First-Class U. S. Postage Paid New York, NY Permit N o. 4119 Vol. 37, No. 11 www.nyc.gov/nycha NOVEMBER 2007 HUNDREDS OF SENIORS Rich Harvest at the 45th ATTEND 3RD Annual Garden Awards ANNUAL Ceremony in Brooklyn BENEFIT FAIR By Eileen Elliott EIGHTY -TWO -YEAR -OLD DOROTHY POINDEX - TER OF ST. N ICHOLAS HOUSES IN MAN - HATTAN CAME TO GET HER BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED . Seventy-six- year-old Hattie Blaine of the Douglass Houses, also in Man - hattan, came to have her hear - ing tested; and 86-year-old Jean Cauch of Pelham Parkway in the Bronx came for one of the most popular services, to get her AFFORDABILITY The above rendering, submitted as part of the ini - Senior I.D. replaced. tial proposal by the Atlantic Development Group, depicts the mixed- The New York City Housing income apartments to be built at Harborview Terrace at West 55th Authority’s (NYCHA’s) fastest Street in Manhattan, in a NYCHA/HPD collaboration. growing populatio n—seniors HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? It’s hard work by NYCHA resi - age 62 or olde r—came by the dents that makes the beautiful gardens entered into the Garden NYCHA AND HPD COLLABORATE bus load to Riverbank State Park and Greening Program what they are. Above, Citywide Vegetable Win - ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN in Harlem on the morning of ner Marion Dolphus, who has won many times, joins NYCHA’s Board October 4th to take advantage and staff, along with a representative from Brooklyn Borough Pres - CHELSEA AND HUDSON YARDS of the Housing Authority’s Third ident Marty Markowitz’s office, Italia Guerrero, second from right. Annual Senior Benefit and MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS COMING TO MANHATTAN , THANKS TO A COL - By Eileen Elliott Entitlement Fair. LABORATION BETWEEN THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY They were met there by (NYCHA) AND THE CITY ’S DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING , P RESERVATION AND THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY (NYCHA) AND THE RESIDENTS approximately 32 service DEVELOPMENT (HPD). On September 26th, NYCHA Chairman Tino OF NYCHA’ S 343 PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS HAVE BEEN KEEPING Hernandez joined HPD Commissioner Shaun Donovan to announce that providers eager to share a NEW YORK CITY GREEN SINCE 1962. That’s the year NYCHA started the development teams have been chosen to build 400 units of affordable wealth of information on topics Citywide Resident Garden Competition. The concept was simple: pro - housing on NYCHA properties in West Chelsea and the HudsonYards on health-related and otherwise. vide the resources — soil, seeds and bulbs, gardening tips and technical Manhattan’s West Side. Artimus Construction will be the lead developer This year’s fair was especially support — and see who could grow the best gardens in the City. Now in its 45th year, the NYCHA Garden and Greening Program is stronger than of new affordable apartments at two sites within the Fulton and Elliott- (Continued on page 6) Chelsea Houses, and a joint venture composed of the Atlantic Develop - ever. Winners for each borough in the “Flower,” “Vegetable” and “Chil - ment Group and the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty will be the dren’s Theme” categories, along with Citywide winners, gathered developer of new mixed-income apartments near Harborview Terrace on together in the beautifully decorated Williamsburg Community Center the West Side of Manhattan. The new housing will bring the Housing in Brooklyn on September 27th to be recognized for the flowers, vegeta - Authority an estimated $20 million in revenue to help bles and fruits of their labor. preserve public housing. Community Operations Deputy example you set back in 1962,” the “By making underutilized prop - The third site serves as a parking General Manager Hugh Spence Chairman said. “Now everyone’s erty available, the Housing lot and basketball court for Har - thanked all of the gardeners and into greening.” The Chair con - Authority is continuing to con - borview Terrace. Replacement NYCHA staff at the start the pro - cluded, “You give beauty and we tribute to this unprecedented parking areas will be provided to gram. “It’s hard work,” he said. appreciate that.” period of affordable housing serve current residents of the “You put a lot of time in and I Also present were Vice-Chair - development initiated by Mayor complexes. know that many of you spend a lot man Earl Andrews, Jr. and Board Bloomberg,” said Chairman Her - “As the City’s population grows, of your own money to make these Member Margarita López, whom nandez. “The construction of these and the need for affordable hous - gardens as beautiful as they are.” the Mayor had recently appointed affordable units will