Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley, right, visited the Bronx on Tuesday to meet with local community and business leaders. MARK ABRAMSON FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
William Dudley, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York came to The Bronx yesterday for a tour of various organizations and small businesses. One of the most important comments that came from the tour was from Nancy Biberman, Executive Director of WHEDco (Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corp.):
Nancy Biberman, executive director of the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corp., a Bronx-based community development organization, said the borough’s large immigrant population, a lack of education and barriers to credit have made the Bronx inhospitable to new and small businesses.
“What we’re finding is that really in a community where there’s large numbers of immigrants…[they] tend to start small businesses,” she said. “They take the skills that they’ve come to this country with and try to make money.”
And to that end, the Wall Street Journal went on to say:
That is what Manuela Perez is trying to do. Ms. Perez, a resident of the Bronx for 30 years, is originally from the Dominican Republic. Four years ago she started a catering business called B-Blossom Catering. “We are concerned about all the health issues in the Bronx. We are concerned about the lack of employment, the lack of training,” Ms. Perez said. But she added: “We feel that we can make a difference. We would prefer to work here and stay here.”
As a result of this tour, Dudley went on to say that he is planning to engage with local Bronx banks and work in encouraging them on how they can help the very communities which they serve. As we all know and talk about a lot here at Welcome2TheBronx is the strength of our borough is in our people and the multitude of immigrants from around the world who call The Bronx home. Many come with that entrepreneurial spirit of movers and shakers wanting to start their own businesses.
We need to be able to support these individuals and businesses any which way we can. Big malls and chain stores are not going to uplift our people as much as politicians praise them. Sure they’re fine to have around but they are not the only solution. Such employment is great for young adults but they’re definitely not what we want to depend on.
The Bronx can and needs to do much better in helping small businesses. We can start by making sure that our Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr’s office (along with Marlene Cintron of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC) work more in uplifting small businesses and giving people a true chance at achieving the American Dream.
Lincoln Hospital in the Melrose and Mott Haven area of the South Bronx received recognition in 4 out of 10 categories (Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia, and Surgical Care) however, it missed the mark on Children’s Asthma — an ailment which the immediate area is plagued by 8 x the national rate of childhood asthma and 21 x the hospitalization rate in NYC.
Meanwhile, further north in our borough, North Central received top ranking in 3 out of the 10 categories (Heart Failure, Pneumonia, Surgical Care).
Although having received many major awards and recognition for various categories of care, Lincoln Hospital’s reputation still suffers among the mindset of local Bronxites (myself included after an abysmal wait time in the ER). The hospital was a finalist in 2012 for the American Hospital Association’s McKesson Quest for Quality Prize which recognizes hospitals that:
have committed in a systematic manner and can document achievements in the Institute of Medicine’s six quality aims–safety, patient [and family]-centeredness, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, and equity;
are taking steps to improve the health status of their communities; and
provide replicable models and approaches for the hospital field.”
What happens when you prescribe fruits, veggies and all sorts of produce to Bronxites who are overweight instead of pills? They lose weight. At least that’s what one innovative program is showing right here in The Bronx at Lincoln Hospital — one of four city hospitals to participate in the $15 million, 5 year program funded by a grant from the Tisch Fund.
Many factors contribute to this epidemic of obesity in our borough including the over-saturation of fast food restaurants where it is easier and often cheaper to grab a meal than it is to purchase fruits, veggies and produce to prepare your own healthy meals at home.
“New York’s FVRx program operates in poor areas known as “food deserts,” where eating at places like McDonald’s is both cheaper and easier than purchasing fresh foods and preparing them at home.
“For people today with income shortages, getting good food like high-quality fruits and vegetables is a big problem,” said Michel Nischan, founder of Wholesome Wave, which supports the programs at community health centers.
Last year, two New York public hospitals — Harlem in Manhattan and Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx — tested this approach with 550 children and their families, through a five-year, $15 million grant from the Tisch fund. This year Elmhurst Hospital in Queens and Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan offered the program to an additional 650 children and family members.
