Arthur Avenue Retail Market Event, Plus Our Vendors Guide

Editor's note: Head on over to the Arthur Avenue Retail Market in Belmont's "Little Italy," this afternoon, from 4 to 7 p.m., for the market's celebration of Bronx Week. Tour the space, meet the vendors, and enjoy free samples and cooking demos.  Remember, Bronx Week will run through this Sunday, May 22. For a full calendar of events, visit www.ilovethebronx.com. For those and other Bronx happenings, check out the BxNN community calendar here.

The story below was originally published in this month's issue of the Tremont Tribune, out now.

Arthur Avenue Market Gets a Makeover
By Fausto Giovanny Pinto

The Arthur Avenue Retail Market is undergoing major renovations this year, including a new exterior facade. (Photo by F.G. Pinto)

In 1940, then-Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia opened indoor markets throughout New York City, a move to get pushcarts off the streets to make room for the increasingly popular automobile.

Among them was the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, an indoor bazaar of vendors hawking foods and goods in the heart of Belmont’s “Little Italy,” on Arthur Avenue between Crescent Avenue and East 187th Street.

Now in existence for over 70 years, the market is undergoing an estimated $1 million renovation this year, thanks to a grant from the city’s Economic Development Corporation with help from Councilman Joel Rivera and Congressman Jose Serrano.

The market’s new modern-looking exterior was unveiled last month and a new service elevator and tiling are also in store.

Bronx News Roundup, Wednesday, May 18

Lots going on today in the Bronx, like the distribution of the latest Norwood News in the Fordham, University Heights, Bedford Park and Norwood communities and some other stuff. We'll roll out the NN stories in this space over the next few days, but don't wait for that. Pick up your copy today. Ok, I'm done plugging. On to the news!

Weather: Flood Watch still very much in effect today, with thunderstorms possible after 2 p.m. Keep galoshes, emergency row boat, handy.

Story of the Day: Yankee Parking Garages Flailing 
Sometimes I think Juan Gonzalez, the Daily News columnist, only writes about the mess that has become of the Yankee Stadium parking garages. Today, he's back telling us how terrible the garages are doing financially and that the nonprofit created to manage them, Bronx Parking Development, Inc., is on the verge of defaulting on its $237 million tax-exempt bonds. In April, only 31 percent of the garage complex's 9,000 parking spaces were filled with paying customers. To make up for last year's losses (when 60 percent of the spaces were being used), Bronx Parking hiked it's rates to $35 for self-parking and $48 for valet. So much for former deputy mayor Dan Doctoroff's prediction that the parking garages would pay for themselves and put money back into city coffers. Right now, they're a money pit. On the plus side, this could give more ammunition to the borough president's idea to take one of the garages and turn it into a fancy hotel. 

Quick Hits:
Here's the DN's take on the Living Wage bill debate. (We'll have more on this later today, including the news that Bronx Councilman Jimmy Vacca is leaning toward the mayor's view that the bill will impede development and away from the rest of the Bronx delegation's view that it won't and that it's a step toward providing quality jobs in the borough.)

Were the recent Bronx Zoo "escapes" (see: cobra and peahen) really just an elaborate and brilliant PR stunt? Bravo, says Sal Cataldi, who predicts a slew of Bronx Zoo-related headlines that could be on the horizon, including: "Lady Gaga Image Found in the Spots of a Newborn Giraffe" and "Bronx Zoo African Grey Parrot in Talks to Replace Regis Philbin." Hilarious stuff.

Comptroller (and possible mayoral candidate in 2013) John Liu is making the rounds in the Bronx, saying the city needs to address the problem of homelessness, which he believes is about to explode due to the ending of a voucher program, with a more "holistic" approach. Liu, a Bronx Science grad, also recalled biking on the Grand Concourse during his high school years: "There were blocks where you had to ride your bike fast. There were a lot of dogs around."

Bronx rapper Cory Gunz talks about his hip hop influences growing up in the Boogie Down.  

On the 420th anniversary of her birth, the charismatic feminist and early Bronx settler Anne Hutchinson is getting her due. Today, in conjunction with Bronx Week, borough historian Lloyd Ultan is leading a trolley tour that will detail her life. The first scheduled tour already left, but the afternoon tour begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Bronx County Building, 851 Grand Concourse.

