Welcome2TheBronx

Bronx Mass Transit Improvements for the Present

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 10, 2014

1

Bronx Mass Transit Improvements for the Present

#5 Train at East 180th Street
By Tek Ocean Shores (8/4/09)

The following is a guest article by John Rozankowski, PhD

In January, an article appeared in this blog which encouraged a mass transit enhancement that can be done “NOW.” It proposed that the #5 train run at night, a change which would spare riders from Manhattan to the Bronx two or more transfers.1 I wholeheartedly support this idea adding that even more can be done for the #5 and other lines to improve Bronx mass transit dramatically.

What the above article does not address is whether the #5 at night be an express or local. I feel that it should be an express. There are 36 stations between Bowling Green and Baychester Avenue and 37 stations between Bowling Green and Gun Hill Road (White Plains Road) plus a transfer to the #2. This makes for a miserable ride especially if an additional transfer to a bus is included. With both the #4 and #6 running as night-time locals, the #5 should be an express. It would cut the ride by 14 stations.

More can be done for the #5 during the daytime:

—The #5 to East 238th Street/Nereid Avenue should be given its own number and run all day as an express in the direction of heavy travel i.e. to Manhattan AM and from Manhattan PM with a reversal time of 12:30 PM. This would provide White Plains Road riders a faster one seat ride to the East Side. This new line could terminate at New Lots Avenue giving those riders direct East Side service as well.

—The #5 express (6:00-9:00 AM & 4:00-7:00 PM) on both branches should be extended until 9 PM. Likewise, during mid-days, some #5’s from Dyre could run express. Some should continue to run local so riders between East 180th Street and 3rd Avenue would not be deprived of an existing service.

Enhancements for Other Bronx Lines

—D Bronx Express (6:30-9:00 AM & 3:30-6:30 PM). The PM run should be extended until 9:00 PM.

In addition, there is enough capacity on the D to add a new line which would run, along with the D to 59th Street. At this point, it would continue via the A line to Port Authority Bus Terminal, Penn Station and downtown Manhattan. No longer would Bronx riders have to switch to the A or C and the dwelling time of trains at the transfer stations would be reduced. This line would run directly to Rockaway Park relieving some transfers there.

—#1 Broadway. There are 16 stops between 242nd Street and 96th Street. 5 stations downtown and 6 stations uptown can be skipped thanks to a middle track while 157th Street and 145th Street (downtown) can be bypassed on the local track to establish an express from 96th St. to the heavily used 168th Street and 181st Street stations.

The MTA recognized the problem and tried to deal with it with the #1/#9 skip-stop service, north of 137th St. (1989-2005). The time saved was minimal with trains having to slow down almost to a stop at bypassed stations for safety reasons. The far bigger problem was that the skip/stop destroyed the connectivity between stations. For example, no one could travel from West 225th Street (#9) to Dyckman Street station (#1) without first diverting to West 242nd Street to switch trains. The express service outlined above and preferred to the skip-stop by residents would not create connectivity problems, would be faster and more effective.

—#4 Jerome. This line is jammed at all hours and cries for all-day express service in the direction of heavy travel. The express should run from Burnside Avenue to 149th St. Since the #4 is at capacity during peak hours, headways at the bypassed stations can be increased by one minute from four to five minutes. Three express trains would be created at twenty minute intervals. The number of expresses could rise after the peak.

This line had two Bronx express pilot programs in 2009. Absolutely obsessed with demonstrating time-savings, the pilots had express trains by-pass the very busy Kingsbridge Road and Fordham Road stations. By running express from Burnside Avenue, the train would have more riders and provide emptier locals for those boarding south of Burnside Avenue.

Let’s Not Forget the Buses

A prime mass transit mobility problem in the Bronx is traveling crosstown. Today only the SBS12 does this in a timely fashion. On other lines, the ride is agonizingly and unnecessarily slow. What’s needed is not more SBS (Select Bus Service) which is costly and disrupts traffic but more Limited Bus Service. The following lines need it desperately (proceeding south to north):

—BX6 (Riverside Drive to Food Center Drive);
—BX36 (George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal to Randall Avenue) Limited Service exists but should be made all-day;
—BX40/BX42 (Sedgwick Avenue to Throg’s Neck) Throg’s Neck is an absolute transit desert. At just about every MTA Bronx public hearing, someone asked for Limited Bus service on these routes. It takes over an hour to get from the Concourse to Randall Avenue;
—BX26 (Bedford Park to Co-op City) As noted in my previous article, Co-op City is another transit desert with around 40,000 inhabitants, who would get a faster connection to any Bronx subway.

