Welcome2TheBronx

GROSS NEGLIGENCE: Legionnaires’ Found In Drinking Supply at Melrose Houses NYCHA Development

Ed García Conde

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September 3, 2015

GROSS NEGLIGENCE: Legionnaires’ Found In Drinking Supply at Melrose Houses NYCHA Development

Since the beginning of New York City’s largest Legionnaires’ outbreak in history which infected hundreds and killed 13 individuals in The South Bronx (including a teacher who worked in the area who passed away in April), Welcome2TheBronx has been insisting that the city tests our drinking water supply systems since study after study and the EPA and CDC clearly indicate that the majority of cases originate within such systems.

Now, two weeks after the outbreak was declared by Department of Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett as contained, the drinking water supply systems at one NYCHA building at Melrose Houses at 681 Courtlandt Avenue has tested positive for Legionella where 4 people have become ill including one before the “official” outbreak.

The population in The South Bronx is particularly susceptible to Legionnaires due to numerous underlying negative health conditions that are aggravated or caused by pollution.

We have been reporting the scientific facts about this deadly yet curable disease since the beginning. Facts and data found on the EPA, CDC, OSHA, websites.

At the first town hall meeting, we confronted Commissioner Bassett with these facts and data and whether or not the drinking water supply systems had been tested.

Dr Bassett not only agreed with the data we presented that the majority of the Legionnaires’ cases are caused by drinking water supply systems but went on to say that they (DOH) didn’t feel it was necessary to test the drinking water supply and that it was safe.

How is it possible that the drinking water supply systems can be declared safe yet they hadn’t been tested—until now?

Now we have a building who’s drinking water supply systems have tested positive for Legionella, where people were sickened and the city continues to tell people that there’s nothing wrong?

Is it a coincidence that two weeks ago NYC’s drinking water tasted funny and it was because New York City Department of Environmental Protection flushed our systems with extra chlorine to kill any bacteria? An anonymous agent for the agency said that this is routine in warmer months but how come haven’t residents noticed this before and in prior years?

This is simply gross negligence irresponsible of the city not to test our drinking water systems as indicated by medical health care professionals.

How many more people must die or get sickened before the city admits incompetence and tests our systems?

This is a ball that should never have been dropped by the city.

Bronx Museum’s New Café To Open Next Wednesday, September 9th; Museum Hours Extended

Ed García Conde

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September 2, 2015

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Bronx Museum’s New Café To Open Next Wednesday, September 9th; Museum Hours Extended

Yummy Morris Perk Special Blend which will be sold at the new XM Café at The Bronx Museum

Not only is the long anticipated Bronx Museum café (XM Café, which will feature coffee from Bronx based Morris Perk and keeping things local!) opening next Wednesday, September 9th but the Museum is also extending their hours and open on Wednesdays again after many years of being open only 4 days a week.

A local café is something many in the area have been clamoring for and XM Café delivers not only as a home grown café by a Bronx-based cultural institution, but will be supporting two mom and pop shops in our borough.

Although Starbucks is opening up just blocks away in Melrose, many folks have said they’d prefer to support a local café versus a corporate giant. The survey is still open until Friday to let us know of you’ll support mom and pop shops versus corporate giants!

Morris Perk, the popular café which is currently popping up all over our borough until it opens its brick and mortar location, gets their special blend of coffee right here in The Bronx from Cerini in the heart of Arthur Avenue aka the REAL Little Italy of NYC.

This is a beautiful synergy of 3 Bronx institutions collaborating together to offer a unique experience that a chain can’t offer.

XM Café will also have sandwiches, salads and pastries to go along with that great Morris Perk Bronx Blend many have grown to like and will be operated by Fountain House, “…who will engage locally sourced vendors and hire local Bronx residents through their nationally recognized employment program.”

Fountain House, an organization founded right here in New York City back in 1948 and was created with the belief that people living with mental illness, “can be active participants in their own and each other’s recovery…” has helped many such Bronxites.

“Fountain House has touched my family’s life in a deeply personal and powerful way. When my brother was diagnosed with a mental illness five years ago, my family’s world was turned upside down. My mother and I did not know where to turn for help in understanding the unique challenges my brother would now be facing.” said Samelys Lopez, an active Bronx community resident.

““Since mental illness has such a negative stigma in our communities, we felt very isolated back then. Luckily, all of this changed when we found Fountain House.” added Lopez.