Bronx Events: "Parent Power" Film Screening at the NYBG

As part of the onoing Bronx Week festivities, the Borough President's Office and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform are hosting a special film screening of "Parent Power," on Thursday night, at the New York Botanical Garden. The documentary chronicles grassroots efforts in the Bronx and other communities of color to improve and reform local schools.

Check the flier below for more and for RSVP information. You can see a full calendar of Bronx Week events here. Other Bronx events can be found in our community calendar, here.

Fernando Ferrer Appointed to MTA Board



File photo

 Former Bronx Borough President and two-time mayoral candidate Freddy Ferrer has been appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to the MTA Board, the governing body that oversees the agency (and, most notably, approves all of those fare hikes and service changes).

Ferrer served as Borough President of the Bronx for 14 years, from 1987 to 2001, before making a run for Mayor. His most current gig is with public affairs firm Mercury.


Bronx News Roundup, May 17

Sorry, a little late with our roundup today, as we're going to press with the latest edition of the Norwood News, which will be out tomorrow.

Weather: Rain, rain, and more rain. Temperatures in the low 60s.

Story of the Day: Bronx Pastor Sworn In as Obama Ambassador
Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, who grew up in Wakefield and founded Bronx Christian Fellowship Church on E. Gunhill Road and Paulding Avenue, was appointed President Obama's ambassador for religious freedom yesterday--the  first woman and the first African-American to ever hold the post. According to the State Department's website, Johnson Cook's new role includes "promoting religious freedom as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy."

"This is a chance to build connections that can increase understanding and can help bring peace," she told the Daily News.

Quick Hits:
An adorable cat that fell seven stories from the window of a Bronx building is on the mend. The four-month-old broke both of his front legs and fractured the roof of his mouth.

According to a tally of baby names compiled by the Social Security Administration, 105 baby boys were named Bronx in 2010--a very distant second to the 8,357 little ones named after some variant of Brooklyn (i.e. Brooklynn or Brooklynne). Our borough got a little extra love, however, from the 47 sets of parents that went with the name Jeter.

In a move sure to make Michael Pollan groan, the State Legislature has voted corn the official vegetable of New York (it beat out the onion). A group of researchers at Lehman College, meanwhile, have been studying the genetic properties of the plant, with the city's only "research corn field" growing on the Bedford Park Blvd. campus.

A subway train that went off the rails in Brooklyn has led to delays and some track changes on the B and D lines today. Check mta.info for service updates before you head out.

The NYPD's 49th Precinct in Baychester recently got a makeover from muralist Bob Rose, who has painted wall murals over 100 stationhouses across the city.  

Bronx Health: National Survey to Give Borough a Checkup

Editor's note: This story first appeared in the last print edition of the Norwood News. 

By Jeanmarie Evelly

For the first time in more than 20 years, a national study that measures the health and nutrition status of Americans across the country has set its sights on the Bronx, which is consistently ranked as one of the unhealthiest counties in the nation.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, surveys 6,500 residents from 15 counties across the nation each year. The data gathered is meant to provide a snapshot of the country’s health and is used by legislators and officials to influence health programs and policies.

“It’s kind of like a health report card for the nation,” said senior study manager Nora Martinello.

Staff from the CDC started knocking on doors across the Bronx last week to conduct health interviews at a random sampling of addresses. Starting in the middle of May, about 500 chosen residents will undergo full, confidential medical exams from a team of survey physicians, dentists, nutritionists, and lab technicians. NHANES last came to the Bronx in 1982, Martinello said. The CDC has set up shop in a number of mobile examination trailers on West Kingsbridge Road, on the campus of the James J. Peter VA Medical Center.

“It’s really impressive to see what we can do inside four tractor trailers,” she said.

Bronx News Weekend Roundup, May 16

Weather: It's a foggy, blustery morning in the Bronx today, with temperatures in the 60s and scattered thunderstorms predicted for this afternoon. We'll pay for last week's near-perfect spring weather with rain storms for the rest of this week.

Story of the Day: Diaz Family on Opposite Sides of Gay Marriage Fight
The Times describes the scene at Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr.'s anti-gay marriage rally, which he held yesterday at the Bronx Borough Courthouse on the Grand Concourse to protest the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York (You can read an editorial about Diaz's rally, from the most recent issue of the Tremont Tribune, here.)

