If you heard the loud explosion this morning in Kingsbridge/Bronx (we did) it was at least one house on 234th St. and Tibbett Ave. the southwest corner right near the steps up to Waldo Ave. in Riverdale. I didn’t count but it seemed like 50 or 60 fire engines of every type and police cars are there. I’m still hearing helicopters and sirens more than an hour later. I just read a tweet from Dean Meminger of NY1 that a firefighter was killed “while responding to an illegal drug lab fire.” So sad and upsetting. I hope everyone else is OK. Here’s the NY1 link: http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2016/09/27/kingsbridge-gas-explosion-and-fire.html
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Help City Limits Keep at Its Critical NYC Investigative Reporting! 40th Gala on Sept. 26.
25 AugCity Limits in NYC, which has reported on, investigated and uncovered critical issues facing residents and communities in every borough, is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a grand gala on Monday, Sept. 26. Please check it out and spread the word among friends, co-workers, colleagues, bosses and whoever else you think of. I wrote for CL many times and worked for them for a couple of years. I care even more now because no other publication investigates urban issues and challenges to the extent they do. It’s a critical time, when rents continue to rise making more and more families fall from the ability to stay in neighborhoods that have long been their home. From my own experience running the nonprofit Norwood News I learned that nonprofit publications like CL cannot survive on advertising alone. City Limits need support from everyone that reads it and find it meaningful, effective and relevant. That’s a lot of people. Let’s all keep CL around another 40 years!
Arts and (Photo)Graphs: My Opening at An Beal Bocht
28 JunHey Bronx (and Beyond) Pals: My art and photo exhibit – at An Beal Bocht (cool, artsy Irish pub/cafe in Riverdale/Bronx) opens on July 6, next Wednesday, beginning at 6 p.m. It’s at 445 W. 238th St. in Riverdale, a short (if somewhat steep) walk from the 238th St. 1-train station. An Beal Bocht will provide some food. They’d just like you to shell out a little dough to buy some booze or whatever else (water, juice, soda, whatever) you’d like to take a swig of. Don’t worry if you come later – even a lot later – than that. I’m figuring it will go on until at least 10 p.m., or probably beyond that when the last one of us heads out the door. Here are a couple of photos of what I’ll be showing.
One of my abstract paintings, collage, whatever you wanna call it:
One of my photos … (Guess where and when? 😉
OK, hope you can make it, but if you can’t the exhibit will continue through the month of July. Thanks! If you have any questions, just email me at bronxmatters@gmail.com.
City Limits Highlights 40 Years of Critical Reporting
3 FebCity Limits is 40 years old this year. For most of its life thus far it was a hand-held magazine, but for a couple of years now it’s been a website with the same critical coverage of urban policies that affect all New Yorkers and their neighborhoods.
Celebrating its impressive anniversary (how many nonprofit publications are around for four decades?) City Limits highlights a story from each of those 40 years (including my piece -part of a series produced by Tom Robbins and his excellent students at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism – about a boy’s death following a fire in a disastrous Bronx building long-ignored by its landlord.)
What City Limits also has up and running are essays by many of its former editors including Robbins, Alyssa Katz and Doug Turetsky. (Bronx and Norwood neighborhood resident Jarrett Murphy is the current editor who made this whole lookback happen.)
Take a read and pass it on. It’s good for everyone to know more about where we were and focus on what policies still need focus and change.
DEP Needs to Do Its Job Clearing Jerome Park Reservoir Sidewalk
25 JanThose of us who live around the Jerome Park Reservoir probably know that most of that 2-mile-long public sidewalk has not been dug out after the historic snowstorm. It’s the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that’s responsible for that, not the Parks Department, which is doing a great job clearing the paths at Fort Independence Park which is also adjacent to the reservoir.
As the photo above shows, salt has been put down near that park’s entrance (by NYC Parks Dept. just to help access to their the park they’re responsible for I’m guessing), but that can only help a bit considering the snow’s height and since 2/3 of the reservoir is inaccessible to local residents and workers.
I called 311 but was on hold for a very long time thanks to the snowstorm. So I went on 311’s website and app but the complaint choices were not helpful in this situation. I then went to DEP’s website and made the following complaint to DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd. If you share this concern I suggest you do the same. I’ll let you know if I get a response.
Hi Comm. Lloyd,
While the snow has been removed from Fort Independence Park in CB8/Bronx, it has not been removed from the public sidewalks around the Jerome Park Reservoir (other than at Lehman College, which probably did the work itself for student and staff access). This is DEP’s job as far as I know. It is a critical sidewalk to clear as it’s the way so many people walk to work, school, home, etc. The way it is, people are more likely to fall or walk in the street, which is also very dangerous of course. If you or someone on staff can let me know when DEP will be coming to clear sidewalk surround the reservoir. I would appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Jordan Moss
Oh, while I’m at it, here’s the excellent job Parks Dept. workers already did at Fort Independence Park (also know to many locals as Pigeon Park).
Parks Dept. workers cleared the Fort Independence Park pathway this morning. Photos by Jordan Moss
Bronxites Welcome Refugees (well, not ALL Bronxites)
12 JanPoster on our front door in Kingsbridge Heights
A few weeks ago I ordered 10 copies of the poster above for the front door of our house in Kingsbridge Heights and for some friends and neighbors sharing our feeling. It’s a bit of a wish as the U.S. has barely opened the nation’s doors yet, with only 2,290 allowed in since 2011. Canada, a much smaller nation population-wise, has opened its doors for more than 9,000 people.
No one has said anything much to us. Our neighbors either share the same views, or respect our right to make them known. We’ll leave it up until the U.S. speeds up and expands its policy.
But in the Norwood neighborhood, where we lived for many years, our pals Jarrett Murphy and Eileen Markey did get a written response taped to their door. Little did that person know it was a letter to an editor.
Jarrett didn’t hesitate to share his feeling with quite a larger audience on the City Limits website. Well-written and humor-providing. Check it out.
Oh, by the way, I have like 4 posters left, so if you want one for your front door, just e-mail me at bronxmatters@gmail.com and we’ll make it happen! They’re $18 each.
A Bronx NYCHA Mess for All to See
15 DecWhat should be a parking lot at Fort Independence Houses in Kingsbridge Heights is now a virtual dumping ground that NYCHA is ignoring. Photo by Jordan Moss
For months NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) has ignored this enormous mess at at Fort Independence Houses in Kingsbridge Heights. It’s essentially an unused parking lot on Heath Avenue that has been filled with all kinds of garbage over the last several months.
This shouldn’t be a costly fix. NYCHA should just be paying attention to land that it owns and is responsible for.
If you know of similar problems at other Bronx NYCHA sites and can send Bronx Matters photos, we’d be happy to spread the word and hopefully get NYCHA on its toes. Just email bronxmatters@gmail.com.
Bronx Matters 