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Serving Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights NORWOOD NEWS Vol. 25, No. 7 ■ PUBLISHED BY MOSHOLU PRESERVATION CORPORATION ■ April 5 –18, 2012 Local Teacher Killed In Mosholu Parkway Motorcycle Crash By DAVID GREENE and noon. JEANMARIE EVELLY “He was very determined to help us. Whenever you had a problem, A 28-year-old Bronx middle school you could just go straight to Mr. teacher was killed last Wednesday Bravo and he’d be right there to help morning after his motorcycle struck you,” the student said. “It’s very sad a concrete overpass on Mosholu to know that we lost one of our Parkway, just a short distance away favorite teachers.” from where a young pedestrian was The accident occurred Wednes - struck and killed in a hit-and-run day morning around 8 a.m., police incident back in December. said, when Bravo’s motorcycle Justin Bravo, of North Babylon, crashed on Mosholu Parkway in a Photo by Adi Talwar Long Island, taught seventh and tunnel that runs underneath Jerome MORE THAN 200 community activists rally outside of the Kingsbridge Armory on March 21 to eighth grade social studies at MS 244, Avenue. He was transported to Mon - demand that any development coming into the long vacant building benefit the community. the New School for Leadership in tefiore Medical Center where he died Journalism, located on 231st Street on arrival. in Kingsbridge, a school employee The incident is the latest in a Activists Say Do Right or said. series of vehicle crashes in the One of his students, who spoke to immediate area that have claimed the Norwood News but whose mother the life of a victim or has left a per - You Can’t Have Our Armory asked that she not be named, said son in serious condition. Bravo was supposed to join the class In late December, a hit-and-run By ALEX KRATZ be part of any winning Armory proposal. on a field trip the day of the crash to driver on Mosholu Parkway, struck The list includes “wall-to-wall” living wage see the movie “Hunger Games,” but and killed Josbel Rivera, 23, less than With proposals for the Kingsbridge jobs ($10 an hour, plus benefits, or $11.50 with - never arrived. Students found out 500 feet from where Bravo crashed. Armory on the verge of being vetted behind out benefits), a new school to relieve over - about the accident when they Police are still looking for the driver, closed doors, more than 200 local activists crowding, dedicated community space for returned from their trip in the after - (continued on p. 11 ) made it clear that any developer chosen by the arts programs and events, priority access for city will have to deal with and provide bene - Bronxites, job training programs and “green” fits to the community. development practices. At a lively rally near the Armory’s front (continued on p. 10 ) State Tells PS 51 entrance on Kingsbridge Road on Wednesday, March 21, the day before the deadline for developers’ submissions, the Kingsbridge Parents Illness ‘Not a Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA), a group that includes the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, staged a Slam Dunk’ candlelight vigil preceded by songs, chants, fiery speeches and spoken word. By JEANMARIE EVELLY parental fears and help them orga - “Whose Armory?” they chanted at various and ALEX KRATZ nize, those in attendance said they’re times during the rally, “Our Armory!” still looking for more help from the “This Armory must build the wealth of In late March, the parents of cur - city’s Department of Education and our local residents and not big businesses,” rent and former PS 51 students met remain concerned about the health said Reverend English Que from Bronx Chris - with state officials to ask questions of their children. tian Fellowship Church in one of the most and discuss their concerns about “It’s very scary when it’s your animated speeches at the rally. potential health effects caused by child, and it’s not something we real - She added, “To the powers that be, we say, exposure to contamination at the ly know much about,” said Helene ‘if you don’t do right by our people, you can’t school’s former site on Jerome Hartman-Kutnowsky, who sits on CB have our Armory.” Avenue. 7s sanitation and environmental In addition to demanding their voice be The building, which was home to committee, and whose daughter, now heard in the development process, the rally the PS 51 (Bronx New School) for 18, attended PS 51 for six years. served as a platform for KARA, which also Photo by Ching Zedrick nearly two decades, tested positive Parents, organizing with the includes dozens of clergy and church groups TOURNEY MVP Kashay Barnes cuts last year for high levels of Northwest Bronx Community and as well as the Retail, Wholesale and Depart - down the net after the Lady Mustangs trichloroethylene (TCE), a toxin Clergy Coalition under the name PS ment Store Union (RWDSU), to outline a list of title win in Peoria, Ill. (See page 10.) linked to cancer. 