enhance this ing increases, one thing that Mr. Spence also thanked the “Environmental Coordinator” to vibrant community while also cre - remains fixed is the supply of judges and the NYCHA Board, spearhead environmental initia - atively bringing NYCHA much- available land,” said HPD Com - without whose support, he said, tives at the Housing Authority. needed revenue, vital to the missioner Shaun Donovan. “This program would not be Seventy-six-year-old Marion preservation of public housing in “In an era where more New possible.” Dolphus of South Jamaica Houses New York City.” Yorkers are struggling to meet the Chairman Tino Hernandez in Queens wasn’t exactly sure how Two of the three sites where the rising cost of housing, we need to echoed Mr. Spence’s thanks and many times she’d won first place in construction will take place are take every opportunity we have to Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott praise, telling the gardeners they the Citywide Vegetable category, currently parking lots for the Ful - make housing more affordable,” spoke at the Senior Benefit and are pioneers. “It looks like the but guessed that her win this year ton and Elliott-Chelsea complexes. (Continued on page 5) Entitlement Fair on October 4th. whole world is following the (Continued on page 5) PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGES 10 AND 11 NOVEMBER IS DIABETES NYCHA AWARDS SCHOLAR- SEE THIS YEAR’S CITYWIDE AWARENESS MONTH SHIPS TO CUNY STUDENTS GARDEN WINNERS THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 2 NOVEMBER 2007 MAYOR’S MESSAGE THE FACES OF NYCHA November Is National Diabetes Month Meet Chico Garcia, ‘The Messenger’ By Heidi Morales NOVEMBER IS NATIONAL DIA - NTONIO HICO ARCIA WAS BETES AWARENESS MONTH , A A “C ” G PATIENTLY WAITING OUTSIDE IN MONTH THAT IS ESPECIALLY SIG - FRONT OF ONE OF HIS MURALS AT NIFICANT FOR NEW YORKERS . Why? Because, unfortunately, a THE STRAUS PERFORMING ARTS report released by the City’s CENTER . He’s a pro at this. He’s Health Department shows that been interviewed so many times the diabetes epidemic is contin - that he no longer has to be per - uing to take a large and growing suaded to open up and tell his toll on New York City. Death story. His shy yet playful rates, debilitating complications, demeanor makes it easy to talk to and hospitalization costs con - him and he seems to keep his cre - tinue to soar. Some 500,000 New ative genius bottled up until he finds the appropriate space to let Yorker s— one out of eight adult s—have been diagnosed his thoughts and emotions run COMEDY AND TRAGEDY Chico Garcia got his start painting memo - with diabetes. Another 200,000 wil d—in his c ase it’s a white or rial walls on the Lower East Side. Here, he stands in front of a mural have diabetes but don’t yet know defaced wall. he painted of the dramatic masks at Straus Performing Arts Center it. The death rate from diabetes Antonio “Chico” Garcia is a for - on East 27th Street in Manhattan. rose by 71% between 1990 mer graffiti artist turned muralist. His work is dis played all over the and 2003. became a tradition in neighbor - eled around the world as an ambas - The report also exposes unacceptable disparities among neighbor - City, especially on the Lower East Side where he grew up and began hoods across the City. sador for this genre of art. He’s hoods and racial/ethnic groups. New Yorkers in East Harlem, Word got around and Chico was painted walls in Italy, Holland and Williamsburg, Bushwick and certain parts of the South Bronx are creating a name for himself. Numerous new spaper articles have being sought after from all over the Japan. Thanks to Chico, for more hospitalized for diabetes at ten times the rate of people living on the five boroughs and as far away as than a decade, memorial paintings Upper East Side. been written ab out him. He’s been profiled in Vogue ; he’s been refer - London where he created a memo - on the walls of abandoned build - Residents in the most affected areas also die from diabetes at seven rial wall in Piccadilly Circus com - ings, bodegas, empty lots and play - times the rate of New Yorkers in the least affected neighborhoods. enced in many books about urban culture and art; and his work has memorating the 20th anniversary grounds became solemn places for Among racial/ethnic groups, black New Yorkers have the highest of Jimi Hendrix’s death. He’s trav - death rate from diabetes, dying at three times the rate of white even appeared in big Hollywood (Continued on page 9) New Yorkers. flicks like “The Super” and “I Like To quote New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. It Like That.” He is called “The Frieden, “Tragically, [diabetes] is hurting our low-income communi - Messenger” on the streets of New ties much more than others. With good management, we can prevent York City.