Lopez continued about her family’s and brother’s personal journey with Fountain House:

“At Fountain House, my brother is part of a nurturing community that I credit with giving him a newfound sense of confidence, belonging, and hope for his future. My brother says that Fountain House has become his home away from home.

“What I love most about Fountain House is that they make members feel valued because they are called on to help run the clubhouse with everything ranging from crafting newsletters, cooking nutritious meals, and organizing holiday events for members in addition to their families.

Fountain House not only cares about their members, they also care about the families of individuals recovering from mental illness to make sure they have a support network to give their loved ones the courage to share their stories to combat stigma.”

“I believe the arts are a great way of breaking down barriers so that people can speak more openly about the importance of community mental health so I am thrilled that the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Fountain House are partnering on XM Café!
If you or a loved one is recovering from mental illness, please consider enrolling in Fountain House – it has made a difference not only for my brother, but for our family as well.”

So you see, this is not your run of the mill café but one with a big heart in our community.

As if the news of the café opening couldn’t get any better, The Bronx Museum of the Arts will now be open on Wednesdays extending their days and hours of operation due to community response.

The new museum hours along with café hours are as follows:

Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11AM to 6PM and on Fridays from 11AM until 8PM.

The Bronx Museum, along with XM Café will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

The museum is located at 1040 Grand Concourse and hope to see you all there!

Oh and did we mention that The Bronx Museum said:

“In celebration of the café opening the Bronx Museum will offer the first 50 guests a free small coffee, cappuccino or espresso on Wednesday September 9, Thursday September 10 and Friday September 11.”

Who’s needs Starbucks when you have such a great local space!

How Mindfulness Could Help Teachers and Students – The Atlantic

Ed García Conde

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September 2, 2015

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How Mindfulness Could Help Teachers and Students – The Atlantic

Bronx educators are bringing in meditation into the classroom to help with kids’ emotions and even help improve their attention. Check out what they’re doing to help our youth succeed.

An article in The Atlantic says:

A five-minute walk from the rickety, raised track that carries the 5 train through the Bronx, the English teacher Argos Gonzalez balanced a rounded metal bowl on an outstretched palm. His class—a mix of black and Hispanic students in their late teens, most of whom live in one of the poorest districts in New York City—by now were used to the sight of this unusual object: a Tibetan meditation bell.“Today we’re going to talk about mindfulness of emotion,” Gonzalez said with a hint of a Venezuelan accent. “You guys remember what mindfulness is?” Met with quiet stares, Gonzalez gestured to one of the posters pasted at the back of the classroom, where the students a few weeks earlier had brainstormed terms describing the meaning of “mindfulness.” There were some tentative mumblings: “being focused,” “being aware of our surroundings.”Gonzalez nodded. “Right. But it’s also being aware of our feelings, our emotions, and how they impact us.”

The article goes on to say:

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the biologist who first coined the term “mindfulness” in the ’70s, defines it as a state of mind: the act of “paying attention on purpose” to the present moment, with a “non-judgmental” attitude. But mindfulness is really a secular philosophy and set of techniques adapted from thousands-of-years-old Buddhist meditation traditions—ones that only recently landed in mainstream Western consciousness. It was Kabat-Zinn who first formally brought mindfulness into a medical setting; he developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which used specific exercises to help patients dealing with chronic pain and is now widely applied in other therapeutic contexts, and founded the Center for Mindfulness at UMass Medical School.

Read the rest at: How Mindfulness Could Help Teachers and Students – The Atlantic

The Bronx Filmmakers Group Celebrates Their 3rd Year Running

Ed García Conde

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August 31, 2015

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The Bronx Filmmakers Group Celebrates Their 3rd Year Running

3 years ago, several budding filmmakers from The Bronx decided that it was time to form a group for Bronxites where they could talk shop as well as support each other however best they could.

They reached out to The Bronx Documentary Center and ever since them they have been meeting at the space for 3 years.

In celebration of their 3rd anniversary, The Bronx Filmmakers Group will be holding an anniversary party tomorrow evening (Tuesday, September 1st) at the BDC (at 614 Courtlandt Avenue at 151st Street in Melrose) in an informal gathering where you can meet the group and other Bronx residents and creative individuals.

Although originally not conceived as part of their anniversary event, on Thursday September 10th from 7pm to 9pm you definitely don’t want to miss their second part of the celebration as they will hold a 6 indie short film screening and panel discussion—films all made in or mostly in The Bronx, about The Bronx, and by Bronx filmmakers. This event will also be held at The Bronx Documentary Center.