Among the attendees there in opposition to Rev. Diaz's stance was his own granddaughter, Erica Diaz, an openly gay 22-year-old who was discharged from the Navy last year after she told her superiors she was a lesbian. The younger Diaz told the paper it was important for her grandfather to know her stance on his politics. "It is in my blood to stand up for what I believe in — regardless of who I am up against," she said.

Quick Hits:
Lots of drama at Yankee Stadium this weekend: the Atlantic argues that hitter Jorge Posada's "hissy fit"--he backed out of Saturday night's game against the Red Sox after being demoted on the team's batting lineup--is just one example of rampant bad behavior by sports stars.

A psychiatric patient being transferred from a Long Island hospital took off in an off-duty police officer's car, leading authorities on a wild chase that ended in the Bronx yesterday afternoon.

A retired New York City firefighter is accused of owning several Bronx apartment buildings that are illegally divided--a practice experts say is a dangerous fire hazard, and which played a role in a tragic blaze that killed three people in Belmont last month.

City budget cuts could close City Island's only firehouse, Ladder Company 53. 

The state will decide the fate of the Kingsbridge Innovative Design Charter School this week. The school was put on the chopping block this spring for financial mismanagement.

A 22-year-old Bronx mother was arrested this weekend for leaving her two young children at the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan. 

A passersby who jumped into an argument between two other men on a Mott Haven street Friday night opened fire on them, killing 46-year-old Jay Brialey.

The city's Department of Transportation launched a new ad campaign to remind drivers that, yes, we do have a speed limit here (it's 30 mph. Check out the video below). The DOT is also lowering that limit by 10 mph in certain trouble traffic spots, starting with a neighborhood in Claremont.

Mainland Media Opens Showroom to Show Off Bronx-Themed Goods

Celebrating Mainland Media's new showroom were, from left, Jamie Jones of New York Graphic Studios, who shares the space; Paul Ramirez; Anthony Ramirez; John Martin and Felicia Reyes (Photo by Jordan Moss)

Around 2004, John Martin and Anthony Ramirez worked at the big nonprofit SoBro and they were looking for Bronx-related posters to decorate their offices with. They couldn't find any. So, after mulling this for a bit they rented a helicopter -- no kidding -- and took aerial images of the Boogiedown that they then sold on a website. Mainland Media, named for the only borough that is attached to the rest of America, was born just a year later in 2005.

Fast forward six years, and there they were -- the Bronx-loving entrepreneurs who first met at Horace Mann High School in Riverdale -- presiding over a well-attended opening of their studio in a tenement on East 135th Street around the block from the Bruckner Bar and Grill with their business partner Felicia Reyes, an art director and graphic designer. Ramirez's brother Paul Ramirez is also a key member of the operation, which features ultra-hip Bronx t-shirts, posters by Bronx artists like painter Daniel Hauben and photographer Ron Terner, mugs, etc."Everything we sell is creating by Bronxites for Bronxites," said Anthony Ramirez, who explained that fromthebronx.com is the on-line storefront for all the Bronx-focused gear and artwork. Mainland Media does custom print jobs, consulting gigs and event promotion.

 A popular Mainland Media t-shirt design.

They'd like to have a permanent retail location but in the meantime they'll open their showroom by appointment. They share it with t-shirt designer/manufacturer Jamie Jones who runs New York Graphic Studios.

The company is also the force behind the fromTheBronx Facebook juggernaut, which has 84,000 fans, a good sign that there might just be a bit of a market for their Boogiedown-centered inventory. 

BronxTalk - Special ed, living wage, reservoir access, home care techonology

Tonight BronxTalk will feature a discussion about how the DOE handles special education.  Beginning at 9:00pm, host Gary Axelbank will talk with an attorney and advocate about the recent incidents involving the handcuffing of special ed students, children and parent rights, and other related subjects.

Last week BronxTalk featured a discussion of  the living wage issue.  You can see it here:

BronxTalk - May 9, 2011

Next week the question of access to the Jerome Park Reservoir will be examined and on Memorial Day the program will feature new technology that makes home care of seniors and the ill easier to manage.

