What Else Happened? The NorwoodNews Recaps the Year That Was

Skateboarder Kiefer Dixon, a northwest Bronx native, kicks offthe Norwood News’ 2011 Year in Review issue. Dixon, a 22-year-oldlongboarder who you might see “bombing” around the Bronx or rid-ing through Times Square on his hands,became a dominant force on the longboard cir-cuit this year. He wrapped up his ninth win of2011 by taking the South Beach Bomb race thisDecember.

Dixon says his success was shaped by his envi-ronment and desire to avoid mass transit: “I justskate, skate, skate. My style is aggressive. Whenyou see me skating through traffic and a car is coming at me I don’tflinch; I look the driver in the eye. I like to represent my skating as aform of transportation, too. Every morning I see the buses sardine-packed going down Gun Hill; I’m happy to be one less.”

For his success this year, Dixon makes our list of top stories in 2011,which you will find in this issue. (Read a Q&A on p. 6.) His story isjoined by shockingly random acts of violence, a dramatic legal show-down between church and state, a mysterious piano disappearance,gay marriage, the return of a supermarket and, of course, the ongoingsaga of the Kingsbridge Armory. (Yes, it’s still empty.)

www.norwoodnews.org■ Support Our Advertisers in 2012, They Support the Norwood News!

Serving Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights

NORWOOD NEWSVol. 24, No. 25 ■ PUBLISHED BY MOSHOLU PRESERVATION CORPORATION ■ Dec. 29, 2011–Jan. 11, 2012

Adaline Walker-Santiago sent allthree of her children to PS 51, the BronxNew School in Bedford Park, withoutthinking she might be putting them andtheir long-term health in danger. But inlate July, the Department of Educationtold school officials and parents that PS51’s building was contaminated with sky-high levels of trichloroethylene, a toxinlinked to cancer.

With just weeks before the start of theyear, the entire school was uprooted andmoved to the old St. Martin of Toursbuilding in Crotona.

But now Walker-Santiago and otherPS 51 parents are outraged at the DOE,not only for allowing the school to oper-ate inside a contaminated building fortwo decades, but also for the agency’slack of response to parents’ concernsonce the contamination was discovered.

“How would you feel?” Walker-Santia-go asked angrily earlier this month.

Parents want the DOE to create a reg-istry for students who have attended PS 51and a system to monitor their health. Theyalso demanded, in letters and at a rally thisfall, a meeting with Schools ChancellorDennis Walcott to discuss the matter.

Walcott, however, only agreed to meet

with PS 51 administrators and the cur-rent parents association leadership,which didn’t cut it for parents of past PS51 students like Walker-Santiago. Earlierthis month, a handful of angry PS 51 par-

The Bronx Household of Faith’s 17-year legal battle with the Department ofEducation came to a close in 2011 with theUniversity Heights church and dozens ofother religious groups facing evictionfrom school buildings throughout the five

boroughs. The story thrust the small evan-gelical congregation into the nationalspotlight and struck up a debate that willmove onto the legislative stage in 2012.

Thanks to support from local electedofficials, including City Councilman Fer-nando Cabrera and State AssemblmanNels on Castro, Bronx Household and its48-member congregation may be able tocontinue holding worship services insidethe PS/MS 15 auditorium on AndrewsAvenue, as it has for the past decade. Cas-tro introduced legislation that wouldchange the state’s education law to allowchurches to worship in public schoolbuildings.

Before this past June, few had heard ofBronx Household of Faith, which hasoperated in University Heights since1973, first in a backyard on AndrewsAvenue and then in a group home forstruggling men nearby on UniversityAvenue. In 1994, the church applied toworship inside PS/MS 15 and was denied,touching off a legal battle that would goback and forth over the next 17 years.

They won the right to worship insidePS/MS 15 in 2002 when a court ordered aninjunction of the DOE’s rule prohibiting

PS 51 Contaminated,Parents Still Outraged

Bronx Church’s Fight withDOE Goes Supreme

THE YEARIN REVIEW2011

Bronx Bomber Dixon Won 9 Skateboard Races in 2011

Photo by Adi Talwar

DOZENS OF LOCAL KIDS, families, elected officials and even Santa Claus came

out for the annual tree lighting celebration on Mosholu Parkway, hosted by

Community Board 7, on Dec. 15. For more photos, visit norwoodnews.org.

HAPPYNEW YEAR

2012!

(continued on p. 4 )

(continued on p. 5 )

Photo by Emily Piccone

AFTER HONING his skills on Bronx streets, Norwood’s own Kiefer Dixon dominated his long-

boarding competition this year. See story, p. 6.

Borough President TakesOn ‘American Idol’

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz,Jr., started 2011 off swinging, after Foxreality TV show “American Idol” aired acontroversial segment during an episodein January, where teenage contestantTravis Orlando took camera crews on atour of the Bronx neighborhood where hegrew up. The video accompanying hisstory showed shots of a street strewnwith litter, ambulances whirring by, and apay phone dangling off its hook, all set toominous background music.

Diaz immediately sent out a scathingpress release, picked up by a number ofmedia outlets, saying he was “disgusted”with the show’s treatment of the bor-ough. “Rather than focus on the amazingrevitalization the Bronx has seen over thepast three decades, the producers of theshow chose instead to highlight the nega-tive stereotypes that have plagued ourborough for years,” he said.

New York LegalizesSame-Sex Marriage

After years of lobbying by civil andgay rights advocates, New York becamethe sixth and largest state in the nation topass a bill legally recognizing marriagesbetween same-sex couples.

