BronxTalk - see the show on Bronx books

Last night BronxTalk featured four Bronx authors.  You can watch it here:  BronxTalk - October 4, 2010 

On October 11, BronxTalk will feature the Mary Mitchell Community Center, which is in danger of being closed by the city, and on October 18th Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. will help the program celebrate it's 16th anniversary.

For the past sixteen years, BronxTalk has been seen live each Monday night at 9:00pm on Bronxnet's Cablevision channel 67. It's also on Verizon Fios channel 33 and streamed live at bronxnet.org. Produced by Jane Folloro, BronxTalk is repeated each day at 9:30am, 3:30pm, and 9:00pm. Archives are available at blip.tv; search for "BronxTalk."

Poe in the Bronx, and Other Events This Week

This week, the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's death, the Borough President's Office and the Bronx Historical Society will host a screening premiere of Edgar Allan Poe in The Bronx: His Life & Times at Poe Cottage, a documentary look at how the Bronx influenced the renowned writer's life and work.

The video, created by Emmy-award winning Derek Woods of BronxNet Television, will be part of a temporary Poe exhibit at the Bronx County Historical Society’s Valentine-Varian House Museum. Poe spent the end of his life at his cottage in the Bronx, now located at Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse and currently undergoing renovations.

“The Bronx is an important part of the personal history of Edgar Allan Poe, one of America’s greatest literary masters,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., in a press release.

A  reception debuting the video will take place tonight at the Valentine-Varian House, 3266 Bainbridge Avenue at East 208 Street, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This and more Bronx events this week can be found below, or anytime in our What's Going On? section on the right side of this page.

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 5

A Soundview woman whose apartment is infested with bedbugs claims she picked them up during a visit to Bronx County Family Court last month. The bloodsuckers were also found recently at the Bronx DA's office. 

Daily News columnist Patrice O'Shaughnessy describes a recent visit to the Hunts Point fish market, which replaced Manhattan's famous Fulton Fish Market five years ago. The New Fulton Fish Market Cooperative at Hunts Point (it's full name) is the second largest wholesale seafood market in the world.

With tongue in cheek, the Daily News' Bob Kappstatter writes: "I am publicly announcing my support for Rick Lazio for Bronx Supreme Court justice."

A year ago, Mayor Bloomberg's promised to launch Harlem Children's Zone-style antipoverty programs in Brooklyn and the South Bronx. The programs have yet to materialize.

Violent crime is on the rise. Borough-wide, there have been more murders, rapes, robberies, and felony-assaults than this time last year.

State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. may endorse gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, the man Diaz's son, BP Ruben Diaz, Jr., recently called an "utter nut job."

Two young Bronxites - Marvin Figueroa and Antoinette Rangel - have landed White House internships.

Lincoln Hospital has received a state grant to build a 60-bed psychiatric unit. (Subscription needed.)

Students from University Heights Secondary School (which is now located in Morrisania) traveled to Washington DC at the weekend for the "One Nation Rally."

A profile of a botanica store in Soundview.

Cardinal Spellman High School's girls soccer team is on fire this season.

Gustavo Rivera, Ari Hoffnung Make '40 Under 40' List

Photo illustration courtesy of City Hall

Last week, City Hall published its annual list of rising political stars - the so-called "40 under 40."

A few Bronxites made the grade, including Gustavo Rivera (who trounced State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. in last month's Democratic primary) and Ari Hoffnung, a Riverdalian who has twice run against Councilman Oliver Koppell (most recently last year when he dropped out before the primary). Hoffnung currently works for the New York City Comptroller Office where he's the Assistant Comptroller for Budget/Chief Policy Officer.

Angel Audiffred, a former aide to Councilman Joel Rivera who's now Manhattan Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez's chief-of-staff, is also on the list.  And so is Rachel Mann, who works for the Advance Group, a political consulting form, and is described as a "Bronx native." (There may be others with Bronx links, but it's unclear where everyone lives or grew up.)

Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. doesn't get a mention because he appeared on a previous list. Ditto several other young(ish) Bronx pols such as Assemblymember Vanessa Gibson and Councilman Joel Rivera.

Click here for City Hall's 2009 list, and here for its 2008 one. 

The Capitol, a sister publication of City Hall, published its own "40 under 40" list back in June.

What's Going On?

Tovar's "Untitled," mixed media on paper, is one of the works featured in the "Exploring Further Evidence," exhibit, on display this fall at the College of New Rochelle's Gordon Parks Gallery, on E. 149th Street. 

What better activity for a dismal, rainy day like this one than to check out some art exhibits? There are three going on today, and for the next few months throughout the borough, as part of the Bronx Latin American Biennial. Details on those, and other Bronx events, below.