One of New York City's longest running TV talk shows now in its 17th year, BronxTalk is seen each Monday night at 9:00pm on Bronxnet's Cablevision channel 67.  It's also on Verizon Fios channel 33 and streamed live at www.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

A Tremont Tribune Editorial: Sen. Diaz's Misguided March

Editor's Note: This editorial first appeared in the most recent issue of the Tremont Tribune, out now. We're experiencing some technical difficulties right now with the paper's website, but we're hoping to have them worked out soon.

On Sunday, May 15, State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., who represents the 32nd District, will lead an organized march down the borough’s tree-lined Grand Concourse.

That very same day, less than five miles south, thousands of other New Yorkers will also be walking, through Central Park—part of the city’s annual AIDS Walk New York.

But Diaz and his allies won’t be marching to raise money to fight a life-threatening disease, or in the name of cultural celebration, or to protest a gross violation of civil rights—quite the opposite, in fact.

The senator is rallying against the idea of legalizing same sex marriage in New York, an idea that’s set to be considered by the legislature in Albany this spring and has the strong support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, not to mention a growing coalition of residents and gay-rights groups.

Other Bronx Week Events This Weekend

Lots going on this first weekend of Bronx Week(s). In Bronx Foodie, we mentioned the urban farm tour on Saturday and in the Roundup we discussed Sunday's Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade (set for a 1 p.m. start time), as well as The Rev's anti-gay marriage rally. But there's more!

Today, the Borough President will host a Veteran's Appreciation Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Maestro's restaurant (1703 Bronxdale Ave.). The guest speaker will be William Kraus, acting executive director at the New York State Division of Veteran’s Affairs.

And on Sunday, at about the same time of the PR Day parade (always a huge draw), the BP is putting on a star-studded hip hop block party at the Bronx Museum (1040 Grand Concourse) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Here's the long list of music acts expected to show up: Prodigy (Mobb Deep/G-Unit), Wu Tang, Lord Finesse, Large Professor, Neek The Exotic, Cuban Link, Grand Daddy IU, Grafh, Ma Barker, GrandWizard Theodore, Pebble Poo, Zulu Nation, Reggae Star Ravon, Wordsmith, Busy B, T-Ski Valley, D Chamberz, NYB, M.cia The Artist, Lynn Carter, Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams, and Chip Fu aka Jungle Rock Jr.

(On a side note: The block party is being billed as a "family-friendly event featuring interactive activities to inspire creativity in youth through the power of music." One of the artists scheduled to appear is Prodigy, who was recently released from prison where he served time for illegal gun possession and is one half of Mobb Deep. Back in the day, Mobb Deep was one of my favorite rap duos and their album "The Infamous" is considered a hip hop classic. But Mobb Deep's style and content is extremely graphic and violent. One of their albums is called "Murda Musik," and another album features a song called "Kill That Nigga." It's anything but family-friendly music and apparently Prodigy's three-year prison stint didn't blunt his violent, hardcore aesthetic. Having said all of that, I'm planning to attend. Should be a great concert. But I'll probably leave my daughter at home.)

Bronx Foodie: Bronx Urban Farm Tour Tomorrow

To mark the one-year-ish anniversary of the Bronx Food Summit (which took place on May 1, 2010) several Bronx groups are organizing a Bronx Urban Farm Tour and stopping at several locations in the Bronx. The day will include workshops on seeding and composting and live music. The tour starts in Manhattan (part of an effort to drum up tourism from other boroughs), but if you live in the Bronx, you can go straight to the farms.

Below is a schedule of events. The Bronx Tourism Council is the main organizer, and along with the Bronx Food and Sustainability Coalition, Bronx Green Up and the Botanical Garden, are planning monthly farm tours through out the summer, so stay tuned for more details. You can also visit www.ilovethebronx.com for updates.

Bronx Urban Farm Tour

10:30 a.m.
La Finca Del Sur (138th Street and Grand Concourse)
Join the tour at its first stop at this three acre farm.

Noon
Garden of Happiness (Prospect Ave., between 181st and 182nd streets)
The Borough President will speak and an organic lunch will be served on a first come first served basis. Lunch will be provided by the Peace Love Cafe in Melrose.

1:30 p.m.
Rincon Criollo (156th and Brook Ave.)
Last stop on the tour.