All-day Limited Stop service on just these four bus lines plus the 12SBS would go a long way to solve the Bronx crosstown problem.

Only You Can Make It Happen

It is often said, with considerable merit, that the MTA favors Manhattan and wealthy neighborhoods. One thing must be said about the residents of those wealthy neighborhoods: they tenaciously fight for their interests. Residents, primarily from the Upper East Side banded together under the C. Virginia Fields Second Avenue Subway Task Force and relentlessly campaigned for the 2nd Avenue subway for almost a decade.

Recently, the people of the Rockaways fought for and won a Ferry Service from Rockaway Park to Downtown Manhattan and are organizing under the Queens Public Transit Committee to campaign for mass transit service improvements in Queens.

In the Bronx, we must do the same thing. I was very gratified that so many of you voted affirmatively in the poll requesting that Bronx Borough President Diaz call together a Task Force on Bronx Mass Transit. One major consequence of the Task Force is that it would bring civic activists with an interest in mass transit together from all over the Bronx. This group would have the authority to speak for the entire borough in advocating mass transit improvements.

Notes

1 The article requests a resumption of the #5 train at night. In fact, the #5 never ran at night from its inception on August 1, 1918, when it was called the Lexington Avenue/White Plains Road Express. (The number system was introduced in 1948). At night in 2008, the MTA extended it to 149th St. Grand Concourse on cold winter days. As an intermediate step, this should be done year-round as it would spare #5 riders a transfer at East 180th St.

Originally, the #5 ran to White Plains Road with both express and local services while the #2 ran to East 180th St. and then to Dyre Avenue. The switch was made on April 18, 1965. The #5 from East 238th Street/Nereid Avenue is a remnant of this service and does an excellent job in reducing the number of transfers from the #2 to the #5 at East 180th Street.

About John Rozankowski, PhD

Although born in Brooklyn, John Rozankowski, PhD spent most of his life in the Bronx and received his Ph.D. in history from Fordham University at Rose Hill.

After selling his rental property, John became a community activist fighting against the new Yankee Stadium, the term limit extension, the Kingsbridge Armory Shops-in-the-Armory proposal and for Bronx Borough President Reuben Diaz’s living wage campaign. Last year, he was a volunteer in the Letitia James for Public Advocate campaign and continues to campaign in Queens for the reactivation of the Rockaway line.

John has a very strong interest in mass transit issues especially relating to the subways and buses. The outer boroughs have always been shafted and it’s high time that Bronxites did something about it.

In addition, he is a writer and blogger on New York City issues.”

Dr Rozankowski has lived in the Bronx for 58 years and currently resides in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx.

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

Wall Street Journal: A Tag-Team Art Competition Launches in the Bronx

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 7, 2014

0

Wall Street Journal: A Tag-Team Art Competition Launches in the Bronx

Artist Natalie Collette Wood works on an installation in the Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx, part of a virtually round-the-clock tag team art challenge. See more photos in our slideshow. See more photos in our slideshow. Agaton Strom for The Wall Street Journal

From the Wall Street Journal:

By Tanyanika Samuels

At 2 a.m. Thursday, a weary Aaron Lazansky-Olivas spray-painted pastel yellows and greens onto wooden panels that would become an art installation at the Andrew Freedman Home in the Bronx.

“I’m fading,” he admitted with a laugh.
The abstract graffiti artist is part of a duo working virtually round-the-clock in a tag team art challenge. Inspired by adrenaline-driven shows like “the Amazing Race,” the Artist Chain Reaction competition pits five teams against each other to create art installations. The winners, to be named March 10, will share the $1,000 prize.

Artists Andre Trenier, left, and Justin Hicks working on an installation. Agaton Strom for The Wall Street Journal

Of all the eclectic exhibitions here in the last two years, Artist Chain Reaction is the most ambitious, Ms. Alfieri said. She encouraged viewers to visit repeatedly throughout the weekend to be “part of the art making process.”

For abstract painter and sculptor Natalie Collette Wood, that voyeuristic element adds an intriguing dimension to the challenge.
“Having people watch you create energizes the work,” said Ms. Wood, who spent Wednesday night using small strips of black tape to fashion galaxies on the gallery wall. “I think it will help the artists make something new and exciting, something they probably wouldn’t make alone.”

Nearby, artists Andre Trenier and Justin Hicks were in the throes of an animated conversation comparing personal styles. Mr. Trenier is a painter known for using sneakers as his canvas. Mr. Hicks infuses music, text and video into his creations.