Each month, the young patients meet with their doctor or nutritionist to renew their FVRx, have their weight and body mass index evaluated, and get additional advice on how to achieve a healthy diet.
An analysis of last year’s results found that 97 percent of the children and 96 percent of their families ate more fruits and vegetables after joining the program. More than 90 percent of families shopped at farmers’ markets weekly or more than two or three times a month, and 70 percent understood more about the health value of fruits and vegetables.
Most astonishing, perhaps, after just four months in the program 40 percent of participating children lowered their B.M.I.
Dr. Periasamy said there is “so much enthusiasm for the program” among both the children and their families, all of whom benefit from the nutrition education and fresh produce. One child told her, “I tried a cucumber today, and it’s good, actually.” A grandmother who had been eating canned foods “all these years” said she is now happy to be eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
The hospital-based programs and accompanying farmers’ markets in New York ended last month. But competition and consumer enthusiasm have prompted nearby markets and bodegas to carry more and better produce and to price it more affordably, so that families with limited incomes can have year-round access, according to the program directors.
Ms. Brown froze some summer produce to use in cooking after the markets shut down for the season. And her daughter has developed a new enthusiasm.
“Alaijah had conversations with the farmers at the market and learned a lot about how things are grown and what’s in season,” Ms. Brown said. “Last summer she participated in a new community garden. She was excited by what was grown, because she knew what they were after going to the farmers’ market.”
The goal now, Laurie Tisch said in an interview, is to let other cities know that this approach works and is worth replicating on a larger scale.”
And that’s not the only good thing to come out of this. Farmers also benefit from the increase in traffic and purchases at local farmers market:
“Participating farmers also benefit: They sell more produce, increasing their income on average nearly 37 percent. And they are able to hire more people, put more land in production, diversify crop plantings, and invest more in farm operations, Mr. Nischan said.”
While this may not be the only solution to both a local and national crisis, it definitely is one that we should be advocating for more and keep an eye on emerging studies of such programs.
More and more supermarkets have increased their offerings of produce, giving Bronxites more variety of fruits and vegetables yet their costs are still out of reach for the average Bronx resident. Farmers Markets have increasingly become popular in our borough with more opening up each year. These markets tend to be more affordable than the average supermarket and for those on food stamp benefits get $2 Health Bucks back for every $5 they spend at the market to purchase more healthy produce.
Welcome2TheBronx is excited to announce that this coming Wednesday, December 3rd, The Bronx Council on the Arts will officially launch the first volume of the ‘Bronx Memoir Project’. This is the culmination of long journey and series of workshops led by Charlie Vázquez, Director of the Bronx Writers Center.
We were fortunate enough to get our hands on a copy of the book a few months ago and it is a wondrous journey of our borough as seen by its residents. The settings vary by location, century, and cultural experiences but The Bronx is what ties all these wonderful short stories together.
From The Bronx Council on the Arts:
You’re Invited! Please Join us! Bronx Memoir Project – Volume 1
Official Book Release Wednesday | December 3rd | 5:00-8:00pm
Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos
450 Grand Concourse at 149th Street
The Bronx Council on the Arts is thrilled to announce the release of the groundbreaking anthology Bronx Memoir Project – Volume 1, an unprecedented collection of over fifty Bronx memoir fragments, as penned by our very own residents, spanning various generations, continents, languages, cultures and themes.
The official Bronx Memoir Project – Volume 1 book release event will take place at the Longwood Art Gallery on Wednesday, December 3, 2014. Books will be available for purchase and download.
The Bronx Memoir Project was created by the Bronx Council on the Arts in order to develop and refine memoir fragments written by people of all ages, races, genders, nationalities, and backgrounds residing in the Bronx. This was achieved by deploying memoir-writing facilitators and other accomplished literary artists — including BRIO winners — to various cultural destinations throughout the Bronx in spring of 2014.
