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Discover Bed-Stuy Opens the Door to Services

Editor, Our Time Press
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By Amelia Rawlins
“A labor of love” is how chair of the planning team and coach of The Bedford-Stuyvesant Youth, Education and Safety Task Force, Brenda Fryson, described the hard work put towards the Sixth Annual Discover Your Neighborhood Resource and Safety Expo.

The informational event held last Thursday, June 7 at Boys and Girls High School featured about 100 community partners, set with a merchant’s circle, food court, in-depth workshops and all the information a community could want and need.

“The intent is to bring resources to the people in this community,” Fryson said. “Many times our people #1, don’t have access to services or #2, they have difficulty negotiating the system. So it was very important to have the resources right here where they can walk and go directly to the services; it’s a wonderful opportunity to get answers in your own home.”

In attendance were: Interfaith Medical Center, Brownstoner’s of Bedford-Stuyvesant, the NAACP, NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs, Youth Arts Academy, City Harvest, Medgar Evers College, Covenant House and National Grid, just to name a few. Community partners including homemade jewelry makers, Avon and restaurants such as Beso and Sugarhill Supperclub also lent a hand in the expo.

According to Fryson, the success of the event was owed to the partners, agencies, Boys and Girls High School and Council member Albert Vann, who funded the event. “We couldn’t do any of this without that kind of support,” she said.

Council member Albert Vann was truly overjoyed at the success of the expo and believes that this was an indication of how great Bed-Stuy is becoming again.

“This event is awesome. It’s what I work for; for our neighborhood to come out to engage and for all the providers in our community to realize how strong we are as a community,” Vann said. “You would be surprised how many people don’t realize the resources that are available to them in their neighborhood and they think they have to go someplace else. Whatever you need we can probably help you get it or refer you to where it is available.”

As participants walked away with tons of materials and information about health, safety, community assistance and programs, the occasion proved to be successful, especially for resident Renyah Alexander.
“I am glad for the turnout,” she said. “People need to be informed about their health and education. A lot of people I know, don’t know about these opportunities, that’s why I take a lot of pamphlets, I take a bag to make people around me aware as well.”

Towards the evening, everyone was invited inside to the Gala Community Celebration of Boys and Girls High School, “Making The Return To Greatness,” which celebrated the school and other efforts in the area; a sure conclusion to end such a historic event.

Inez Barron and Chris Banks Face Off in ENY Assembly Debate

Mary Alice Miller
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Assemblywoman Inez Barron
Assemblywoman Inez Barron defended her record in a tense debate in ENY. The debate was organized by the Nonprofit Commission, led by Dennis Taylor. Barron is running for her third term. She is being challenged by Chris Banks, Executive Director of East New York United Concerned Citizens, Inc., and executive member of Community Board #5.

Banks said he does not support mayoral control of schools, preferring parent control. “Bloomberg made a terrible mistake by putting private institutions in public buildings,” said Banks, referring to co-location of charter schools. Barron said she is working on legislation to end mayoral control. “There are 150 legislators who are entitled to vote. The downstate legislators, in large measure, did not vote for mayoral control,” said Barron. “We have to influence the upstate people, whose children don’t come to our schools and who don’t understand the problem.”

On the issue of small business development, Banks said he would build on his relationships with local business to form a small business council. Barron said she has put local business in touch with Grants News, a publication that lists available state grants. She also said she worked to establish tax breaks to businesses that hire youth ages 16-24 commencing this summer.

Regarding gentrification, Barron said the district’s annual median income is $20,000. She said the state owns the land to be developed with businesses and housing as an extension of Gateway, but the developer does not want to pay market rate for the land. “We have to make sure the developer does not get a sweetheart deal such as what happened at Atlantic Yards. The plan we have is for them to develop affordable housing like Dumont Green.” Barron said she worked to keep Starrett City in Mitchell-Lama for the next 30 years. Banks said one way to fight gentrification is through jobs. “Right now, the leadership has no plan to bring jobs to the community,” Banks said.

At that point Taylor interjected, stating, “All we want to know is what your vision is, what is your plan, and the method to achieve your plan.” This seemed odd, since any elected official should be able to be challenged on their record in office, yet Taylor compared this to asking someone’s sexual orientation. It looked like he was coming to the defense of Assemblywoman Barron as if she was not capable of defending her record on her own. A similar occurrence took place during a debate when Barron first ran for Assembly in 2008. A candidate alleged that cronyism was taking place because she is married to the district’s Councilman, Charles Barron. That debate was also stopped as several individuals, including her husband, came to her defense.

Asked about plans to include youth in the political process, Barron said we can establish a mentor program. “In Albany, we have interns who get training,” she said. “In addition, we need a curriculum in our schools that shows students civic responsibility.” She also mentioned a new law that allows 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the primary, to register to vote. Banks said he has implemented a civic awareness program that provides youth participants with a stipend.

The candidates were questioned about advocacy for a supermarket and additional banking services in ENY. Banks said he would build broken relationships to work with big box stores, as well as bring nonprofits, churches and tenant associations together to develop a community benefits agreement that speaks for the entire community and make sure that any business that does come pays a living wage. Barron recalled that in 1995 the community fought for the location of the Linden Multiplex Theater to instead be a supermarket. “We lost that battle,” Barron said. “But a supermarket is part of the consideration for Gateway as well as a community center that would house a bank.”