“We’ve been discussing why we make art and what art means to us,” said Mr. Trenier, who noted they both share a love of hip hop culture. “Hopefully in the end, people will get a sense of our commonality.”

Read the rest at the Wall Street Journal: http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2014/03/07/a-tag-team-art-competition-launches-in-the-bronx/

And don’t forget to check out their slideshow!

Japanese-Bronx Poetry Exchange: Connecting Young Poets Across The Globe

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 7, 2014

0

Japanese-Bronx Poetry Exchange: Connecting Young Poets Across The Globe

Bronx student recites poetry in real-time via satellite to students in Japan. Image Credit: DreamYard

From DreamYard:

Japanese-Bronx Poetry Exchange: Connecting Young Poets Across The Globe

On February 23, 2014, two classrooms on opposite sides of the globe were connected for an exciting first step into an on-going international poetry exchange project. The Japanese-Bronx Poetry Exchange is the first program of its kind, bridging the cultural divide between students in the Bronx and Japan through the use of poetry and video conferencing.

As DreamYard students and their families arrived around dinnertime and rehearsed their poems at our Art Center in the Bronx, fifteen students at Joshi Seigakuin Junior and Senior High School assembled in an auditorium in Tokyo after their first morning class. Using a teleconferenced video connection, the two groups were introduced to each other in real time at 7pm EST; students clapped and waved, eager to see where the night (or morning, in Tokyo) would take them.

Led by long time DreamYard supporter, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, students in the Bronx and Tokyo took turns reciting poetry and sharing their stories with one another. The DreamYard students, most of whom had recently placed in a borough-wide poetry slam competition, performed award-winning slam poems while the students in Tokyo recited traditional Japanese poems. Afterward, participants were given a chance to ask each other questions about why they chose to read or write certain things, what inspires them, and of course, what it’s like to be a teenager in the Bronx or Japan!

This dialogue was an important first step towards creating a new poetry exchange program here at DreamYard. It was moving to see young people expound upon their shared experiences transcending culture or place; feeling alone, feeling loved, feeling loss, fitting in. Prior to the exchange, Ambassador Kennedy shared why she felt this night was so significant: “Poetry is so unique. It gives us a chance to put our thoughts and emotions into words and share them across time and space. Its more important than ever now that the whole world can communicate instantly.”

Why Poetry: A Brief Background on DreamYard’s Poetry Project
Since 1998, DreamYard, in partnership with BronxWrites, has impacted more than 20,000 students in 75 schools both within and outside of the New York City school system. Our poetry programming combines literacy with performance instruction serving as a catalyst for creativity, learning motivation, and offering a pathway to academic success.
Through these programs, our students can access opportunities that will prepare them for higher education and a meaningful career. We believe that all youth, regardless of their background, deserve the opportunity to become engaged citizens, life-long learners and the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

– See more at: http://dreamyard.com/japanese-bronx-poetry-exchange-connecting-young-poets-across-the-world/#sthash.6sNHG402.dpuf

Why We Need The Bronx Documentary Center

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 7, 2014

0

Why We Need The Bronx Documentary Center

A student on a scavenger hunt at Gabriele Stabile's "Refugee Hotel" exhibition / Bronx Documentary Center

The Bronx Documentary Center, in the short time that it’s been in existence, has become one of the most important cultural institutions of not just the South Bronx but the entire borough.

In just over two years, the BDC has had 5 major exhibitions not only bringing the world to the Bronx but the Bronx to the world. There have been over 80 screenings followed by in depth panel discussions providing an unparalleled educational experience.

Now the Bronx Documentary Center needs you as they launch their Kickstarter campaign to fund a year’s worth of programming.

The BDC has become a second home to many of us, a place where we meet other like-minded, creative individuals not only in documentary journalism and photography and other disciplines, but Bronxites and people who want to make the world a better place.

The Bronx Documentary Center provides access to one of the most underserved communities in the city and has significantly provided opportunities to people of color in the industry who otherwise would not have them.

Check out their Kickstarter video:

After you’re done with the video, head over to the Kickstarter page and check out the wonderful perks you can get for your contribution in keeping this amazing space running.

Just even donating a $1 will help. If you cannot donate, the next best thing you can do is share the links with your networks!

About the Bronx Documentary Center

Located in the heart of the South Bronx, the Bronx Documentary Center (BDC) is an accessible, community-oriented gallery for documentary film, photography and photojournalism. In an age where newspapers are cutting staff and magazines are closing, the BDC provides a much needed public space in which to interact with journalism and photography–live and in person.

