Bronx Events: Cosmetology Open House

Tomorrow evening, the New York Hispanic Cosmetology and Beauty Chamber Of Commerce and Lehman College host a free open house for those interested in a career in cosmetology. Get tips on beauty techniques, barbering, spa salon operation, hairstyling, skin care, make up, manicure, and more.

The event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at 2501 Grand Concourse, 3rd floor. Call 718 960 8806 for more information.

Our community events calendar is posted below.

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

Food Stamp Use at Farmers Markets Doubled This Year

The City Council announced yesterday that the number of low-income New Yorkers using food stamps at the city's outdoor greenmarkets is higher than ever before. Residents spent over $500,000 in food stamps to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the markets last year, double the amount spent in 2009.

City politicians and food advocacy groups have been campaigning for more greenmarkets to accept food stamps, seeing it as one way to increase access to healthy foods in neighborhoods where they're usually hard to find. This fall, the greenmarkets at Bronx Borough Hall, Lincoln Hospital, the New York Botanical Garden and Poe Park all accepted EBT card purchases--at Poe Park, over $500 a day came in via food stamps.

Local markets will open up again this spring and summer, though there are several in Manhattan that operate year-round. Locations and schedules can be found here.

Bus Route Changes

Good news for bus riders in the eastern part of the borough: the MTA announced changes to three bus lines--the Bx4A, Bx8 and Bx24--that restore some services which were cut in June.


See the flyer below for details.
Bus Changes

Tell us Your Bronxite of 2010

There's still time to name your Bronxite of 2010.  E-mail suggestions to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com.

Just to be clear, we don't plan on picking and announcing a winner. Rather, we're going to publish all your suggestions in a "Bronxites of the Year" post later this week. Space allowing, we'll also run them in print editions of BxNN newspapers. That way we shine a light on a number of individuals who served the borough with distinction in 2010, not just one.

Thanks to those who have already submitted names and blurbs.  To everyone else, if someone comes to mind, do drop us an e-mail.  Tell us your name, their name, and why they're your Bronxite of the year.  More details here.

Violent Crime Rises in City, Borough, Precinct

Editor's note: This story first appeared in last week's issue of the Norwood News, a special "year in review" edition that's on the streets and online now. 

By Alex Kratz

If you look at the latest statistics published by the NYPD for the 52nd Precinct — which encompasses the entire Norwood News coverage area — overall crime is down by less than one-half of one percent.
But even that miniscule drop in crime is deceiving. The Five-Two was hit hard in 2010; by a barrage of murders, a significant rise in felony assaults (including shootings) and rapes, as well as a string of robberies that rocked area churches in late fall.

Authorities did make headway on two of the area’s most intractable problems — drug dealing and prostitution — but those crimes continue to impact the lives of residents in several neighborhoods.

In July, police and federal authorities broke up a well-organized, multi-million dollar drug-dealing operation that had swallowed up a stretch of Valentine Avenue, from 194th to 196th streets. The busts, which included 31 people, gave residents a sense of relief and freedom, but dealing has reportedly increased on 198th and 194th streets.

Throughout the year, Deputy Inspector John D’Adamo, the 52nd Precinct’s commanding officer, has focused attention on the prostitution problems near St. James Park. While the precinct’s efforts have pushed the prostitution away from the park, it settled just a block away on Davidson Avenue and 192nd Street, where there has been a strong transgender sex trade presence for the past decade. Residents disagree about whether the situation there is any worse or better than before.

Just blocks from the prostitution hotspot, near the northwest corner of St. James Park, the year’s most brazen and brutal murder took place in late August, on a warm Sunday afternoon. Jelani Ciria, a 20-year-old father, was on his way to see his daughter when he was stopped by at least six bullets that produced 17 holes in his body.

Despite the public nature of the killing, pleas from Ciria’s family and extra reward money provided by local elected officials, witnesses did not materialize and Ciria’s murder remains unsolved.