These workshop facilitators met with eager Bronxites at over 25 free writing sessions made available to persons of all writing skill levels. The resulting works submitted in final electronic draft form have been published in traditional trade paperback and e-book formats as Bronx Memoir Project – Volume 1, a collection of over fifty submissions and the first book ever published of its kind.
Come meet the contributors of this historic publication and get your copy signed!
Paperback books will be available for purchase at the event and can also be purchased at Amazon.com and as e-books for download for Kindle and Nook! Come meet the contributors!
DIRECTIONS: The Longwood Art Gallery is located on the Hostos Community College campus, 450 Grand Concourse & 149th Street, just steps from the subway station and bus stop. By subway, take the #2, 4 or 5 IRT trains to 149th Street and the Grand Concourse. By bus, take the BX1 or BX19 to 149th Street and the Grand Concourse. Travel time from mid-town Manhattan is usually 20 minutes.
The Bronx Memoir Project book was made possible with major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, NEA. The Bronx Council on the Arts is grateful for additional project support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, the Lambent Foundation Fund of the Tides Foundation, The Joan Mitchell Foundation, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc., Councilman James Vacca, and the Bronx Delegation of the City Council.
The following is a guest post by Gonzalo Duran, Chief Executive Officer of Devil Dog USA Incorporated
The Robin Hood Of The Bronx
The tale of “Robin Hood” is a classic folktale that most people have read or have seen as a movie – it’s a tale about his ethical exploits. With our economy and society changing over the years, specifically with its downward spiral, we have seen these types of stories become a reality. I have witnessed these societal downfalls and have decided to take action through ethical civility and diplomacy. We are living through an economy that is going downhill, a Veteran Affairs system that is a mockery, and a time when Americans are turning their backs to the democratic system because of the ineptitude of their representative’s political actions. I have experienced the very bottom of our country’s social class: via employment, education, and housing. My goal now is to help my brethren reach a level of stability, freedom, and happiness every American citizen is entitled to.
I live in a world where doing the right thing brings great fortune and everyone wants to help each other in a positive manner. I believe that there is a missing piece in this world, and that is a person or community to lead this strong movement towards a proactive mission for the betterment of all Veterans and their surroundings. My question is, “When or with whom will this action start with?” Everyone complains about the issues at hand, but how many people will actually act upon these words. Well here I am – that someone willing to take the first action in this battle for the greater good. If I have done anything, it is to show those who want to make change that it is in fact possible; I have taken the first step. I am not saying it will be an easy endeavor but it is a real possibility. Loss of friends, being shunned, and ostracize are some of the negative issues you receive from breaking down barriers to help others but that is the sacrifice you make for the greater good.
I decided this year that if I wanted to see change, than I would have to start by being that change myself. Over the last three years I have acquired a vast amount of knowledge, experience, and professional etiquette. I have learned how to completely fund my project by using my GI Bill, student loans, savings, and any other form of income that would become available to me in support of this worthy cause. From month to month, I have found ways to stay afloat; and as long as I can keep stable, I will continue to provide a home for the Veterans in need. However, I am now reaching out to those who want to either make change or need help. Let us work hand in hand together and make Devil Dog USA Incorporated a strong force; a movement that will help all Veterans past and present find the services they direly deserve.
I am lucky in that I don’t have to pay the full retail value of the commercial space I rent for my business. Of course, I’d prefer to get a discount or free space, and if only I could get the realty management affiliates to fully appreciate the concept of tax deduction. As a matter of fact, a majority of the Bronxites do not understand the concept of non-profit organization, its theory and process, or how they actually achieve their specific cause. I have done my best to educate the community and for-profit businesses and have along the way found support in a vast network of community leaders willing to support my cause. This wasn’t always the case; in the last few months with the help of the national attention we have receive, we have also found positive attention and awareness. As a result, this has made the community and private businesses more receptive and more inclined to help our nation’s Veterans.