Founded in 2011 in a formerly abandoned building, the BDC is a unique and exciting crossroads where local students, artists, activists and neighbors mix with leading photographers, journalists and filmmakers. As one neighbor told us, “We bring the world to the Bronx and the Bronx to the world.”

Join us in creating quality programs for all ages.

The next year of programs includes:

—Thought-provoking exhibitions including Stephanie Sinclair’s Too Young to Wed; Benedict J. Fernandez’s historic work on the American civil rights movement; work by emerging Mexican photographers; and Carlos Javier Ortiz’s project on gun violence, We All We Got;
—30 film screenings and post-film panel discussions;
—A repeat of our summer outdoor movie screening in local housing projects;
—The continuation of our pilot after-school photography program with Bronx youth.

What We Believe In

We believe in the documentary tradition and in the power of photography and film to help build community, expose injustices and create positive social change.

Your gift can change a life and change a community.

The BDC has become a much needed and much loved meeting place for local and international photographers, writers, and filmmakers seeking to learn, grow, and share their ideas. In the words of a Bronx participant in our free Friday night photo class: “Since coming to the BDC my life has changed for the better–and I am so grateful that it has.”

The Bronx Is Noted In Awesome Things 6 Global Cities Are Doing for Wildlife

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 6, 2014

0

The Bronx Is Noted In Awesome Things 6 Global Cities Are Doing for Wildlife

The Bronx River / Image Credit: Bronx Council on Environmental Equality

An article in Takepart.com has singled out the Bronx and the Bronx River Alliance, giving us global recognition on our conversation efforts, particularly in relation to reintroducing wildlife into the Bronx ecosystem.

We are also the ONLY American city on the list!

Below is an excerpt from the article:

“…it may seem contradictory to suggest that cities can also be part of the solution. But conservationists, who used to focus on protecting landscapes that were pristine and full of wildlife, now often work instead to improve the margins—to make roadsides, backyards, idle fields, and working waterfronts wildlife-friendly. They argue that with a little effort, cities can provide habitat for birds, butterflies, pollinators, and other creatures great and small. According to this line of thinking, re-wilding the cities will be better not just for wildlife but for the cities. The idea is that the metropolis is a far richer place to live—more magical even—to the extent that it is also a zoopolis.”

#6. My favorite case study is New York City’s Bronx River, for very personal reasons. My father grew up on the banks of the river in the 1920s, and the stories he told were all about going out on the water with his Italian-immigrant grandfather to gather botanicals and to hunt. It was still a wild river then. (In the magical stories my father passed down to his children and grandchildren, it was inhabited not just by a variety of wildlife but also by a menagerie of imaginary creatures, led by a walking, talking green melon ball named the Growly.)

For much of the rest of the 20th century, the Bronx River became a ruin of rusting bedsprings and junked cars, along with sewage and industrial pollution. But an extensive cleanup effort by the Bronx River Alliance and other groups has restored the eight-mile-long lower river, with turtles, alewives, glass eels, great blue herons, and other species back at home there. Beavers returned in 2007—after an absence of several hundred years. City programs now focus on making the river a source of green pleasure for neighboring residents, many of them, like my great-grandfather, immigrants.

The restored habitat is providing homes for wildlife—but it’s no doubt also producing new stories to entertain children, and to be passed down for generations. That makes the city a much richer and more magical place for everyone.”

Male sure to read the entire article and see who the 5 other cities are and what they’re doing: The Awesome Things These 6 Cities Are Doing For Wildlife.

A big thank you to the Bronx River Alliance for all the hard work that they do and for shining a positive global spotlight on our beloved borough.

FreshDirect, Operation Move Along, And The South Bronx Waterfront: Yes, They Are Related

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 6, 2014

3

FreshDirect, Operation Move Along, And The South Bronx Waterfront: Yes, They Are Related

This week, Mayor De Blasio’s ambitious plan to reduce pedestrian fatalities, Vision Zero, began in the Bronx with Operation Move Along on 138th Street (between Third and Jackson Avenues) by cracking down on double parking. Officers from the 40th precinct slapped educational flyers on double parked cars but on March 16th they will begin issuing summonses for illegally parked vehicles.

The East 138th Street corridor is one of the South Bronx’s busiest roads with trucks and traffic already roaring across it to get from one end of the borough to the other.