Editor's note: What did we miss? Send details to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Bronx (Weekend) News Roundup, Oct. 4

Here's a behind-the-scenes look into the ongoing synagogue bomb-plot trial. The case is wrapping up this week as closing arguments are set to begin today.

Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. had some harsh words for gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino this weekend, calling the Republican an "utter nut job." Diaz and former BP Freddy Ferrer were both on hand in Manhattan on Saturday to endorse Paladino's rival, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Diaz is on one of several politicians predicted to be vying for a spot in the 2013 Mayoral race. 

Progress reports released by the DOE show a drop in evaluation grades for Bronx elementary and middle schools, though many blame the slip on tougher state testing standards.

An off-duty corrections officer was shot by the NYPD outside of a club on E. 161st after he refused to drop the gun he was carrying. Victor Hernandez  is now in stable condition at Lincoln Hospital.

Police are asking for help in locating a missing 15-year-old boy who was last seen on Sept. 28 near his home at 2115 Haviland Avenue.

A final viewing was held Saturday in Baychester for the six member of Joy Fellowship Christian Assemblies who died in a car accident two weeks ago.

Well-known Bronx graffiti artist Fernando Carlo was nabbed by cops this week for tagging a subway car at 207th Street last year. He had been abroad since then and was arrested upon returning to the states.

The Daily News looks back on the case of Larry Davis, a Bronx man charged with slaying four drug dealers 24 years ago this week. His capture and trial made national headlines at the time.

The new Willis Avenue Bridge, connecting upper Manhattan to the Bronx, reopened on Saturday.

Small businesses are still hurting from the recession, even if experts say the downturn officially ended last year.

Festivities on Jerome

A week ago on 25th of September, the Jerome-Gun Hill BID organized its annual street festival. As always the fair was a resounding success. Large crowds came to enjoy the music, food and shopping on Jerome Ave between Gun Hill Road and Mosholu Parkway.

I hope you enjoy the photographs.

Bronx Books on BronxTalk

Four Bronx authors will be talking about their books on BronxTalk this Monday night.  Beginning at 9:00pm on Bronxnet's channel 67, Liz Murray author of the best seller Breaking Night, the story of "from homeless to Harvard", James Hannon author of The Lost Boys of the Bronx, the oral history of the Ducky Boys gang, Bernard Blue Rowell author of Son 'I' Got your Back, and Fernando Peguero author of Stop Being Poor, will talk with host Gary Axelbank about their work.

On October 11, BronxTalk will feature the Mary Mitchell Community Center, which is slated to be closed by the city, and on October 18th Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. will help the program celebrate it's 16th anniversary.

For the past sixteen years, BronxTalk has been seen live each Monday night at 9:00pm on Bronxnet's Cablevision channel 67. It's also on Verizon Fios channel 33 and streamed live at bronxnet.org. Produced by Jane Folloro, BronxTalk is repeated each day at 9:30am, 3:30pm, and 9:00pm. Archives are available at blip.tv; search for "BronxTalk."

Comptroller's Task Force Releases CBA Report Based Partly On Lessons Learned From Bronx Projects

We'll get to the comptroller's group's report in a minute, but first, a little look back. 

Last winter, the City Council killed a Bloomberg-backed plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall, largely because community activists, job advocates and a united front of Bronx elected officials said the project lacked a strong Community Benefits Agreement; most notably, there was no guarantee for living wage jobs.

What started out as a local story went citywide and Community Benefits Agreements -- or CBAs: agreements signed between the developer and community stakeholders that promise additional benefits for local residents impacted by the coming development -- became a hot button issue among political, development and labor circles.

While strong CBAs, including some with living wage guarantees, were being signed in other big cities around the country, developers in New York City, backed by it's pro-development (with no string attached) mayor, was late to the game. Some CBAs were signed -- at Atlantic Yards (Brooklyn), the new Yankee Stadium (Bronx) and the Gateway Center Mall (Bronx) -- but they lacked teeth and true community involvement, community and job advocates charged.

The Armory case became an entirely different animal altogether and the prospects for a strong and enforceable CBA seemed possible. There were active community groups involved in the process from the beginning and the developer, the Related Companies, repeatedly said it would enter into an agreement at some point. But real negotiations began late and it all fell apart over the living wage issue.

In the aftermath, living wage legislation was introduced in the City Council (though its since stalled), Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. convened a new star-studded task force to create a new plan for developing the Armory (no word on what's happening with that) and new Comptroller John Liu created his own task force to create a "proposed framework for public benefits agreements in New York City that would create clear expectations, encourage broad participation and result in enforceable public benefits that comply with legal standards."