The bill was passed by the State Senatein an overtime legislative session at theend of June. It was supported by everyBronx state lawmaker, with the exceptionof State Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., a well-known gay marriage opponent who wasthe only Democrat in the Senate to voteagainst it. The law went into effect onJuly 24, and 27 couples tied the knot thatday at the Bronx County Courthouse,including Spuyten Duyvil residents RheaGreenberg and Janice Glock.

“This is where we’ve lived our lives,”Greenberg told the Norwood News at thetime. “This is where we have roots, fami-ly, friends, and this is where we want toget married.”

State Legislature PassesBudget, Ethics Reform,Rent Laws

Albany enjoyed a relatively productivesession in 2011. In addition to passing anhistoric gay marriage law, the Senate andAssembly approved a number of bills

that were top priorities for many Bronxlawmakers.

The fiscal year started off with thepassage of a $132.5 million state budget atthe end of March, the first time in fiveyears that a budget has been approved inNew York before its April 1 deadline.While the final deal spared cuts to seniorcenters, funding for SUNY and CUNY col-leges, and the city’s Summer YouthEmployment Program, it included hits toeducation and human services funding,resulting in losses for a number of localnonprofits and social service programs.

Later in the legislative year, Albanypassed an ethicsreform package,long a priority forlocal lawmakers.The new law callsfor the establish-ment of a JointCommission to pro-vide ethical oversight of the Senate andAssembly, requires lawmakers to disclosepotential conflicts of interests and penal-izes any lawmaker convicted of a felonyby depriving them of their pension.

In the legislature’s very last week, law-makers hammered out a deal to renew thestate’s rent laws, which local officials andhousing advocates had been pushing tosee not only extended, but strengthened infavor of tenants. Many were disappointedwith the final agreement because it failedto include a total repeal of vacancy decon-trol—the rule that lets landlords raiserents of regulated apartments once thetenant there vacates—though it did raisethe minimum monthly rent requirementfor which apartments can be deregulated.

Ongoing Legal TroublesFor Seabrook, Espada

Two Bronx politicians who have beenthe subject of corruption probes for thelast several years saw their legal battlescontinue in 2011.

Former State Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr.,who was indicted at the end of 2010 forallegedly spending public funds on sushidinners and luxury cars, is still awaitingtrial on those federal charges, but took on

yet another case in court this year—keep-ing his network of nonprofit health clin-ics open. The Soundview Health Care net-work, from which Espada is accused ofembezzling more than $500,000, waskicked out of the State’s Medicaid pro-gram in August, a decision Espada hasbeen fighting all year in court but whicha Bronx judge upheld just last week. Theloss of Medicaid reimbursement couldmean a likely closure for Soundview.

Meanwhile, a judge declared a mistrialearlier this month in the federal corrup-tion case against Bronx City CouncilmanLarry Seabrook after jurors said theyremained deadlocked after a week ofdeliberation. Prosecutors said they wouldre-try the case against Seabrook, whostood accused of directing more than $1million in taxpayer funds to family,friends and his own pockets.

Census Count RevealsBronx is Booming

The Bronx gained more new residentsthan the other four boroughs over the lastdecade, and had the second highest gain inthe state, according to data released thisspring from the 2010 United States Census.

The Bronx gained 52,458 people overthe last decade, the numbers show, agrowth rate of 3.9 percent, which wasonly surpassed in the city by the boroughof Staten Island.

The population boost is due to a spikein the number of Hispanic residents herein the Bronx, who now account for 53.5percent of the borough. The number ofwhite residents decreased sharply since2000, by 22 percent, while the number ofAfrican-American residents has stayedabout the same.

The Bronx neighborhoods that sawtheir populations grow the most over thelast 10 years are Morrisania, Melrose andMott Haven, according to Census datacompiled on the Department of City Plan-ning’s website.

Local neighborhoods Norwood, Bed-ford Park, Fordham North and UniversityHeights saw their populations decreasejust slightly since 2000, by a few hundredresidents.

2 ■ December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News

2011 In The Public InterestVol. 24, No. 25

Norwood News is published bi-weekly on Thursdays by

Mosholu Preservation Corporation3400 Reservoir Oval EastBronx, New York 10467

Phone: 718 324 4998Fax: 718 324 2917

E-mail: norwoodnews@norwoodnews.orgWeb: www.norwoodnews.org

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Support Your Community Newspaper!The Norwood News is a not-for-profitpublication and relies upon the support ofits advertisers and readers to produce aquality community newspaper. To supportyour paper, become a member andreceive a subscription for one year (25issues) and benefits like the BronxCultural Card.

Simply mail check or money order for$40 to: Norwood News, 3400 ReservoirOval East, Bronx, NY 10467.

Norwood News is not responsible fortypographical errors. Opinions expressedin signed letters and bylined columns rep-resent the sole opinion of the author andare not necessarily those of MosholuPreservation Corporations or MontefioreMedical Center. Editorials represent theviews of the editor and/or publisher only.The newspaper reserves the right to limitor refuse advertising it deems objection-able. Advertisements appearing in thispaper cannot be used without the writtenpermission of Norwood News. Letters tothe editor are subject to condensation andediting. Writers should include their affiliation or special interest if any.Anonymous letters are not published butyour name can be withheld if requested.