Now imagine thousands of more trucks running through those very streets, adding to the chaos in a residential neighborhood, if FreshDirect were allowed its way to take up our waterfront. An area that already has suffered from pedestrian fatalities due to the existing traffic on these overburdened streets.

FreshDirect’s proposed move to the Bronx has been overwhelmingly opposed by Bronxites and with over 50 community based organizations against it, that’s nothing our borough president, Ruben Diaz Jr should brush aside.

Only a handful of Bronx organizations have come forth in support of giving the company over $130 million in tax breaks and subsidies to take over our waterfront and pollute our air. That very corridor targeted by Operation Move Along already suffers from over 8x the national asthma rates for children.

Regardless of whether or not FreshDirect converts its fleet to electric, it will still add thousands of trucks to the area creating more traffic and more idling of cars spewing pollutants into the air.

2 years ago in February of 2012, the former Bloomberg administration announced the FreshDirect sweetheart deal as a done deal without having had community input. It was even later revealed that our borough president had met with lobbyists for the company months before this announcement.
The community was outraged that it took FreshDirect 16 months to come to them after the deal was announced further providing evidence of how little they cared about the community they planned on calling home.

In Ruben Diaz Jr’s State of the Borough address in 2012 and 2013, he proudly talked about how his administration was working to bring FreshDirect to the Bronx providing needed jobs for Bronx residents (always forgetting to disclose that these are low wage jobs and oftentimes many of their workers still qualify for government assistance).

It was very hypocritical of the Borough President to support FreshDirect and their non-living wage jobs when he defeated the original Kingsbridge Armory deal for NOT guaranteeing living wages.

Absent from his 2014 State of the Borough address was any mention of FreshDirect whatsoever. Perhaps it’s because we as residents have kept FreshDirect in court and delayed its move until a new administration took over in City Hall — an administration which has been vocal against such corporate subsidies.

Instead, we got a wonderful plan to create a waterfront district in the Lower Concourse from 149th Street down to 138th Street. I applaud the borough president for actually listening to the community’s plea for access to the waterfront but it does fall a little short.

It ends just a few blocks from where FreshDirect wants to plop down along the waterfront.

Mott Haven and Port Morris residents have diligently worked on a comprehensive waterfront plan that the residents want, need, and deserve and should be included within the Lower Concourse Waterfront District.

The South Bronx suffers from the ultimate irony in terms of open, green space and parks: Our borough has the highest percentage of parkland and one of the greenest urban counties in the nation, yet the South Bronx has amongst the least amount of park space per resident than most of the city.

The battle against FreshDirect, our waterfront, and pedestrian safety is far from over. We must continue to rally against irresponsible corporate subsidies, access to our waterfront just like any other borough enjoys, and for pedestrian safety — something which will imperil the lives of our residents if we let this deal go through.

Join South Bronx Unite and community residents on March 22nd for ‘Green Beginnings For the South Bronx Waterfront‘:

Join South Bronx residents, faith leaders, local organizations and city-wide friends and allies for a community action on Harlem
River Yards against the proposed relocation of FreshDirect to the South Bronx.

Gather at Brook Park at noon to join in a
neighborhood march to Harlem River Yards for an interfaith reflection on the oversaturation of industrial facilities, waste transfer stations and trucking operations in the South Bronx causing asthma rates eight times the national average. Participants will then have the option to plant sunflowers, renowned for detoxifying soil, along the brownfield waterfront.

Brook Park | 12-1 pm

12:00 – Meet at Brook Park | 141st Street and Brook Avenue | Assemble and march to Harlem River Yards

Harlem River Yards | 1-2 pm

1:00 – Interfaith reflection on environmental injustice in the South Bronx and option to plant sunflowers to detoxify soil.
Join us and bring friends!

The Bronx Museum of the Arts Raises Over $650,000 At Annual Spring Gala & Auction

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 5, 2014

0

The Bronx Museum of the Arts Raises Over $650,000 At Annual Spring Gala & Auction

Cathy Pavlick, Bill Aguado, Holly Block, and Trustee Alessandra DiGiusto from 2013 Art Auction & Auction / Image Courtesy of the Bronx Museum

Last year the Bronx Museum of the Arts raised $1 million to acquire new art and this year at their annual Spring Gala & Auction they broke a record, grossing over $650,000 at the event.

In recent years the Bronx Museum of the Arts has become more aggressive in bringing the arts to the community and also bringing the Bronx art scene to the world.