Liu's group -- made up of what appears to be a diverse and vast group of labor leaders, real estate developers, academics, business associations, thinktank types and lawyers (plus Al Rodriguez, general counsel for Diaz, the only elected official who appears to have a voice in this report and was very active in the process, according to Scott Sieber, Liu's spokesman) -- delivered the goods this week to some degree of controversy.

WHEDco Green Cart Workshop, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday; Other Events

We wanted to remind everyone that WHEDco's free NYC Green Cart application workshop, at1330 Invervale Ave. (between Freeman and Jennings streets), will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m.

(There are advertisements that mistakenly say the workshop is from 5 to 7 p.m. It's not. It's from 7 to 9 p.m.)

If you want help applying for an NYC Green Cart, RSVP to WHEDco by calling (718) 839-1183.

For this and other Bronx events, check out our What's Going On calendar, which you can always find on the top right side of our site.

Bronx News Roundup, Oct. 1

If you couldn't tell by the soggy weather this morning, it is indeed October now. Because of the rain, expect subway delays if you haven't already experienced them. On to the news!

First, an awesome picture of some of the subway flooding problems and a report that the 4 train was delayed after a tree fell near the 167th St. stop. [Update: a reader alerted us that this photo was taken in 2006. But it's still awesome.]

As of 10:57 a.m., the MTA was reporting delays on the 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D F, M, and N, Q, R lines.

To the relief of its 800-plus workers and doctors, Westchester Square Medical Center, slated to close on Dec. 31, will remain open but the amount of beds in the hospital will shrink, state Health Department officials say.

Internal Affairs reportedly raided 12 Bronx police precincts to seize and audit all tickets handed out over the past 13 months. 

The late actor Tony Curtis grew up in the Bronx, the son of dirt-poor Hungarian immigrants. His given name: Bernie Schwartz.

Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez points out that Eva  Moskowitz, who founded the Harlem Success charter schools and opened two new schools in the Bronx this year, spent some $1.3 million on marketing and recruitment, which swelled the waiting list to get in and pressured state officials to let her open schools. Gonzalez admits the schools have been successful, but says the money is the reason regular public schools can't compete.

The trial of four men accused of plotting to bomb two Riverdale synagogues is nearing conclusion as the defense wrapped up its case yesterday. They called very few witnesses, instead relying on their cross-examination of a government informant who they say entrapped their clients. Closing arguments begin Monday.

The Bronx driver accused of beating a traffic cop pleaded not guilty yesterday after turning himself in to authorities.

The Manhattan College and Fordham University men's soccer teams face off tomorrow night.

A deal to save the so-called "birth place of hip-hop" is near completion.

Hostos Community College is hosting a dominoes tournament on Sunday that will benefit the school's Emergency 100 and Scholarship fund. Entry is $30. Winners can earn up to $2,000 in prizes.

And finally, after conducting an online poll, the Wildlife Conservation Society has named the new beaver recently found in the Bronx River. It's Justin Beiber, er, Beaver. Justin joins Jose who was discovered in 2007 and named after Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano. The discover is another great sign of the river's resurgence. Plust, the two are planning a world-wide tour to the delight of pre-adolescent beavers everywhere.

The Mary Mitchell Center's Future is Uncertain; Staff Are Meeting With the DOE Today

More than 100 people, mostly parents and children, attended a rally last week in the center's playground (Photos: J. Fergusson)

For Laquanda Walker, the Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center in Crotona has been a godsend. Her 8-year-old son, Isacc, is enrolled in its 'Enrichment Program,' giving him somewhere to be after school, and her peace of mind.

"This is the only safe place for him in the neighorhood," said Walker, a Parks Department employee. She added, "The food is wonderful, he does his homework, it's not just play, play, play. There are many opportunities for my son to grow here."

These opportunities could be cut short, however; the center and its many programs face an uncertain future.

In July, the city's Department of Education, which owns the building and provides maintenance, contacted staff, demanding that they now pay to use the space.

The Mary Mitchell Center

The DOE is requesting more than $70,000 a year, according to the center's executive director, Heidi Hynes. "We'd have to fire people that are working with children in order to pay this," she said.

Asked for comment, the DOE, which runs a GED program in the building, released a statement. It said: "There are real costs associated with the maintenance of any DOE building... Given the current fiscal reality, we are asking community organizations who have not been paying for these services to begin covering these costs."

The fees were waived during the summer months, after Councilman Joel Rivera and Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. reached out to the DOE. But on Sept. 21, with no payment forthcoming, the city locked Hynes, her staff, and the children they serve (some 300 a week) out of the center. (They were allowed back in two days later, when another temporary waiver was granted.)

Last Friday, Hynes organized a rally in the center's playground. The message to the DOE: it's our building, give it back.