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Public and Community Meetings• The Bedford Mosholu CoMMuniTy AssoCiATion will meet at 8 p.m. on

Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 400 e. Mosholu Pkwy. so. #B1 (lobby floor). All are welcome.

• CoMMuniTy BoArd 7 will hold its general board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 17

at 6:30 p.m. at st. Philip neri school auditorium, 3031 Grand Concourse. for

more information, call (718) 933-5650.

• CoMMuniTy BoArd 7 committee meetings will be held on the following dates

at 6:30 p.m. at the board office, 229A e. 204th st.: education & libraries, Thurs-

day, Jan. 5; Parks & recreation, Thursday, Jan. 5; youth services, Monday, Jan.

9; Public safety, Wednesday, Jan. 11; sanitation & environment, Wednesday,

Jan. 11; Traffic & Transportation, Thursday, Jan. 12. for more information, call

(718) 933-5650.

By JEANMARIE EVELLY

Follow the Norwood News on Facebook and

@norwoodnews on Twitter

CEO, MosholuPreservationCorporationRoberto S. Garcia

File photo by Jordan Moss

AFTER NEW YORK legalized same-sex

marriage, Karen Cofield and Gwendolyn

Williams, who met five years ago, were

married at the Bronx County Courthouse

in July.

THE YEARIN REVIEW2011

Editorial

December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News ■ 3

A Bronx ChristmasStory

Scott Lebron, a sophomore at Discov-ery High School in Kingsbridge Heights,delivered a letter this holiday season. Itwasn’t to Santa Claus. It was addressedto Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz,Jr., who inspired him to write it during avisit more than a year earlier.

Along with numerous other electedofficials, nonprofit leaders, newsreporters and “green” developmentadvocates, Diaz made a point to stop byand see what was going on in thebustling, photosynthesizing classroom ofspecial ed science teacher Steve Ritz. AtDiscovery, Ritz was generating big-timebuzz through an urban farming projectdesigned to teach kids life sciencethrough hands-on horticulture.

The students were learning how togrow their own plants and vegetables onvertical gardens in the classroom. Theproject and the gardens exploded intowhat has become the Bronx GreenMachine, a nonprofit program thatteaches students like Scott how to grownutritious food as well as ”green” con-struction skills (see related story, p. 6).

Diaz spoke to Ritz’s students andurged them to keep up the good work.Scott, then just a ninth grader, wasbrought to tears by Diaz’s words. He

decided to write him a letter.In it, he thanked Diaz for speaking

positively and said it “inspired” him tokeep working hard.

“The Bronx and people like me arealways getting and hearing negativecomments,” he wrote. “You are right! Weneed to do something about it.”

Scott goes on: “We will start in Dis-covery and spread across campus. Wewill plant trees, grow food and say no tobad people and dangerous things. Wewill make safe parts for neighbors andfamilies.”

For more than a year, the letter, datedNov. 12, 2010, stayed with Scott as he con-tinued to work with Ritz and the BronxGreen Machine. He’s now excelling inschool. Finally, the perfect opportunityarose — the borough president’s Christ-mas tree lighting event earlier thismonth. Dressed in his best suit, Scottwent down to Borough Hall, deliveredthe letter to Diaz and got his picturetaken with the borough president, hisinspirational hero.

Like all of Ritz’s kids, Scott is a spe-cial ed student, which means he needsmore help than other students. But spe-cial ed or not, the light turned on forScott last fall through Ritz’s programand Diaz’s words. And for all thedoubters still out there, Scott says:“We’re going to show them.”

Opinion. Write to: Editor, Norwood News, 3400 ReservoirOval East, Bronx, NY 10467. Fax: (718) 324-2917;or e-mail: norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org.

1/31/12 1/31/12

4 ■ December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News

Two years after the City Council voteddown plans to turn the hulking andempty Kingsbridge Armory into a shop-ping mall, local groups and elected offi-cials spent much of 2011 pondering whatshould be done now with the 575,000-square-foot space.

In June, Bronx Borough PresidentRuben Diaz, Jr., whohas made the rede-velopment of theArmory a top prior-ity of his adminis-tration, released along-awaited reporton possible futureuses for the building, created by a specialArmory task force and a group of NewYork University faculty and graduate stu-dents. Despite detailing a number of sug-gested ideas and totaling 267 pages, thereport was criticized by many for lackingsubstance, and because it offered no clearplan for how the redevelopment of thebuilding would be paid for.

After leading the defeat of theBloomberg-backed shopping mall plan in2009, Diaz is under considerable pressureto make progress on the Armory. Thebuilding remains empty, while majordevelopment projects in other areas ofthe Bronx have taken off this year,including multi-million dollar shoppingcenters in Co-op City and at the formerStella D’Oro factory on West 237th Street.

John DeSio, a spokesman for the bor-ough president, told the Norwood News at

the time that the point of the task forcewas not to come up with a proposal or aclear financial plan for the Armory, but toshow there was still interest in the siteand to call on Mayor Bloomberg to issue arequest for proposals (RFP) for the build-ing.

“The work of the task force shows justhow much interest there is in this his-toric structure,” Diaz said in a statementat the time.

Among those interested in taking overthe space is Creflo Dollar, a controversialevangelical preacher from Georgia whowants to turn the West Kingsbridge Roadbuilding into a “state of the art churchfacility,” fit with administrative offices,daycare and afterschool program space, agymnasium, and a recording studio.

Another idea for the Armory thatgained traction this year was a proposalby a group of bicycle enthusiasts whowant to see the space converted into abicycling center, complete with a velo-drome — an angled, oval bicycling racingtrack that would be used to host days-longcycling tournaments.