Businessweek reports:

Meanwhile, the Bronx Museum of Arts held its Spring Gala across the street from Goldman’s headquarters, guaranteeing proximity to a hall of titans, if not a party full of them. The location at the Conrad Hotel was also close to City Hall, making it easy for Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to drop by (she spoke of painting a mural in the Bronx with the museum), as well as Council member Vanessa L. Gibson.

The event was the museum’s largest, grossing more than $650,000, said its executive director, Holly Block. The lowest-priced “Bruckner Boulevard Tickets” were $650; the highest-priced “Grand Concourse” seats were $4167.

Education Focus
Royal Bank of Canada (RY)’s Marybeth Mandanas, who heads the corporate banking group in power and utilities, is entering her third year as a board member for the museum.

“As a woman trying to get more experience professionally, I was looking to join a board,” Mandanas said. She met Block at an event at her former firm, Citigroup Inc. With three children, she was drawn to the museum’s focus on education.

The Bronx museum’s reach in the art world is also impressive: last year the museum oversaw the U.S. pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

“Our job is to make sure the museum’s thesis is broad enough,” Mandanas said. “We can’t serve just the Bronx, because there’s not enough means there to do that.”

Congratulations to the Bronx Museum of the Arts on such a successful event and for their commitment to provide free access to the Arts as well as the wonderful educational programing they provide our youth.

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

Bronx Politics: Assemblyman José Rivera In Bizarre Video Talking About ‘Bedding Young Girls’ in The Dominican Republic

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 4, 2014

0

Bronx Politics: Assemblyman José Rivera In Bizarre Video Talking About ‘Bedding Young Girls’ in The Dominican Republic

A screen shot from the video. (Photo: Screenshot: YouTube/Blabbeando)

The only negative topic you’ll hear on Welcome2TheBronx is politics because we still have a long way to go in the Bronx when it comes to our elected officials.

Here’s a rather horrifying tale from Politicker (who referenced a Welcome2TheBronx article) with video evidence of Assemblyman José Rivera from the Bronx talking about “getting laid with young girls”.

You have to see it and read it to believe it.

From Politicker:

Assemblyman José Rivera said he did not mean to offend anyone with a bizarre video that appears to show the Bronx lawmaker discussing the sexual benefits of “mamajuana” and ogling young women in the Dominican Republic.

“Assemblyman Jose Rivera did not mean to offend anyone, if anyone was offended by the video,” his chief of staff, Jasmin Clavasquin, told Politicker this morning.

The video appears to have been originally posted on the assemblyman’s active YouTube account, where it was spotted by NY1 political commentator Gerson Borrero. “I think this video of Jose Rivera in the DR can get some folks in trouble,” he wrote on Twitter Sunday, linking to the video, which was subsequently deleted from the assemblyman’s page. Mr. Rivera is well-known for his films.

But Andrés Duque, who works at a nonprofit and blogs about Latino and LGBT issues, said he noticed the tweet and quickly downloaded the video. He soon re-posted an edited version that includes English subtitles of the Spanish speech.

The version he posted contains three sections.

In the first, Mr. Rivera, wearing a blue “The Bronx” hat, is shown strolling down the street, chatting with strangers and “enjoying all the beautiful things this country has to offer,” according to Mr. Duque’s translation, which was verified by two Spanish speakers at the Observer.

“Do you happen to have a little sister?” he asks one woman, who replies in the negative. “Ah, well, that’s my bad luck!”

He then approaches a vendor to discuss “mamajuana”–a traditional alcoholic beverage made with rum, red wine, twigs and bark that is a rumored aphrodisiac. The vendor explains the drink is made with different roots:

RIVERA: From different roots which leaves me feeling…
VENDOR: Hard!
RIVERA: Strong enough to get laid with all those young ones. (Said as he points off-screen.)
VENDOR: A child! A little girl! (He laughs.)

Read the entire story in Politicker:
http://politicker.com/2014/03/assemblyman-jose-rivera-appears-in-bizarre-video/

Get the Facts: The NY Health Insurance Exchange

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 4, 2014

0

Get the Facts: The NY Health Insurance Exchange

This Thursday, March 6th at 7pm,the Bronx Documentary Center will be hosting an important FREE workshop on the Affordable Care Act. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AS SEATING IS LIMITED!

Still on the fence about getting health insurance before the March 31st deadline? Think it’s too expensive? Confused about the NY Health Insurance Exchange? Then join us on Thursday, March 6, for a FREE and informative seminar to learn more.

Insurance navigator Renata Marinaro (Director of Health Services, Eastern Region, The Actors Fund) will discuss how the health insurance exchange works and what your options are.