We already know that our borough is full of creative talent from all disciplines and yet the filmmakers of our borough rarely got a y of the spotlight or a collective so that’s where Hannah Leshaw, founder of the group and an award-winning and Bronx-based filmmaker decided it was time to get this folks together.

After 3 years, founder Leshaw says that since their first year, the biggest difference today is that, “we’ve finally fine-tuned our structure. In the beginning we had an open membership and now we have membership requirements some of them being that you must be living in The Bronx, having completed at least one project and to commit to continue on working on projects.”

This has led to “…being able to show a rough cut of a film and have an intelligent conversation about the film making process where we can all talk about different aspects where everyone has a particular strength or interest.” added Leshaw.

Harri “Indio” Ramkishun, one of the first members and lead members who helps with the organization says that “We’re trying to use each other in a way that would benefit everyone, your expertise, your skills, constructive criticisms.”

“It’s interesting I will say, is how we all have this invested interest in how The Bronx is portrayed and I don’t know that that’s true for other collectives in the city and I don’t feel that they’re as consciously connected to this physical space but we’re very aware of that all the time.” Hannah Leshaw told us.

Harri added, “You know we have the constant generalizations of, we’re in the poorest congressional district in America, The Bronx is burning, decades later we still have that stigma and always felt that we’re the underdog.”

The duo also talks about how they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t have the incredible support of The Bronx Documentary Center and Mike Kamber who agreed to let the group meet at the BDC and that it was only a natural relationship considering the nature of The BDC.

The Bronx Filmmakers Group currently has about 12 strong, active members and during their meetings they give each other updates on their own projects since each member is a filmmaker in their own right. They’re able to offer a support group of sorts to these intrepid filmmakers.

The group also challenges each other with small exercises to try to keep the group moving and fresh and they are designed to help folks get out of that rut that can hit creative individuals.

Tomorrow night is an excellent time to come out and meet the members of The Bronx Filmmakers Group for their 3rd year anniversary event which will run from 7pm-9pm

As for the film screening on Thursday September 7th, this is also a MUST for all Bronxites to come out and celebrate our own filmmakers and watch these 6 great shorts as well as enjoy a panel discussion following it so make sure you save the date for that as well!

Take the Survey: South Bronx Starbucks Wars—Yes Or No to Their New Location?

Ed García Conde

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August 28, 2015

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Take the Survey: South Bronx Starbucks Wars—Yes Or No to Their New Location?

Coming Soon: Starbucks. There goes the neighborhood?

Since we posted about Starbucks ~~coming~~ invading the South Bronx and opening up shop in Melrose, many folks have spoken for or against its opening in the neighborhood. So far the vast majority across all social media networks have overwhelmingly commented that they are not happy with the corporate giant opening up in the South Bronx.

So we’re turning to YOU to take a quick poll and see where your loyalties are. This survey is in no way scientific, we just want to know how YOU feel.

‘Here There, Acá Allá’ Explores the Duality of Living Between Two Cultures; Mexico & America

Ed García Conde

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August 28, 2015

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‘Here There, Acá Allá’ Explores the Duality of Living Between Two Cultures; Mexico & America

Saturday, August 29th, The Bronx Documentary Center will hold an opening reception for ‘Here There, Acá Allá’ which explores the experiences of living between two cultures and although the subject focuses on the Mexican-American experience, this is something that the majority of Bronx residents can relate to being that we are a borough of immigrants.

Whether you were raised in an Italian, Albanian, Jewish, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Ghanaian, Nigerian, Irish, or any immigrant household, this is an exhibition that many of us can relate to some capacity.

From the BDC:

OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, August 29, 2015 6-9PM
Free and Open to the Public

ON VIEW
August 30 – September 13, 2015
Thursday through Friday 3–7PM
Saturday and Sunday 1-5PM

Here There, Acá Allá
Photographic dialogues between generations and cultures
Curated by Susana Arellano and Rafael Gamo

Here There, Acá Allá was possible through a collaborative effort between Mano a Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders and Masa, with the goal of making art accessible to children in the South Bronx.

Here There, Acá Allá is an intergenerational photography workshop that brings together the first and second generations of participating Mexican-American immigrant families. The title refers to the dual experience of growing up and living between two cultures, using two languages and developing an enriched identity.

Follow Me Fridays With NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito at Calientito Today

Ed García Conde

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August 28, 2015

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Follow Me Fridays With NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito at Calientito Today

Calientito is not only cozy but offers excellent food and in my opinion, the best Puerto Rican and Dominican food in The South Bronx.