51 Parents United, met with state community benefits that they believe should While state officials tried to calm (continued on p. 5) ■ Op-Ed: Is the Bronx Gentrifying? p. 6 ■ Breaking Down the Budget, p. 8 ■ Saving Spirit at MS 80, p. 11 www.norwoodnews.org 2 ■ April 5 –18, 2012 ■ Norwood News In The Public Interest Vol. 25, No. 7 Ex-Bronx BP Carrion audit says. —JEANMARIE EVELLY week. Legal Services NYC-Bronx will move Norwood News is published Heads to Private Sector Pols Sponsor Bill to into a commercial condominium that’s bi-weekly on Thursdays by Former Bronx Borough President being built as part of a City-sanctioned Mosholu Preservation Corporation Adolfo Carrion, who has spent the past Protect Facebook development project on a stretch of unde - 3400 Reservoir Oval East three years working for the Obama veloped property at the HUB. When com - administration, is taking a job in the pri - Passwords pleted, the group’s new offices will fea - Bronx, New York 10467 Two Bronx legislators are looking to vate sector with CSA Group, which bills ture a green space and be fully handicap pass a bill that would ban employers from Phone: 718 324 4998 itself as the “largest architectural, engi - accessible, according to a press release requesting social media site passwords Fax: 718 324 2917 neering, environmental services, consult - sent out by Bronx Borough President from job applicants, a practice they say is E-mail: [email protected] ing, and construction and program man - Ruben Diaz, Jr., who is one of several growing in popularity and a threat to the Web: www.norwoodnews.org agement company in the United States.” Bronx representatives working in sup - privacy of job seekers. Carrion, who left the borough presi - port of the project. “This legislation will address a terri - dent’s office in 2009 to become the federal “We at Legal Services NYC-Bronx are ble and growing abuse by certain employ - government’s urban affairs czar and then overwhelmed by the show of support we ers,” said Assemblyman Jeffery Publisher CEO, Mosholu moved on to take over as the regional have received from Bronx elected offi - Dinowitz, who is sponsoring the version Mosholu Preservation Preservation director of U.S. Department of Housing cials in our quest for a new home. For of the bill in the Assembly. “Employers Corporation Corporation and Urban Development (HUD), will be years, we have been searching for an Roberto S. Garcia should not be snooping on social media Editor-in-Chief CSA’s senior advisor for corporate devel - office that is large enough for our 70-per - communications that are private, and Alex Kratz opment, according to a press release sent son staff, for all of our clients to receive they certainly should not be given pass - Staff Writer out this morning. services in confidential and dignified sur - words that are supposed to be kept secret. Jeanmarie Evelly “We at CSA Group are very excited roundings,” said Jennifer Levy, the It’s like an employer asking for a copy of and honored that Adolfo has agreed to group’s director. your house keys so they can have a look Classified Advertising join our firm”, stated JJ Suarez, Chair - Legal Services NYC-Bronx serves around your home.” Dawn McEvoy man and CEO, CSA Group. “Adolfo’s 10,000 Bronx residents a year, offering Reports have indicated a growing trend Accounts Receivable proven track record in empowering legal help to domestic violence victims, of employers who want to browse the Dawn McEvoy urban communities throughout the Unit - disabled and disadvantaged children and Facebook and Twitter accounts of poten - Proofreader ed States, coupled with his economic assisting in medical access, elder abuse tial job applicants as part of their hiring Judy Noy development experience, will be of vital and eviction and foreclosure cases. The process, demanding log-in information. importance as we continue to position group was one of several organizations Production Federal lawmakers, including New York Neil deMause CSA Group as a first-in-class, full service working last year on behalf of the Bronx Senator Charles Schumer, are also speak - project delivery firm in the Infrastruc - Milbank tenants, who were seeking to get Regular Contributors ing out on the issue, asking the U.S. Equal ture and Building markets.” conditions in their dilapidated and fore - David Greene, Adi Talwar, Ronald Chavez, Employment Opportunity Commission Lindsay Armstrong, Emily Piccone CSA specializes in large municipal closed buildings repaired. projects in the United States and Latin and the Department of Justice to launch a Interns —JEANMARIE EVELLY America.