The National Cycling Association, thegroup behind the plan, is trying to garnersupport for their idea by attempting toput together a six-day bicycle race at theArmory sometime this spring. But theassociation cycling idea has yet to identi-fy clear funding sources to prove the via-bility of their plain.

Jack Kittle, who served on the Armorytask force as a representative of the build-

ing and trades unions, told the NorwoodNews in June that this has been the com-mon thread among proposals for theArmory: while there have been plenty ofideas, none have had the political or finan-

cial resources to make them a reality. “We listened to one guy after another,”

Kittle said, of the proposals. “No onewanted to bring their own resources tothe table.” —JEANMARIE EVELLY

In Kingsbridge Armory Plans, Lots of Ideas, But No Substance

Rendering by Ralph Schuermann

THE NATIONAL CYCLING ASSOCIATION wants to turn the Armory into a bicycling

center complete with a world-class velodrome.

THE YEARIN REVIEW2011

This past March, Foodtown, one ofNorwood’s premier supermarkets,reopened to rave reviews 15 months afterbeing destroyed in a fire.

It marked a welcome sign of resur-gence for a neighborhood shopping dis-trict crippled by two devastating fires atthe end of 2009.

While the first fire took out 10 smallbusinesses on the corner of BainbridgeAvenue, it was the second major fire, onEast 204th Street, that left the neighbor-hood without a major supermarket andall the foot traffic it generated.

In the aftermath, the Katz brothers,who own the Foodtown chain and whosefather opened up the family’s first pro-duce stand in Norwood 55 years ago,vowed to rebuild. And they did, expand-ing the store by 50 percent and introduc-ing new features, such as a sushi bar, anolive and cheese counter, more seafoodand a more spacious design.

Customers and employees were glad tobe back. “It was tough watching somethingyou put 12 years into go up in smoke,” said

store manager Rick Shinnerer, “but out ofthe ashes, a new store has emerged.”

Meanwhile, elsewhere on East 204thStreet, a new bar, Beso Lounge, opened upwhere the old Sandbox used to be.Radioshack also opened a branch downthe block to accompany mainstays likeHillside Meats, Freilich Jewelers andMcKeon and Son Funeral Home.

The area’s merchants association alsogot a shot in the arm. Eli Garcia, theowner of Beso Lounge, was elected presi-dent, Allan Freilich of Freilich Jewelersbecame vice president, Bill Curran ofMcKeon and Son Funeral Home becametreasurer and Hamlet Aquino of MetroPCS became secretary. Their first actbrought decorative lights to the area thisholiday season.

On the downside, the lot on Bain-bridge Avenue that burned down on Hal-loween of 2009 remains a rubble-strewnwasteland. The owner, Evelyn Jacobson,who also vowed to rebuild after the fire, isnow putting the lot up for sale.

—ALEX KRATZ

Norwood Shopping District Rebounds

worship inside schools. Other churchescitywide promptly followed their lead.

In June, however, an appeals courtruled, 2-1, to uphold the DOE’s policyagainst worship services inside its build-ings. Bronx Household and the Allianceappealed the ruling, which brought thecase all the way to the Supreme Court.But after deliberating on the case for atleast a week, the Supreme Court declinedto review the case without comment on

Dec. 5. That move upheld the lower court rul-

ing in favor of the DOE, which gavechurches until Feb. 12 to find a new placeto worship. Bronx Household leadershope that will be enough time for statelegislators to pass the bill, introduced byCastro, that would allow them to stay atPS/MS 15 indefinitely, or at least untilthey can complete construction on a newchurch in a building just across thestreet. —ALEX KRATZ

Bronx Church’s Fight with DOEGoes Supreme

(continued from p. 1 )

www.norwoodnews.org

At a community meeting near Fordham Hill in November, Inspector Joseph Dowl-ing told the crowd that a recent uptick in random neighborhood violence, which hadclaimed the life of a 59-year-old father and badly injured a 4-year-old boy, did not tellthe whole story of violent crime in the 52nd Precinct.

It may not tell the whole story, but it was certainly the biggest crime story of 2011. Last March, Dowling took over command of the Five-Two

from John D’Adamo, a young deputy inspector who was re-assigned after making tabloid headlines when his wife wascaught lying to Westchester County police.

Up until this fall, Dowling, who previously commanded aprecinct in Washington Heights, had enjoyed a relatively quietbeginning to his tenure. Then, at the end of October, a series ofseemingly random acts of violence, most of them on or aroundGrand Avenue and Fordham Road, put the community on edge and a neighborhood inthe spotlight.

The three most frightening and disturbing incidents happened within days of eachother.

On Oct. 29, Bimal Chanda, a Bengali immigrant who hadlived in the area around West 190th Street and GrandAvenue for decades, was in the process of moving the last ofhis family’s belongings to a condo in Parkchester. (He want-ed to move to a safer neighborhood.) He went out to getpacking tape in the morning. His wife would later find himbadly beaten in the second floor stairwell and called forhelp. Days later, Chanda died from his injuries. Police saidthieves stole $15 from Chanda, who still possessed morethan $70 in cash and all of his credit cards after the beating.

On Nov. 1, just around the corner from Chanda’sbuilding, police say Gabriel Sherwood was stabbed todeath by friends of one of Sherwood’s neighbors after averbal altercation earlier in the day. Two were arrestedand charged with Sherwood’s murder.