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito continues her popular Follow Me Friday series of highlighting small businesses and cultural spots in her district which covers parts of Mott Haven and Port Morris as well as El Barrio in Manhattan.

Today from 5PM to 7PM she’ll be at one of our favorite local spots, Calientito Restaurant which has some of the best Puerto Rican and Dominican food in the South Bronx hands down.

Not only is the food delicious but the ambiance of the space is great with doors that open wide onto the street and decor from back home in the Caribbean giving it a very cozy, home style feel to it.

The arroz con gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas) is the best I’ve ever had outside of my grandmother’s kitchen, the maduros or sweet plantains are perfect and the pork is just divine.

The restaurant was opened back in 2013 when Eva Diaz and her husband Wascar Santos took a generic looking deli and transformed it into this quaint, wonderful spot with truly authentic and fresh home cooked meal whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. (Check out their gallery and it will have you DROOLING).

Look at all that goodness...yummy! — Look at all that goodness…yummy!

What’s great about this place is that even a vegetarian can happily eat here and walk out satisfied and with a bellyful.

Follow Me Fridays is a great way for one of our local politicians to show support for our small businesses and highlighting what makes our neighborhoods so special.

Hope to see you there today and enjoy some great conversation with awesome people and even better food!

If you don’t come out today, do place Calientito on your ‘must try’ list. We promise you that you won’t be disappointed.

Calientito is located at 141 Lincoln Avenue in Port Morris Section of The Bronx at 134th Street.

Starbucks Invades The South Bronx; Corporate Behemoth to Open in Melrose

Ed García Conde

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August 27, 2015

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Starbucks Invades The South Bronx; Corporate Behemoth to Open in Melrose

And then there was Starbucks, the harbinger of gentrification.

Melrose and the surrounding area is experiencing a boom in cafes.

Starbucks is gearing up to open its first official South Bronx location in Melrose on 161st Street at Concourse Village East/Morris Avenue at The Melrose Building in a neighborhood and corridor where two cafes are slated to open and The Bronx Museum’s XM Cafe (that will be serving up The Bronx’s own Morris Perk’s ‘Bronx Blend’) is opening any day now.

260 E 161st Street aka The Melrose Central Building has undergone major capital improvements and redevelopment over the past years and the ground floor space which was once indoor office spaces were turned into retail, some of which are two levels. The redevelopment opened up the ground floor of the building to the public as well as livening up an otherwise what was a dead zone along the edifice.

BOOM!Cafe at BOOM!Health’s new headquarters at Brook Avenue and 161st Street is scheduled to open up sometime in January and WHEDco along with the Bronx Musical Heritage Center, which is slated to break ground on their new building, Bronx Commons, soon, is working on also opening a cafe once they’re up and running in their new space a few years down the road.

Starbucks isn’t the only place in the area where coffee is served as you have Palombo Bakery, the Italian Bronx born and bred mom and pop shop business which opened up a new location earlier this year much to local residents delight just 2 blocks away at a former Burger King form where the coffee giant has planted its first South Bronx roots.

This isn’t technically Starbucks’ first foray into the area as they are located inside Target at The Bronx Terminal Market but it is, however, their first brick and mortar store.

Several local residents expressed concerns when they heard that Starbucks was opening. Two gentlemen who declined to provide their name said, “Starbucks isn’t for most people who live here, we can’t afford that overpriced coffee.” The other man just said he, “…wouldn’t mind a cafe as long as it was something more local and for the community that exists.”

Once Starbucks opens up and the other planned cafes are up and running, Melrose will go from zero to 3 in a short time.

What are your thoughts about Starbucks coming to the neighborhood? Personally, I know there’s room for everyone but I’d rather sit down in a nice relaxing place that’s a mom and pop business especially if they are Bronx based. It’s important to support local over corporate behemoths in our communities for mom and pop shops are the lifeblood of our neighborhoods.

Come Party With the Bronx Musical Heritage Center In Melrose With A Big Block Party

Ed García Conde

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August 26, 2015

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Come Party With the Bronx Musical Heritage Center In Melrose With A Big Block Party

Bronx Commons, the innovative affordable housing development coming soon to Melrose and the future home of the Bronx Musical Heritage Center.