Don’t believe all the bad publicity! Find out for yourself! Seating is limited so please register so you don’t miss out.

Read up beforehand:

NY Health Insurance Exchange

Tax Credit and Premium Estimator

Did you know that you can make a free one-on-one appointment with a navigator to help you find the right policy for you? There will be a last minute rush for appointments so we urge everyone to make an appointment in addition to attending our seminar.

Schedule Navigator Appointment

And insure your children separately and at subsidized rates.

Child Health Plus

*** Beverages provided (non-healthy and healthy varieties) ***

Event Partners:
AAWW, ASMP NY, SAJA

Bye Bye Strip Clubs In Hunts Point As They Go Extinct In Bronx Neighborhood

News

Ed García Conde

-

March 3, 2014

0

Bye Bye Strip Clubs In Hunts Point As They Go Extinct In Bronx Neighborhood

The now shuttered Platinum Pleasure may even become a church / Image Credit: VIOREL FLORESCU FOR DAILY NEWS/STR

The New York Times is reporting that there are no longer any strip clubs in Hunts Point thanks to community pressure. Just 3 years ago there were about half a dozen of such clubs and now there are none in existence according to a recent Daily News article.

One former club may even become a church.

The mainstream media and certain characters would love nothing more but to sell you an image of a Hunts Point full of drug addicts, prostitutes, and strip joints but we know better.

According to the New York Times:

With its fish-market-perfumed air, waste-transfer stations and a moored prison barge visible just off its coast, the industrial peninsula of Hunts Point in the Bronx has long been somewhat of an indifferent haven for the city’s topless bars and pole dancing parlors.

With names like Club Heat and BadaBing, they proliferated amid the warehouses and next to the Bruckner Expressway after restrictive zoning laws instituted by the Giuliani administration forced them from other neighborhoods.

But one by one, the clubs began to close: Just two years ago, there were four strip clubs in Hunts Point’s 1.6 square miles. Now there are none.

The strip club industry is under broad attack in New York, as opponents have embraced a startlingly effective strategy: Spare the strip clubs, but punish their liquor.

In the last several years, community leaders have found increasing success petitioning the State Liquor Authority to revoke the liquor licenses of numerous strip clubs in New York and deny the applications of new clubs. The opponents cite crime, noise or other quality-of-life issues, or highlight a club owner’s lack of qualifications or possible criminal ties.

“You go after their liquor license,” said Rafael Salamanca, the district manager of Bronx Community Board 2, which covers Hunts Point. Mr. Salamanca has spearheaded efforts that led to the closing of four clubs in the last two years. “They can’t make any money if they don’t have a liquor license.”

Read the full story at the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/nyregion/in-fight-against-strip-clubs-community-leaders-target-liquor-licenses.html

Bronx Politics: Roselyn Johnson Democratic Club

News

Rob Giuffre

-

March 1, 2014

0

Bronx Politics: Roselyn Johnson Democratic Club

Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda hosted the first meeting of the Roselyn Johnson Democratic Club today, with an impressive turnout. The assemblyman stated that everyone in the room was a democrat who had voted in the last four elections and all but promised everyone present Election Day jobs.

Many Bronx elected officials made it out to the club’s grand opening: Senator Jeff Klein, Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., Assemblyman and Party Chairman Carl Heastie, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, Councilmember Fernando Cabrera and Councilmember Annabel Palma.

About 175 “regular” people were also in attendance, most of whom seemed very excited about pizza and coffee.

Some highlights:

—Senator Klein said he is unsure if State and Federal primaries will both be held in June, rather than Federal in June and State in the usual September; Klein said “it makes sense to combine the two and hold both in June.”

—Senator Diaz was impressed with the club and had no problem calling it “the biggest Democratic club in the Bronx.”

—Assemblyman Sepulveda openly mentioned the possibility of Councilman Cabrera running for another office. This had to be in reference to rumors about a possible challenge to Senator Gustavo Rivera, who was noticeably absent. Cabrera mentioned nothing about it when it was his turn to speek and came off very measured and diplomatic.

—Barbara Rivera (I think that is her name, but I could not hear over the crowd who reminded this school teacher of a typical middle school classroom) will be the new Bronx Civil Court Judge if the Roselyn Johnson Democratic Club and the Bronx Democratic Party have their way. She was already endorsed by both.

It looks like Sepulveda and District Leader William Rivera did their due diligence and sent invitations to triple prime democrats using public voter file information.

All and all, it would be a fair statement to say the Roselyn Democratic club had an impressive turnout. Just how engaged and active the “regular” people will be in a few months when election season heats up is yet to be seen.