The following week, 4-year-old Cincer Balthazar wasshot during a botched robbery attempt on Grand Avenuenear Evelyn Place, just south of Fordham Road. Policesaid Cincer’s father was returning the boy to his motherwho lived in a homeless shelter on Grand Avenue when agroup of young men tried to rob him for his designerjacket. Cincer was shot in the face in the process andremains in critical yet stable condition. In a bizarretwist, Cincer’s father wrestled the gun away from theattackers, chased one of them down and shot him in theneck. Two of the attackers have been arrested andcharged. The father was not charged.

In mid-November, friends of Chanda held a candle-light vigil to show their support for the victim and hisfamily. Only four people showed up.

“They are afraid. They don’t want people to see theirfaces,” said Chanda’s friend Mohammad Ali, aBengladeshi man who lives in the area. “Even my wifesaid she wouldn’t come tonight. She said, ‘Don’t makeyourself a target.’” —ALEX KRATZ

December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News ■ 5

Senseless Acts of Violence Put Grand Ave. in 2011 Spotlight

THE YEARIN REVIEW2011

ents went downtown to testify at a City Council hearingfor the DOE’s community engagement office.

At the hearing, parents were told only two of themcould testify because of time constraints. Walcott, whoattended the first two hours of the hearing, bailed beforehearing from PS 51 parents. —ALEX KRATZ (with reporting by RONALD CHAVEZ)

PS 51 Contaminated,Parents Still Outraged

(continued from p. 1 )

CorrectionIn our last issue (Dec. 15-28), the Norwood News

made an editing error in its “Holiday Gift Guide”when describing the jewelry options at Freilich Jewel-ers. The store, located at 312 E. 204th St., offers jewelryfrom a wide range of prices and styles. We regret theerror and apologize for the mistake. For more infor-mation about Freilich Jewelers, visit freilichjewel-ers.com or call (718) 798-1063.

Through Walks andWeigh-ins, SenatorPromotes Healthy Living

Bronx State Sen. Gustavo Rivera spentmuch of this year — his first in office —looking for ways to make the Bronxhealthier. Citing a slew of statistics thatrank the borough last in terms of healthindicators, Rivera launched the BronxCAN (Changing Attitudes Now) HealthInitiative this June.

Partnering with Bronx Borough Presi-dent Ruben Diaz, Jr., local hospitals, anumber of faith and community-basedorganizations and local schools, BronxHealth CAN held health-themed eventsacross the borough throughout thespring, summer and fall, encouragingBronxites to set small health goals forthemselves, like cooking more meals athome or working out a few times a week.Rivera hosted weekly walks, healthscreenings and free exercises classes. Heworked with bodega owners in an effortto get them to sell more fresh fruits and

vegetables in their stores. To publicize the initiative, the Senator

made it personal: at the launch of the pro-gram last spring, he pledged to lose 15 to20 pounds before the first leg of the ini-tiative wrapped up, and held weekly“weigh-ins” where he stepped on thescale. As of November, Rivera has lost 16pounds.

“There’s no better way to do it than toset an example myself,” he said.

Bronx Students GrowFood, Get Jobs

What started a couple of years ago as ascience lesson in the classrooms of Dis-covery High School ballooned this yearinto a full-fledged, borough-wide nonprof-it that trains students in growing andselling their own food.

The Green Bronx Machine was startedby a group of Discovery students and sci-ence teacher Steve Ritz, who for years hashad his students grow their own plantsand vegetables in their Walton campusclassroom, part of his lessons on biology

and earth science. The program becameso popular that it expanded beyond theschool, and students were soon plantingrooftop and urban gardens across theBronx, selling the produce to local restau-rants and farmers markets, or donating itto soup kitchens. This year, Green BronxMachine began offering students theoption of completing a certified trainingprogram.

“We’re not just growing vegetables,we’re growing citi-zens and engagedcommunities,” Ritzsaid.

Their effortshave won the groupcitywide and nation-al recognition. They

won an “Excellence in School WellnessAward” from the Strategic Alliance forHealth, and an “Above and BeyondAward” from ABC news this year.

Smoking Bans Expanded The Bronx became a less welcoming

place for smokers this year, with the pas-sage of a citywide bill that bans lightingup in parks, beaches and other publicplaces . Health advocates had been push-ing for the legislation, which went intoeffect in May, making anyone caughtsmoking in a city park or beach eligiblefor $50 fine.

Supporters of the ban included a num-ber of local organizations and manyBronx City Council members, who saidit’s a key step in reducing the harmfuleffects of second-hand smoke.

“The Bronx has one of the highestasthma rates in the whole city,” said JuanRios, of the Highbridge Community LifeCenter, which is teaming up with theBronx Smoke-Free Partnership to raiseawareness about the dangers of smoking.“Hopefully the legislation will give ussanctuary for nonsmokers, and alsosmokers who are trying to quit.”

Last spring, Montefiore Medical Cen-ter, the Bronx’s largest employer, expand-ed its own campus no-smoking policy toban cigarettes around any of its 100 loca-tions across the borough.

6 ■ December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News

BeHealthy!By JEANMARIE EVELLY

Webster Avenue, a major roadway thatruns through the neighborhoods of Nor-wood and Bedford Park, was rezoned bythe City Council this spring after years ofplanning by local Community Board 7and other major neighborhood institu-tions.

The new zoning is designed to encour-age more retail stores and residentialhousing in an area now largely composedof parking lots and auto body shops.