Unlike the story “Robin Hood,” I don’t do what I do to win the heart of Maid Marian, although that would make for an ideal ending to this story. I do this to help because at one point on my journey, I found myself praying for a day when I would no longer have to eat tuna fish from a can, while sleeping next to a convict in a halfway house. The movement I am working towards has affected me in some of my other goals, such as fulfilling the requirements for my education in medicine, but overall, it is a price I am willing to pay. I can only hope the community that I have helped so much will do the same by helping me finish my matriculation of a degree in medicine. Currently, this personal goal has been put on the back burner, but I believe with a little more time it could easily be attained. If I received more help from the community, the politicians, and the nation, then this could become a reality, a reality in which I could medically serve our community and our Veterans.
Stability came with a price for me, but once I achieved it I immediately went to action. I first gathered the information I accumulated over the years and compiled it to make others aware of what was possible. For example: we are attempting to renovate a house that was passed on to me from my father. Long-term, the goal is to provide temporary housing for student-Veterans that are using their GI Bill benefits. We also hope this plan becomes a model that others could emulate. The house was about to be foreclosed on, but I was able to temporarily stop that from happening. I have asked the community to come and join us in helping us keep the house from getting taken. Originally, we started with four volunteers; to date, we are able to find consistent support from anywhere between thirteen to twenty-five volunteers. We have received attention from the media about our efforts and we continue to hope that national attention will help in garnishing the necessary attention so that we could finish our project. The volunteers that have joined us include politicians, community leaders, children, teenagers, and Veterans from past and present, from periods of peacetime, and wartime.
We have served over thousands of Veterans, families, and civilians in the last two years, ranging anywhere from our local to international communities. Our services have included providing metro cards for clients so that they could travel to interviews, clothing, transportation to recreational and sport sites, as well as a scholarship opportunity for a college-bound Veteran. We have also provided the Veterans and the community with a community center located at 4555 3rd Avenue Bronx, New York 10458. We recently held our District Assembly 78, Democratic Forum to get Veterans of all communities to vote for a government that will help Veteran needs.
Lastly, this is to put the crooked politicians, the devious, the greedy, on notice; we are growing and becoming bolder day by day. While many will follow the herd, there will be those that break away and will look for reliable, organized, and honorable leadership. I am stepping up to be that leader in this fight for good. While I may not become that person, that person may be reading this and preparing.
“YOU SHOWED US HOW MUCH YOU LOVE YOUR COUNTRY; NOW LET US SHOW YOU HOW MUCH YOUR COUNTRY LOVES YOU”
Gonzalo Duran
Chief Executive Officer
Devil Dog USA Incorporated
About Gonzalo Duran:
Gonzalo was born and raised in the Bronx, joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and is now an advocate for the veteran population in the Bronx area. To that end, he founded Devil Dog USA Incorporated who’s mission, duty and purpose is to facilitate the Veteran transition process into the civilian sector.
Disclaimer:
Comments, views, and opinions are that solely of the author and should never be misconstrued as that of Welcome2TheBronx or any other authors of this site. Welcome2TheBronx only edits articles submitted by readers for grammar and spelling leaving fact checking up to the author.
Welcome2TheBronx encourages reader submissions for consideration for publication on our site. It is our mission to be able to provide a platform where Bronx residents can have their voices broadcasted to a wider audience.
To submit an article, email us at submissions@welcome2thebronx.com
‘Albanian Jesus’ as this Mural dedicated to local resident, Anton D Nikci, on Arthur Avenue.
This past Friday, November 28th, the Albanian community celebrated their country’s 102nd anniversary of independence from what was left of the Ottoman Empire. In recent decades, scores of immigrant Albanian families have settled in the New York region with over two-thirds of the population having settled in The Bronx.
And their impact in visibility in our communities is quite apparent.