2010 Crime Statistics (through Dec. 12)

Murders
52nd Precinct: 11 (up 57.1%, from 7 in 2009)
Bronx: 123 (up 18.3%, from 104 in 2009)
Citywide: 508 (up 14.7%, from 443 in 2009)

Rapes
52nd Precinct: 26 (up 8.3%, from 24 in 2009)
Bronx: 277 (up 6.9%, from 259 in 2009)
Citywide: 1,328 (up 15.7%, from 1,148 in 2009)

Robberies
52nd Precinct: 479 (down 0.4%, from 481 in 2009)
Bronx: 4,369 (up 11.9%, from 3,903 in 2009)
Citywide: 18,421 (up 4.9%, from 17,563 in 2009)

Felony Assault
52nd Precinct: 436 (up 13.1%, from 385 in 2009)
Bronx: 4,224 (up 2.1%, from 4,136 in 2009)
Citywide: 16,134 (up 0.6%, from 16,040 in 2009)

—Source: NYPD website

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 4

Rose Donaghey, a 90-year-old veteran Bronx waitress known for her unstoppable work ethic, missed her first day on the job in over two years because of last week's blizzard. She works at the Wicked Wolf in Throgs Neck, and has served in restaurants all over the city for decades.

The Daily News' Bob Kappstatter breaks down the borough's crime stats for 2010. Like the rest of the city, the Bronx saw an overall decrease in crime but a jump in violent crimes--including a sharp rise in the number of stabbing fatalities. Here's a look at the stats for the 52 Precinct from last week's Norwood News.

Assemblyman Peter Rivera could be leaving his post for a gig in the new Gov. Cuomo's administration. If he does, a special election would determine who would fill his district seat, which covers West Farms and Parkchester.

Bronx spiritualist Chris Ochun, and other city psychics, are predicting who will win tonight's $330 Mega Millions lotto jackpot.

A quarter will soon get you five minutes less in parking time at meters in the outer boroughs, thanks to changes made at the start of the new year. The price increase won't actually go into effect in the Bronx until March.

City Councilwoman Helen Foster, who represents several neighborhoods in the South Bronx, had the worst attendance rate in the City Council last year, making it to 61.7 percent of her meetings, according to amNY. Foster told the paper that her absence was due to a number of ill family members. Bronx reps Joel Rivera and Larry Seabrook were also among the worst no-show members.

City Comptroller John Liu axed plans to build a new 911 call center in the Bronx, saying the budget for construction of the center, and another in Brooklyn, is now nearly double what it was estimated to cost when approved in 2005.

Bronx Congressman Eliot Engel has been cleared by the House ethics committee, which was investigating how he and other members of Congress spent travel stipends while visiting foreign countries.

After the Fires, Frustration

The view from Nicky’s Pizza shows the lingering devastation of last year’s fire on Bainbridge Avenue (Photo: Adi Talwar)

Editor's note: this 2010 "year in review" article appeared in last week's Norwood News.

By Alex Kratz

For many Norwood-area residents and merchants, 2010 was a frustrating year as the community struggled to rebound from two devastating fires that left a gaping hole in the heart of a thriving shopping district.

The site of the first fire, which took place last Halloween morning, is now a weed-infested lot surrounded by warped, graffiti-riddled plywood boards. It’s an eyesore made even more maddening to residents and other business owners by the fact that the owner, Evelyn Jacobsen, has done nothing with the property.

On top of that, Jacobsen has refused to talk with the press or the local community board about her plans.
Some of the destroyed businesses have re-opened nearby or farther away, while others have called it quits altogether. A few of the remaining businesses, like Hillside Meat and Deli, are doing well, but many are struggling with the loss of foot traffic.

“It’s sad, it’s a shame, it’s bad, very bad,” said Nick Delija, the owner of Nicky’s Pizza, which sits just across the street from the empty lot. “I don’t have words to say [how bad it is].”

The owner of Hair Shoppe, a long-standing salon on Bainbridge, near East 205th Street, attributed the demise of her business to the second fire, which took out the strip’s major supermarket, Foodtown, and two other businesses. People used to get their hair done after picking up their groceries, but no longer.

Foodtown is rebuilding a bigger store with more shopping options that is scheduled to open in January. They are expanding into space formerly occupied by a dentist’s office and the American Diner, whose owner, Mohammed Quadir, was arrested and charged with arson for allegedly paying someone to set the blaze.

Quadir’s trial could begin sometime early this year.

MulchFest 2011 and Other Bronx Events

Nothing looks sadder on a post-New Year's sidewalk than all of those discarded Christmas trees piling up. If you want your tree to fare a better fate than the curb, you can recycle it through the Park Department's annual MulchFest, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday at designated parks across the five boroughs.

There are sixteen spots in the Bronx where you can drop off your tree. Parks Department workers will send it through a wood chipper and turn it into mulch that's used to nourish plants and other trees throughout the city. Locations are listed here. Certain sites will have wood chippers on hand, so you can take a free bag of mulch home with you to use on your block or in your garden.

This and other Bronx events are posted below, in our community calendar.