Though not necessarily a direct resultof the city’s change — zoning plans aremore like gentle hands that shape aneighborhood, and depending on marketconditions, it can take years before anyreal changes are seen — new projectsalready took root this year along Webster.

Jackson Development Group is con-structing over 400 new apartments in fourbuildings along the south end of Wood-lawn Cemetery, just north of Gun Hill

Road. The massive development will becalled “Webster Commons,” and containrentals for low- and moderate-income ten-ants.

Another, much smaller affordablehousing complex is planned for WebsterAvenue just north of 204th Street. Devel-opment groups Azimuth and Sebco pro-posed building 60 apartment units, a por-tion of which would be set aside forformerly homeless families and a firstfloor that would be leased to a for-profitdaycare company.

The rezoning adopted for Websterintentionally creates incentives foraffordable housing, and a City Planningspokesperson compared it to a similarplan approved years ago in Morrisania —a south Bronx neighborhood that’s subse-quently been transformed by a buildingboom over the last decade, where brandnew, low-income housing complexes have

sprung up like dandelions. The city and the Bloomberg adminis-

tration heralds this growth as “revitaliz-ing” to communities; the mayor has even

set a goal of creating or preserving atleast 165,000 units of affordable housingby 2014, part of his New Housing Market-place Plan.

Webster Ave. Rezoning Paves Way for Change

Photo by Adi Talwar

WEBSTER AVENUE, for years comprised of mostly auto body shops and parking

lots, was rezoned this year to encourage more retail and residential housing.

THE YEARIN REVIEW2011

Starting as a lone wolf skateboarder from the Nor-wood area, Kiefer Dixon, 22, has won fame and a few nicepaychecks from his speed and stamina on a longboard (along skateboard). Before winning his ninth race of theyear in Miami, Dixon sat down with the Norwood Newsto talk boards, handstanding his way through TimesSquare, his recent win in Puerto Rico and how the bor-ough has influenced his style.

How did you start out on the longboard?The first board that actually made me like speed skat-

ing was given to me by these Jamaican dudes. They saidthey had a longboard laying around and always saw meskateboarding. It was faster than the one I had at thetime, and I was always by myself, so the speed was defi-nitely what entertained me. The Bronx isn’t the safest

place, but I’ve always kept moving.Tell me about the board you have with you.When I made it, I didn’t measure anything, I did it all

by eye. I like riding big boards because I feel more com-fortable and faster, but I made it narrow so I could getthrough tighter spaces. I got these precision trucks frommy sponsor. They’re small so I don’t step on my wheel. Ihave it angled so it’s super stable and so I don’t get speedwobbles going down hills. I like big wheels too. I usethese ones for training because they’re super heavy.

Do you have a reputation forming in the bor-ough?

My reputation around here is that you’ll never see mewalking. If I’m on the train, people are like, ‘what areyou doing here, don’t you skate?’ Everyone has somestory of me doing a trick or riding on my hands through

a busy intersection. Even my brother’s bus driver sayshe’s proud of me because he never sees me on the cor-ners with my pants down. My trick that I’m know for themost is my handstand on the board. I’ve done hand-stands through traffic, down hills, through 42nd Street.The longest I’ve held it is four blocks going down Broad-way.

What are your roads of choice in the Bronx?I take University Avenue when I feel like bombing

that hill to Manhattan. When I want to go fast throughthe Bronx, I take Jerome. When I want to take the scenicroute, I take the Concourse.

—Interview by EMILY PICCONE

Ed. Note: For the complete version of the this inter-view, visit norwoodnew.org and search “Kiefer Dixon.”

Q&A with Bronx Bomber Kiefer Dixon

December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News ■ 7

8 ■ December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News

WANTED

Daycare Hiring: Must have referencesand pass a background check. Call (917)209-1510 or (347) 595-2951. Ask for Eddie

or Annie.

POSITION WANTED

Nurse’s Aide with 25 years’ experience in

hospitals, nursing homes and private resi-dences seeks employment. Will live in orout. Call (718) 364-7771.

SERVICES AVAILABLE

Tutor: K-9 teacher NYS certified, ESL cer-tified, former NY Times cartographer/staffeditor. (718) 644-1083.

Yoga: Stretching, meditation, drumming ordancing on Fridays and Sundays. $10 persession. RSVP (718) 644-1083 or emailjnorQ@aol.com.

RELIGIOUS SERVICES

Glad Tidings Assembly of God: 2 VanCortlandt Ave. E. and Jerome Avenue. (718)367-4040. Prayer Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and7:30 p.m., Sunday Service at 11 a.m.

MISCELLANEOUS

THANK YOU ST. JUDE.

Siberian Husky Puppies (AKC reg. maleand female): Free to good home. E-mail:lnbest1@gmail.com for more info.

Professional Directory

James M. Visser, esq.General Practice; Accidents,

Commmercial; Wills & Estates;Offices Bronx and Manhattan

(646) 260-6326

Lawyers

Classifieds

Pediatric ServicesTiga Pediatrics

3510 Bainbridge Ave., Suite 5,Bronx, NY 10467

Ages 0 to 21 yearsGeneral Practice, Obesity, Asthma,

ADHDSame-Day Appointment Every Day!

(718) 319-8999

Real Estate2-family house for sale – Fullyrenovated. Includes 3 BR over 3

BR & master bedroom. Wood floorsand tile. Full 1-bedroom basement.This property has 7 bedrooms and4 full baths. Parking and back yard.