On Monday, December 1st — a date known the world round as ‘World AIDS Day’ — SimonSays Entertainment releases ’25 To Life’, a documentary which focuses on one man’s struggle’s with HIV/AIDS. SimonSays Entertainment has produced such critically acclaimed movies like ‘Gun Hill Road‘ (which was based in The Bronx), ‘Blue Caprice’, and ‘Mother of George’, the latter two which received honorable mention status in The New York Times year end review of top films for 2013.
25 TO LIFE is a retrospective of a young man’s life with HIV/AIDS and a document of his struggle to carve out an open honest future after living a controversial past. At 18 months, William Brawner contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. The diagnosis thrusts an average middle-class, African American family in the way of an oncoming train of international hysteria as the world struggled to understand the disease. Fearing stigma and discrimination, the family made a controversial decision to keep his status a well-guarded secret. 25 years later, William is finally ready for the world to know that he has HIV.
2031 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Blvd.
New York, NY 10027
RAW SPACE Culture Gallery is located on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. also known as 7th Avenue, between 121st and 122nd streets. The closest train is the 2/3 to 125th Street. And, the M2 bus drops you at our door. The doors will open 15 minutes before each showtime. We accept credit cards online and cash at the door.
This is a one day event and there will be 4 show times at the above location.
Showtimes are as follows (ALL SHOWS ARE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 1ST ONLY):
The salt marsh at Soundview Park, which underwent a restoration in Clason Point in the Bronx. CLAUDIO PAPAPIETRO FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
For decades, The Bronx was an ignored environmental mess but for the last 20 years major groups have been working on restoring our ecology and environment. The Wall Street Journal reports on the rebirth of our waterfront at the mouth of The Bronx River which for years was just a wasteland.
Whether it’s the Harlem River in the South Bronx or up in Riverdale, our parks or the Bronx River, thousands of Bronxites are working hard on a daily basis with many organizations to clean and preserve our beautiful borough. We are, after all, the greenest of the 5 boroughs with 25% of our land as parks.
Here’s an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal. Make sure you click the link at the end to read the full story.
By KAYA LATERMAN
Nov. 27, 2014 7:06 p.m. ET
A far cry from the illegal garbage dump that it once was, the mouth of the Bronx River adjacent to Soundview Park in Clason Point is now home to herons and egrets after a complete ecological overhaul that was decades in the making.
The city Department of Parks & Recreation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with other city, state and federal agencies, last month finished up a $9 million, three-year project that restored native marshland to the area, while also adding a 13-acre meadow and forest.
For years, the lagoons that dot the banks of the Bronx River were an unofficial dumping ground for old sofas, large appliances and cars.
“It was garbage galore,” said Elbin Mena, a resident and community activist in Harding Park, a bungalow community within the borders of Clason Point in southeast Bronx. Mr. Mena had urged various city agencies for over two decades to clean up what essentially is an extension of his backyard.
“I once attached a big rope onto my jeep and yanked this large, eyesore of a car right out of the water myself,” Mr. Mena recalled.
SIMMONS, HOWARD/SIMMONS, HOWARD NEW YORK DAILY N A view, in 2009, of the Croton Water Filtration Plant set to someday open under a golf course in Van Cortlandt Park.
The mess that has been dumped in The Bronx known as The Croton Water Treatment Plan in Van Cortlandt Park is just getting bigger and bigger.
It has, for the last 10 years, disrupted the lives of all who live in the surrounding communities through construction and broken promises from the Bloomberg administration. Now, what was once supposed to be a $1 billion project has ballooned to $3.7 billion at almost 4 times the original estimate the Daily News reports.
Only $107 million of the $200 million promised by Mayor Bloomberg has been spent on Bronx parks and playgrounds while the new water filtration plant in Van Cortland Park estimated to cost $1.2 billion has ballooned to $3.5 billion and counting.
For the past five years, the Jerome Park Reservoir — an important link in New York City’s water supply system — has been dry. Residents have missed the radiant blue of the 94-acre basin, not to mention the cooling breeze that comes off it in summer.
“It looks like a big cement pit,” complained Gary Axelbank, a Bronx native whose apartment overlooks the reservoir, between Sedgwick and Goulden Avenues in the northern Bronx.
