," he said.

The decision may have been momentous, but Fernando Aquino, Cabrera's campaign consultant, said Cabrera's decision is not that uncommon. "He's not the first person to be a Republican and then a Democrat," Aquino said. "A lot of people decide what they're going to be when they were young, or they have a parent that is and then later they realize they aren't."

Cabrera joked, "There is someone a lot of people might not remember: Hillary Clinton, she was a Republican and now look at how she's represented now, she's very proud of the fact that she is (a Democrat)."

For now, District 14 will continue to give Cabrera more careful scrutiny in the weeks leading up to the election. To learn more about Cabrera's positions, visit his Website.

For the record, Cabrera says he supports civil unions for homosexuals but not legal marriage (same as Obama); he supports abortion only in cases of rape or violence (unlike Obama who is decidedly pro-choice); he is a proponent of saving affordable housing; he supports more funding to help welfare recipients; and he doesn't think there is enough hunting being done in the Bronx to warrant some of its residents' gun collections.

We'll have a little more on all this in the next issue of the Norwood News -- it hits the streets and the Web on July 9.

Fireworks at Orchard Beach

July 1 2009 evening: These fireworks were a part of "The Bronx Celebrates American" event at orchard beach, the city's first fireworks show of the holiday season. I made these photographs standing at a window, corner of Tryon ave and Reservoir oval west.

Stella D'oro Strike Over

A judge ruled today in favor the Bronx cookie factory's long-suffering and striking workers.

Here's the story in the Norwood News about the strike, from May.

Comptroller Debate

BRONXTALK-SPECIAL EDITION/MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2009

From BronxTalk host Gary Axelbank ...

On Monday, June 29, BronxTalk featured a debate between the candidates in the race for city comprtoller. Quizzed by host Gary Axelbank, Councilmembers Melinda Katz, John Liu, and David Yassky talked about their qualifications and experience, investing city pension funds, the Kingsbridge Armory,Yankee Stadium, and water filtration projects, small businesses, and other issues.

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

Diaz Appoints Fernandez to BOARD OF EDUCATION (!)

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. appointed former Hostos Community College president Dolores Fernandez to the Board of Education yesterday. This is NOT a typo. The law authorizing mayoral control expired at midnight last night, so the city must revert to the old system, a Board of Education (appointed by the 5 borough presidents and the mayor) and more than 30 local community school boards. The resurrection of the latter is probably unlikely anytime soon, because local school board members are/were elected and elections were in May. The old system also had much more powerful district superintendents than the ones currently in place under the centralized system. So, who knows how that would work? The mayor is holding a meeting at Tweed (which is the symbol of the new system) with the five borough presidents to reconstitute the old Board of Ed.

Anyway, the bottom line is that the utter and complete gridlock in the Capitol is no joke. Inaction has serious consequences, this probably being the most significant.

Here's the Diaz press release in its entirety.

Today, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., announced the appointment of Dr. Dolores Fernandez as the Bronx representative on the newly reconstituted Board of Education, effective following the sunset of mayoral control on July 1.

A resident of City Island, Dr. Fernandez had served as the president of Hostos Community College from 1998 until her retirement this year. She currently serves as a professor of urban education at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center in Manhattan.

“Though I am a supporter of some form of mayoral control, and I am disappointed that the current law was allowed to expire, the business of our children is too important to wait for Albany to act. Dr. Fernandez is a highly qualified, well respected educator with a long resume of accomplishments, and she will be a strong voice for the over one million public school children of the City. I am proud to appoint Dr. Fernandez to the Board of Education, and I look forward to working closely with her to craft an ambitious education agenda for the students of The Bronx and all five boroughs,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

“For me, it is an honor to be thought of by Borough President Diaz to represent The Bronx on the Board of Education. I look forward to serving our borough, and its children, in an admirable and professional way,” said Dr. Fernandez.

In addition to her work at Hostos Community College, Dr. Fernandez served as deputy chancellor for instruction and development for the Board of Education under Chancellor Richard R. Green from 1988-1990. Dr. Fernandez also served as director of education and deputy commissioner for program services for the New York State Division for Youth under Governor Mario Cuomo. An educator since 1978, Dr. Fernandez has also served as a teacher in Queens District 29, as well as the Long Island communities of Long Beach and Hempstead, during her career.

Dr. Fernandez graduated cum laude from Nassau Community College, earned a B.S. in Education from The State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury, and received a Master's in Education, as well as a professional Diploma in Educational Administration, from Long Island University (LIU) - C.W. Post College. She then earned her Professional Diploma in Reading and her Ph.D., in Language and Cognition from Hofstra University.

Bronx News Roundup, July 1

Welcome to July, everyone.

This month begins with more of the same up in Albany: complete and total paralysis as Republicans (plus Bronx Senator Pedro Espada, Jr.) remain at an impasse over leadership.

The Times writes that Republicans are desperate to hold on to relevance in the Senate as voting trends are tilting toward Democrats.

The Voice's Tom Robbins says powerful state lobbyists are to blame for the mess in Albany as many reform bills have died as a result of the leadership stalemate.

Federal authorities arrested nine Bronxites for stealing the identities of Puerto Rican residents.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner went to The Point, a community center in Hunts Point, on Monday to discuss $90 million in stimulus funds that are being made available to help residents and businesses in low-income urban areas.

On Monday at about 10 pm, a 30-year-old man was shot in the head on Bronxwood Avenue.

A Bronx-bred goalkeeper is trying to catch on with the NY Red Bulls.