New kitchen. Wheelchair ramp.Great investment, it will pay for

itself. You will live for free! Location: Wakefield - Barnes,

between 228th and 229th streets.Minutes away from Montefiore

Hospital. Please call owner: (917) 622-5810

– PRICE: $475,000 (neg.)

Non-DenominationalServices

Good news Christian Church3061 Bainbridge Ave.

(basement of the Church of theHoly Nativity)

Bronx, NY 10467(347) 329-0023

Pastors James and Andrea MillerSunday service at 2 p.m.

Home fellowship bible studies onWednesdays at 7 p.m.

Friday night prayer service at 7 p.m.

Visit us at www.goodnewscc.wordpress.com.

Beautician Services

Come to Madame P’s BeautyWorld

The last old-fashioned hairdresserin the Bronx.

We specialize in haircutting, haircare, and provide consultations

on hair care and weaving to stim-ulate hair growth. We do tintingand use all manners of relaxers,

including Mizani, Affirm,Fiberguard, and Vitale. We use

Wave Nouveau Coiffure. We arestill doing carefree curls andpress and curl. 20% off for

seniors Tuesdays, Wednesdays,and Thursdays.

617 E. Fordham Road (betweenArthur and Hughes), Bronx, NY

3520 TRYON AVENUEPerfectly located co-op. Walk to Montefiore and Subway.

“Handyman Special”1 BR $97,000

Maint: $548.45

4380 VIREO AVENUE2 BR-JR $169,000.00

Maint: $543.69Studios for rent @ $900, No Fee

TO VIEW AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL:

Sherry and Sons, Inc.(914) 793-1793 ext.16

www.sherryandsons.com

CO-OPS FOR SALE

BRONX LOCATIONS: KINGSBRIDGE/NORWOODGRAND CONCOURSE/WOODLAWN

Classifieds: $9 for the first 20 words and 25 cents for each additional word.Professional Directory: $144 for six months; $260 for one year. Business Cards:$360 for six months (12 issues); $625 for one year (25 issues). Deadlines: Deadlinesfor classified ads are one week prior to publication. To place an ad, call the Norwood Newsat (718) 324-4998 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday.

10458. (Fordham UniversitySection). Call today for your

appointment: (347) 284-3834.

We’re Proud to ProvideSafe and AffordableHousing Throughout

The Northwest Bronx.

Studios and 1 Bedroom Apartments Available

Pick up application at:

Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation

2751 Grand Concourse, The Bronx

718-367-3200

December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News ■ 9

Inquiring Photographer By DAVID GREENE

My New Year’s resolu-tion is to be more seri-ous about my health andto just step it up and bemore health conscious,and hopes for the NewYear? To do better inschool and take thingsmore seriously.Alexis nieves

This week we asked readers for New Year’s resolutions and wishesfor 2012.

I just had a baby, so tobe a great mom, alongwith my boyfriend,become great parents,keep going to school,get a job. Hopefully getan apartment and juststart a better life.Vanity Tejada

My New Year’s resolu-tion is to work on bud-geting my finances bet-ter and my hopes for theNew Year is a rebound-ing economy and contin-ued good health.Jorge nieves

For one, help me find ahome. I’m like livingbetween shelters. I knowthe economy is kind oftough, I’m wishing thatthings get better for all ofus. I hope the economygets better. I hope we asa community pull togeth-er and help one another,but things are not look-ing too good right now...I know, I’ve been strug-gling for a very longtime.Anthony Carroll

I hope to spend timewith my family andgoing to school andlearning neat handwrit-ing at school.shantavia Carroll

The story of a community piano pro-ject in Williamsbridge Oval Park took somany twists and turns this past summerit felt like a roller coaster.

In June, the nonprofit group Sing forHope placed a decorated “pop-up” pianofor anyone to use in Oval Park as part ofa project to inject music into the life ofparks throughout the city. Later thatmonth, the Norwood News and dozens ofother news outlets reported the pianostolen after it disappeared.

Some were quick to call the stolenpiano evidence of a neighborhood and aborough trending toward the dark side.

“This type of activity continues to givethe Bronx a bad name and will make itdifficult to bring any type of activity toparts of the Bronx that is not calledRiverdale,” said a commenter on theBronx News Network blog.

Later, as the resurgent Friends ofWilliamsbridge Oval Park volunteergroup was searching for ways to replacethe piano, the News discovered that thepiano had not been stolen. In fact, Parks

Department workers had mistaken thepiano for trash and hauled it out of thepark. (The agency soon apologized for itserror.)

By then, the Friends group had alreadysecured a new piano and was in theprocess of bringing it back to the park

where it would be tri-umphantly paintedby dozens of younglocal residents.

The story wentfrom feel bad, to feelconfused, to feel goodin a matter of days.

“People are dying to have a reason toget involved and contribute to neighbor-hood cohesion,” said Eileen Markey, amember of Friends of the Oval. “Therewere people who came out of the wood-work to help.”

Later in the summer, however, beforeit could be shipped to a permanent home,the new/old/replacement piano was van-dalized and rendered unplayable.

—ALEX KRATZ

The Highs and Lows ofthe Oval Pop-up Piano

THE YEARIN REVIEW2011

noTiCe of PuBliC heArinGA public hearing will be held concerning a local law which will increase theannual budget amount of the Jerome-Gun Hill Road Business ImprovementDistrict (BID), not to exceed $259,000 for the 2012 assessment.  