We all know that the Grand Concourse has gone from peak, to decay, to renewal and now an article in The New York Times talks a little bit more about what’s going on. Although it doesn’t paint the entire picture which we’ve discussed extensively here at Welcome2TheBronx, it’s still refreshing to see a positive article on the Concourse.
In the article it says about the rebirth:
“While Mr. Auxier feels the neighborhood is poised to take off, Mr. Loyola said, “This is not going to be for hipsters. It will be more community-oriented, home-oriented.”
While some improvements, like planters, trees and lampposts installed along East 161st Street, can feel master-planned and cosmetic, other changes suggest more fundamental shifts. Once-barren lots at East 138th and East 153rd Streets have turned into farms that produce peppers, carrots and garlic, which are sold at nearby farmers markets. Theater workshops have taken place in a stylish visitor center that opened in 2012 in Poe Park, near East Kingsbridge Road. And the Andrew Freedman Home, a neo-Renaissance landmark at East 166th Street that once housed the elderly, now displays art, among other activities.
Traditional Puerto Rican Seis De Los Palitos where dancers perform the dance as they hit their sticks together or with their dance partner in total rhythm of the beat.
This past Saturday, Hostos Community College hosted the 9th Annual Puerto Rican Artisans Fair & Exhibition along with the 3rd Annual Puerto Rican Authors Book Expo in celebration of the 28th Anniversary of Puerto Rican History Month organized by Comité Noviembre. The day also saw 5th Annual South Bronx Folk Festival which celebrates the spirit and cultures of the community.
Comité Noviembre hosts such events to preserve the culture of the island of Puerto Rico amongst its diaspora here on the mainland and each year the events get better and better. Hundreds were in attendance to see and buy arts, crafts, and books from Puerto Ricans from the island and throughout the world who all come to The Bronx each year to sell their wares and expose the people to the rich culture of such a tiny island.
Below are some of the highlights of the day so enjoy the videos and images!
The fair showed off the talents of many wonderful Puerto Rican artists.The beautiful works of Olga Huraira AyalaArtist Marta Medina Feliciano stands with her artwork.
SITU Studio mapped the geographic spread of illegally subdivided, high-density dwellings across New York City based on complaints to the Department of Buildings. / Courtesy of Fastcodesign.com
As the borough with the highest population that is rent-burdened, this new exhibition focusing on illegal dwellings which otherwise would be known as slums in other parts of the world, is all too common in The Bronx. Based on the maps, the areas in The Bronx with the highest concentration of such dwellings appear to be located in Longwood and Soundview then rippling out towards Parkchester, Van Nest, Williamsbridge Morris Park, Belmont, Fordham, Morris Heights, University Heights along with pockets in Wakefield, Eastchester, and Baychester.
While working in the Real Estate Appraisal industry, I saw first hand how many of these homes were illegally subdivided by owners not out of pure greed but simply by trying to make ends meet and trying to achieve that American Dream.
Shaunacy Ferro, the author of the article explains:
“…SITU Studio, a Brooklyn-based design studio, mapped the geographic spread of these illegally subdivided, high-density dwellings across New York City—places that in other metropolitan areas, like Mumbai or Rio de Janeiro, would be considered slums. “In New York City, you have slums, but they’re not visible,” Basar Girit, a partner at SITU Studio, tells Co.Design.
“It’s no secret that New York is an expensive place to live. Luxury condos proliferate, but affordable housing does not. More than half the renters in the city are considered rent-burdened, meaning paying more than a third of their monthly wages just for housing.
That means for the city’s poorest residents, rental housing situations can get a little…creative. And not in a good way. “A lesser-known consequence of the affordability crisis is an informal rental market that has illegally adapted, subdivided, and converted existing apartment buildings, townhouses, and high-rises to accommodate the lowest-paid populations,” as a new urban design exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Uneven Growth, notes.”