As WHEDCo gets closer to their groundbreaking for Bronx Commons in Melrose, a 361,000 square foot affordable housing development with 277 affordable green apartments, live/work space for elder musicians, a green grocer, a hydroponic rooftop garden, and recreational space as well as the future, permanent home of a 15,000 square foot Bronx Musical Heritage Center, the organization is beginning a series of events to activate spaces around Melrose to bring awareness to the community of The upcoming project as well as get in touch with their future neighbors.

The Bronx Musical Heritage Center will join the many other cultural centers located within Melrose and the surrounding communities.

To that end, tomorrow

, Thursday August 27th from 3PM-8PM there will be a fun filled block party filled with dancing, health screenings, games, and much more!

From WHEDCo and BMHC:

Enjoy outdoor festivities on a car-free street as WHEDco and the Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC) shut down the streets for live performances, face painting, games, free health screenings, arts activities, and much more! Lets wrap up the summer in proper block party fashion. Bronx Music @ Melrose: ¡Salsa! is part of Bronx Salsa Fest, an annual August celebration of the art form, and will feature LIVE SALSA performances among many other salsa-themed activities. This block party is FREE and open to the public.

The event will be on Brook Avenue and 163rd Street and we hope to see you there! What a perfect way to close the summer season!

NYPD Cars Blocking Bike Lanes In Melrose Along With FDNY Firefighters Double Parking Creating Safety Hazard

Transportation

Ed García Conde

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August 25, 2015

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NYPD Cars Blocking Bike Lanes In Melrose Along With FDNY Firefighters Double Parking Creating Safety Hazard

A few weeks ago as I was biking southbound along Melrose Avenue, I was abruptly stopped at E 156th Street due to NYPD vehicles parking at 90 angle that placed their vehicles over the southbound bike lane blocking it completely.

I had to think quickly and the only safe option was to immediately swerve over to the sidewalk and dismount my bike and walk the block to get back on the lane.

I immediately contacted PSA7 (Police Area 7 aka Bronx Housing Authority) in the confines of the 40th Precinct) and was told by an Officer Warden of the Community Affairs division that this was a permanent parking plan for the station.

What’s baffling is that they have two large lots behind them which occupy the majority of the block with many vacant spots.

How does the NYPD decide that it’s a good idea to block bike lanes and thrust riders into the middle of traffic and express buses under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero campaign to reduce pedestrian fatalities to zero?

To make matters worse, the FDNY across the street constantly blocks the northbound bike lanes with firefighters double parking their person vehicles.

As Hannah Leshaw, a Melrose resident said, “The new way that the police are parking in front of PSA 7, perpendicular to the curb, is blocking the bike lane and, in fact, blocking some of the southbound traffic lane. On the other side of the street the bike lane, again along with some of the northbound traffic lane, is blocked by cars affiliated with the Fire Station.”

“That leaves the equivalent of one lane for two directions of traffic on a busy street including a route of articulated buses. Everyday it’s a game of chicken between buses, trucks, cars, bikers and pedestrians.” added Leshaw.

And indeed it creates such a hazard. As I was walking back to photograph the scene, a pedestrian was struck by a cab at that very intersection barely 15 minutes when I first encountered the hazardous conditions.

Caroline Samponaro, Deputy Director of Transportation Alternatives, an organization dedicated to reclaiming streets for pedestrians and making them safe for everyone including vehicles (and one of the partners for the successful Boogie on The Boulevard which saw a record 7,500 attendees over 3 Sundays), told us regarding our situation in Melrose:

“Bike lanes are like sidewalks for people on two wheels – safe space intended to be free from the dangers of vehicles. When a driver blocks the bike lane, they force bike riders to go out into moving traffic, putting everyone in harms way and making the bike lane meaningless. Bronx residents depend on City Agencies to set the example for other drivers, not break the law and make our streets less safe.”

And with Vision Zero, Mayor de Blasio, along with the NYPD, Department of Transportation, Department of Health, and other agencies were able to accomplish dramatic drop in pedestrian fatalities during 2014, his first year in office when he implemented the innovative plan.

Pedestrian fatalities dropped almost 26% and according to the New York Daily News, was the lowest since 1910—114 years of rising pedestrian fatalities wiped out with Vision Zero implemented citywide.

But how are we to continue towards our goal of Vision Zero if agencies like the NYPD and DOT think it’s ok to alter street parking that completely cuts off bike lanes and allows the NYPD and FDNY to break the laws by letting them double park?

The Mayor and his administration has a lot of explaining to do to residents of The Bronx for how this was allowed to occur under his plan to reduce pedestrian fatalities.