Wednesday, January 18, 201210AM

250 Broadway, 16th Floor, Hearing RoomNew York, NY 10007

This date may be subject to change. Please call the BID for more informa-tion at (718) 324-4461. 

10 ■ December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News

Events■ The Mosholu Montefiore Senior Center,3450 DeKalb Ave., presents a NewYear’s Party, luncheon at 11:30 a.m., fol-lowed by karaoke and dancing at 12:30p.m. ($4 in advance; $5 at the door). Formore information, call (718) 798-6601.

■ The New York Botanical Garden pre-sents Holiday Train Show, featuring repli-cas of NYC landmarks made of naturalmaterials such as bark, twigs, fruits andseeds, and large-scale model trains run-ning along nearly a quarter mile of trackfeaturing bridges, tunnels and waterfalls,through Jan. 16. Included will be aglimpse at the making of the exhibition at

the Artist’s Studio. Children can enjoyGingerbread Adventures, Holiday FilmFestival, The Little Engine That CouldPuppet Show, and in January, All AboardWith Thomas & Friends. For more infor-mation, tickets, and details of holidayevents and rates, call (718) 817-8700.

■ Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040Grand Concourse (165th Street), pre-sents First Fridays, Jan. 6 from 6 to 10p.m., featuring film, art performances,music and other special events. Formore information, call (718) 681-6000.

Exhibits■ The Pregones Theatre, 571-575

Walton Ave. (149th Street) presentsBreathing History, through Feb. 4. Formore information and a schedule, call(718) 585-1202.

■ The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040Grand Concourse at 165th St., presentsMuntadas: Information, Space,Control, through Jan. 16; and UrbanArchives: Emilio Sanchez in theBronx, through Jan. 2. Admission isfree on Fridays. For more information,call (718) 681-6000.

■ Lehman College’s Art Gallery, locatedat 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., presentsfree Sticks and Stones; and ElMuseo’s Bienal: The (S) Files 2011;both through Jan. 6, free, Tuesdaysthrough Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. For more information, call (718)960-8731.

■ Bronx River Art Center, 305 E. 140thSt., #1A, presents free: ShiftingCommunities, an exhibition highlightingdynamic initiatives in culture and thearts, through Jan. 6. For more informa-tion, call (718) 589-5819.

Library Events■ The Bronx Library Center, at 310 E.Kingsbridge Rd. off Fordham Road, pre-sents programs for kids includingPreschool Story Time, Dec. 29, Jan. 5and 12 at 11 a.m.; Film Day, Jan. 4 and11 at 4 p.m.; Winter Frame Making(ages 5 to 12), Jan. 5 at 4 p.m.; Talesfor the Teeny Tiny (ages 3 to 5), Jan. 7at 11 a.m.; Gates of Equality, one-manshow about Martin Luther King, Jr. (ages5 to 12), Jan. 7 at 2 p.m.; Mad ScienceWorkshops at 4 p.m. (ages 3 to 12; reg-istration required): on walloping weather,Jan. 10; Global Partners, Jr. (ages 5 to12), students connect worldwide via theInternet, Jan. 4 and 11 at 4 p.m.; andTacky the Penguin and Other FrostyWinter Tales (ages 3 to 12), Dec. 29 at2 p.m. Adults can attend Interest: TheKey to Finance, Jan. 3 at 10 a.m.; 2012Tax Season Update Forum for TaxProfessionals, Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m.; FreeEntrepreneurship Workshops, Jan. 7 at11 a.m. and Jan. 10 at 5:30 p.m.; Movie:Czech Cinema: “Little Otik,” Jan. 7 at2:30 p.m.; Raising Financially

a

Music Legends in the BronxThe Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Pk. Blvd. W., presentsmusical legends, The O’Jays, Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. (tickets are $55 to $65). Formore information, call (718) 960-8833.

E D I T O R ’ S P I C K

December 29, 2011–January 11, 2012 ■ Norwood News ■ 11

Responsible Children, Jan. 10 at 10a.m.; and Reproductive Rights andHealth Services, national and localupdates: special training for health pro-fessionals, Jan. 11 at 10 a.m. ESL class-es are offered for speakers of other lan-guages (in-person registration required),Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. and Jan. 10 at 1 p.m.For more information, call (718) 579-4244/46/57 or visit www.nypl.org.

■ The Mosholu Library, at 285 E. 205thSt., offers Knitting Circle at 3 p.m. (foradults), Dec. 29, Jan. 5 and 12; and WiiProgram (for seniors and adults),Tuesdays at 3 p.m. For more informa-

tion, call (718) 882-8239.

■ The Jerome Park Library, at 118 EamesPlace, offers Arts & Crafts (toddlers, ages18 to 36 months), Jan. 9 at 4 p.m. Formore information, call (718) 549-5200.

A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TOALL OUR READERS!

NOTE: Items for consideration may bemailed to our office or sent to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org, andshould be received by Jan. 2 for thenext publication date of Jan. 12. Findmore events at www.norwoodnews.org.

noTiCe of PuBliC heArinG

A public hearing will be held concerning a local law which willincrease the annual budget amount of the Fordham RoadBusiness Improvement District (BID), not to exceed $625,000for the 2012 assessment.

Wednesday, January 18, 201210AM

250 Broadway, 16th Floor, Hearing RoomNew York, NY 10007

This date may be subject to change. Please call the BID formore information at (718) 562-2104 or visit www.fordhamroad-bid.org.