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

Name Your Bronxite of 2010

There's still time to tell us your Bronxite of 2010.  Please e-mail your suggestion to bronxnewsnetwork[at]gmail.com. Include your name, their name, and why they're deserving.  If possible, please also attach their photo.  More details here. 

We'll feature all your picks in a "Bronxites of the Year" post later in the week. Space permitting, we'll also include them in upcoming print editions of BxNN newspapers. 

Meet the First Bronx Baby of 2011

Sergio Martinez, pictured here with his proud mom, Kiara Suron, was born at St. Barnabas Hospital at 12:17 a.m. on Jan. 1.  He weighed  6 lbs., 11 ¾ oz and was 18 inches long.  Photo courtesy of St. Barnabas Hospital. 

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 3

Happy New Year everyone.  Here's some Bronx news from the last few days:

The Riverdale Press looks back at the year that was in Riverdale and Kingsbridge.

The Times has an article about prostitutes plying their trade near an elementary school in West Farms. It was written by a student at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, and was developed from a piece she wrote for Bronx Ink.

State Sen. Jeff Klein has resigned as Democratic deputy minority leader. He claims he was "disgusted" with the conference's actions under John Sampson's leadership. Some Albany insiders, however, say Klein was pushed out. Regardless, Sampson looks likely to hold onto his job.

Parking meter rates in Manhattan and Queens are about to be raised. The new rates won't hit the Bronx until March.

Police have charged an ex-con with attempted murder and other offenses after he allegedly tried to shoot another man following a parking dispute in Harlem on Saturday. The intended target was uninjured, but one of the bullets grazed the head of a 13-year-old boy.

Last Wednesday, a Bronx teen was knocked down and killed after straying onto the Bruckner Expressway. Police say Malik Jenkins, 18, was being chased by a group of young men intent on harming him.

A Bronx grandmother was struck and killed on the Hutchinson River Parkway on Saturday.  Marcia Clarke-Hinton was being driven by her daughter when their car span out. She was hit when she exited the vehicle.
A five-year-old boy from the Bronx who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident four months ago, has finally been released from hospital.  At the time, doctors feared Joshua Saunders wouldn't survive.

A woman was found murdered in her Longwood apartment last Wednesday.  Police believe her husband was responsible, and are asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers.

Alan Grayson, a congressman from Flordia who was raised in the Bronx, is leaving office on Wednesday, and has parting shots for Democratic and Republicans alike.

A hike through Manhattan and the Bronx by way of the sewer system. See here and here.

Michael Benjamin, the now-ex assemblymember, says the long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory should have been turned into a mall. He told Crain's: “We can't constantly keep saying no while making unreasonable demands. We need to put out the signal that the Bronx is a good place to do business.” The Crain's article is subscription only, but you can access it by Googling the headline: "New tack needed as Bronx bombs."
(Most Bronx pols say the City Council was right to reject Related Companies mall plan in late 2009. A recent Norwood News editorial makes the same argument.) 

Two blogger claims NIMBYism ("not in my backyard") is motivating those opposing plans to turn the Muller Army Reserve Center into a homeless shelter.  You can read more about the opposition here.

A year ago, The Times profiled a group of Bhutanese refugees living in a University Heights apartment building. Now, many of the families have made the decision to move on. 

The city's Environmental Protection Agency has released new guidelines for schools handling and removing  light fixtures contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In 2009, a Bronx mother filed a lawsuit after high levels of the toxin were found at a Co-op City school. 

More on the ongoing renovation of the Edgar Allan Poe cottage, including plans for a "wacky" visitor center.  You can read the Norwood News' coverage of the renovation here.

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BronxTalk: Vacca, James to talk blizzard

Brooklyn Councilmember Letitia James, the chair of the Council's sanitation committee, and Bronx Councilmember Jim Vacca, the chair of the Council's transportation committee, will be the guests on BronxTalk this Monday night to talk about the recent blizzard.  Beginning at 9:00pm, Vacca and James will answer questions from host Gary Axelbank and take phone calls from viewers about snow cleanups, rumors of work slowdowns, MTA service problems and a myriad of other issues related to how the city responded to last week's snow storm.

Viewers who wish to have their say can call 718-960-7241 during the program.

One of New York City's longest running TV talk shows now in its 17th year, BronxTalk is 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 atwww.bronxnet.org. Hosted by Gary Axelbank and produced by Jane Folloro, BronxTalk is repeated each day at 9:30am, 3:30pm, and 9:00pm. Archives are available here: BronxTalk Archives .