Breaking News: BOOM!Health Launches Visioning Project For New Bronx LGBTQ Pride Center

Ed García Conde

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August 24, 2015

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Breaking News: BOOM!Health Launches Visioning Project For New Bronx LGBTQ Pride Center

Hundreds came out this past Friday to check out BOOM!Health's new Wellness Center and headquarters which is still under construction but open for business. — Hundreds came out to check out BOOM!Health’s new Wellness Center and headquarters which is still under construction but open for business.

For 3 years now, The Bronx LGBTQ community has been without a place to call home but now that’s all set to change as BOOM!Health is partnering up with Councilman Ritchie Torres in creating such a new space for Bronxites.

The initiative couldn’t come at a better time as BOOM!Health just opened their new headquarters in Melrose which was filled with members from the LGBTQ community and this past Friday, an event was held where hundreds of LGBTQ youth were present, enjoying a health fair, fashion show, and a host of other activities.

And back in June, BAAD (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance) kicked of Pride Month at the Old Bronx Borough Courthouse with ‘Bronx Comin’ Out to The Courthouse Carnival’ during No Longer Empty’s exhibition ‘When You Cut Into The Present The Future Leaks Out’ where hundreds came out to celebrate.

Hundreds of LTBTQ Bronxites came out to celebrate Pride Month this past June at the Old Bronx Courthouse for BAAD's — Hundreds of LTBTQ Bronxites came out to celebrate Pride Month this past June at the Old Bronx Courthouse for BAAD’s (Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance) with ‘Bronx Comin’ Out to The Courthouse Carnival’ during No Longer Empty’s exhibition ‘When You Cut Into The Present The Future Leaks Out’.

These are examples and a clear indication that there is a need for such a center for the community as we have discussed before. A need for a safe space for everyone within the LGBTQ community within the safety and comfort of their own home borough.

BOOM!Health is launching the visioning of this project by collecting information and data from the community on what we would like the space to provide (please take the survey here)

According to BOOM!Health, “The Bronx currently does not have a brick and mortar Center for the LGBTQ community. We feel that establishing physical space is essential to addressing the economic and personal development needs of the LGBTQ community in the Bronx.”

The Bronx lost the Bronx Community Pride Center after Lisa Winters, former executive director of the organization was found guilty of embezzling over $100,000 which eventually led to the center’s decline. Unable to recover from the financial loses and stigma associated with the scandal, Bronx Community Pride Center shut its doors in the summer of 2012.

Our community has been clamoring for a new organization to take its place but so far not a single organization has been successful at such an attempt and now we have the momentum, political power, as well as the experience BOOM!Health brings to the table to make such a center a reality once again.

One of the issues surrounding any such organization is how will it thrive and sustain itself and BOOM!Health says, “This Bronx LGBTQ Center will be sustained through a unique model that integrates social enterprise businesses and traditional donor engagement. The profits generated by the social enterprises housed in the Center will be reinvested back into the Center’s programs, services, and operations.”

The actual location of the future LGBTQ Center has yet to be determined but it is expected to be open as soon as 2018.

Please head over to BOOM!Health to learn more and make sure to take the survey and have your voices heard!

What do you think of this finally happening again in our home borough?

Melrose Community Garden Tour Tomorrow With Entertainment By La Bruja and Bombazo Dance Co

Ed García Conde

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August 21, 2015

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Melrose Community Garden Tour Tomorrow With Entertainment By La Bruja and Bombazo Dance Co

The Melrose community of The Bronx has the highest concentration of community gardens in our borough with 18 (and growing) and in all of NYC.

Tomorrow, Saturday August 22nd from 10:00AM to 3:30PM you’ll be able to go on a guided tour of 3 of these gardens with entertainment and cooking demonstrations along the way.

The first stop is one of the more recent entries in the area, Melrose New Generation Garden at 377 E 160th Street between Melrose and Courtlandt Avenues at 10AM where La Bruja aka Caridad De La Luz will be performing and hosting a Storytelling/Poetry Workshop until 11:30AM.

Then it’s off to Vogue Community Garden on E 156th Street and Elton Avenue where a cooking demonstration will take place from Noon until 1:30PM.

The final destination will be at Little Green Garden/Rock Garden on E 160th and Elton Avenue where Bombazo Dance Co will be holding a Bomba dance and performance workshop from 2:00PM until 3:30PM.

It’s going to be a beautiful day of nature and art so come out and check out the neighborhood and some of these special places residents spend time cultivating relationships with their friends, families, and neighbors.