Assemblyman and Party Chairman Carl Heastie

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

Don Coqui’s First Bronx Location On City Island Is A ‘Must Eat’ Destination

News

Ed García Conde

-

February 28, 2014

0

Don Coqui’s First Bronx Location On City Island Is A ‘Must Eat’ Destination

Elegantly appointed dining area at Don Coqui on City Island / ©Welcome2TheBronx.com

For years I’ve resisted the lure of Don Coqui’s much hyped Puerto Rican cuisine of their other establishments outside of the Bronx but when they finally opened up in our borough —on City Island no less— I decided to see what all the fuss was about. This past Monday my mother and I took my father to Don Coqui to celebrate his birthday since he’s always wanted to go to one of their restaurants.

As you go over the bridge onto City Island, the restaurant is the second on your right. At first sight, it doesn’t really look all that impressive from the outside, but never judge a book by its cover. When we entered Don Coqui it was the complete opposite impression.

Immediately you see nothing but a large, beautifully appointed, dining space which seems even larger with its vast windows that wraps around the restaurant. Those very windows make you feel as if you’re dining at sea since it’s located right on the water offering you a beautiful view of Eastchester Bay.

Being a Monday and just shy of 5pm, the place had a few diners but as the evening progressed it quickly began filling up for a Monday night.

Once we sat down, we were served a basket of long, delicately sliced plantain chips with a regular salsa dip and a black bean dipping sauce that was simply perfect.

My parents and I had heard of the legendary portions that Don Coqui serves so we skipped the appetizers (which all sounded amazing) since we had our delicious tostones chips.

I decided to order the paella, a traditional Spanish dish from the province of Valencia which is very popular in Puerto Rico. Mom ordered the red snapper with yuca mash but was disappointed when our server told us that yuca mash was no longer available and going to be removed from the menu. She decided on the arroz con gandules instead but with much hesitation (why get rid of something so delicious?). The birthday boy, or rather my father, opted for the pernil y arroz con gandules aka roast pork with traditional Puerto Rican yellow rice and pigeon peas.

The paella was just right / ©Welcome2TheBronx.com

When the food arrived, we really weren’t prepared for the mammoth portions we were served.

The paella was cooked to perfection and one of the best that I’ve had in a very long time. For paella enthusiasts, the Don Coqui version is what’s called a paella mixta which is seafood and meats. This one was pleasantly filled with lobster, mussels, shrimp, squid, chicken, and chorizo. Meanwhile, mom and dad were very pleased with their choices. My mom, who’s probably the harshest food critic I know, had nothing negative to say about the food. This is a woman who is not afraid to say something was good but not great so imagine my shock when she told our server how excellent everything was down to the seasonings and salt. My mom is someone who doesn’t like salty foods and is often disappointed when eating out due to excess sodium used at many restaurants so this was a first.

We decided to end the meal (which we couldn’t finish and had to take home the leftovers) with coconut flan. Since the server had heard we were celebrating dad’s birthday, it was brought out to us with a candle and a few other servers with tambourines and maracas singing happy birthday.

Although the flan was delicious and we ate it all, we agreed that it was on the thick side and not the creamier variety we prefer, but again, we couldn’t complain since it was delicious.

In terms of service, it was perhaps one of best dining experiences I’ve had in the Bronx and that I owe to our server Christine R. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, Christine made us feel like family she hasn’t seen in a while and was happy to see.

When we sat down, she unfolded our napkins and placed them on our laps as she acquainted us with the drink menus. Throughout our dinner she was very attentive and making sure we had all we needed or wanted was at hand.

In all, we had an excellent time, received top-notch white tablecloth service and if all the servers are as excellent as Christine R. was this past Monday, February 24th, you can count on me coming back.

I highly recommend making a trip to Don Coqui on City Island even if you’re hooked on going to the other locations in Westchester County simply for the waterfront experience. The ambiance of the restaurant is perfect and is perhaps, City Island’s finest restaurants and definitely one of the most upscale eateries in the Bronx.

Don Coqui's banquet area / ©Welcome2TheBronx.com

The restaurant features a bar and lounge area offering visitors to the island a bit of nightlife which isn’t found elsewhere on City Island. They also have a banquet room which is used to handle overflow as well as to rent out for special occasions.

Don Coqui is located at:
565 City Island Ave
Bronx, NY 10464
718-885-2222

Hats off to Don Coqui for bringing a fine dining experience to the Bronx.