Barron said cuts to day care centers are a problem and pointed out that Bloomberg is taking contracts for long-established centers and giving them to others who have no cultural connection to the community. Banks said a day care center was closed on his block and replaced with a shelter. He recommends a “vertical coalition” with the state and city legislators to fight cuts to services that the community needs.

The candidates were asked one change they would recommend to better the community. Banks said ENY is oversaturated with shelters and prefers that community residents are educated and gainfully employed as productive citizens. Barron said she would change institutionalized poverty with programs from the federal, state and city that would address the needs of our community.

Sports: Sizzling Stripes

Eddie Castro
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Alex Rodriguez ties the ballgame with his 23rd career grand slam, tying Lou Gehrig for most in Major League history. Photo: Courtesy MLB.
As expected, the New York Yankees are right in the middle of things in the AL East.

Last month, it seemed that the Yanks may have very well buried themselves in the division with Baltimore and Tampa Bay going head-to-head for first place. The emergence of both their hitting and pitching has been a key factor in their turnaround. Once again, the buzz is back, however, manager Joe Girardi is not surprised at all about his team’s recent play. “I felt that if we just execute, and play the way we know how to play with some consistency, we’ll be right there,” he said.

Their pitching has been very durable now with the heroics of the returning Andy Pettitte, who seems to be penciling himself once again as the number two starter in the rotation. Pettitte will be 40 later this month but he sure is not pitching like a man turning 40. Already this year, Pettitte has had over three starts with 8 strikeouts or more in a game. Supposedly, you would think it’d be hard for a pitcher his age after taking a year off to take some time to get in the mix of things. Not Pettitte, he is pitching like he’s never left and it takes pressure off pitchers like C.C. Sabathia and Ivan Nova. Other than Pettitte, Phil Hughes is coming around as he seems to have regain his aggressive form he had coming out of the bullpen in 2009. Hiroki Kuroda’s first season in pinstripes seemed like it was going to be a dreadful one as well. However, he too is coming with a more “go right at ’em” approach. In his last three starts, Kuroda’s ERA is an astonishing 0.83.

The last 18 games both the Yankees pitching and hitting have picked up. Their ERA (as a team) is 1.99, which includes a 1.76 ERA in the month of June, which is the best in the majors. In that same span, the Yankee bats have woken up as well hitting 31 home runs to go along with a .265 batting average. All that adds up to a 14-4 record, which has put them in a two-way first-place tie with the Tampa Bay Rays. Players like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher, all who had slumps to start the campaign, appear to have gotten their mojo back.

As a team, the Yankees have now taken the league lead in home runs with 93. Even though it may not seem like the right time to get hot, the Yankees are again in another battle for first place and with their recent hitting and pitching, they could be awfully dangerous come the second half of the season.

Question is, can they keep this up, after all, they are a veteran team and many critics may feel this “old mustang” may break down as we hit towards July and October. All in all, it has to be the Yankee pitching to get it done for them in a division that can very well have both of the wild cards to come out that division. As much as we talk about the rotation and their hitting, the Yankee bullpen has not gotten any recognition. We tend to forget that the bullpen, despite losing Mariano Rivera for the season, and David Robertson has been out as well, they still have managed to close out games for their starters. Consistency is key, Girardi said, so as we head towards the end of interleague play, the Yankees, despite the recent hot streak, will have to prove to many fans as well as their critics that this is no surprise and this year can very well be 2009 all over again.

Sports Notes: (Basketball) The NBA Finals are set. A matchup that many people predicted before the season will become a reality as LeBron James continues to fight for his 1st-ever NBA Championship as they play Kevin Durant and the young and hungry Oklahoma City Thunder. It will be the first time since 1997 (Jordan and Malone) that the NBA Finals will include the NBA’s regular season MVP (James) and the NBA’s scoring champ (Durant). (Baseball). Interleague play is here!! The Mets finish up a 3-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees head to the nation’s capital for a weekend 3-game set against Bryce Harper and the Nationals.

Kids thrilled for summer employment City program has 19,000 applicants, only 350 slots

Stephen Witt
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Anthony Saunders, 15, looked sharp in a business suit and ready to work as he waited in line to learn of his job assignment at the Police Athletic League (PAL) Wynn Center on Tuesday.
“I hope I get a job working with kids or interning at a law firm,” he said. “I want to be a criminal defense lawyer because I like to defend people.”

 

Saunders was one of about 350 young people ages 14-24 who stood in a line around the corner from the center at 495 Gates Avenue to find out where they are working under the city’s Summer Youth Employment program.
PAL Director of Youth Employment Tamara Chalvire said the 350 were chosen from over 19,000 applicants through a lottery system.
“My twin brother and I both signed up on the computer, but he wasn’t picked in the lottery,” said Saunders, adding that both he and his brother worked at the Billie Holiday Theater in Restoration Plaza last summer.
Chalvire said the PAL is just one of several nonprofits contracted out by the city to place youths in summer jobs. Pay is $7.25 per hour for 25 hours per week for the seven-week program, she said.
Chalvire said the PAL places the kids in jobs at hospitals, clinics, NYPD precincts, PAL Centers and playschools in playgrounds.
Sometimes the city comes up with a little more money and we can place more kids, she said.
Shanae Avis, 17, a senior at Sheepshead Bay High School and who lives in Brownsville, said she was glad she was picked in the lottery.
“I’d like to work in a hospital,” she said, “because I want to be a doctor.”

View From Here: Is Anyone Listening?

David Mark Greaves
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We were up on Tompkins and Willoughby last week, looking at the sheet-covered corpse of a young man said to have been chased and shot in the face in the middle of the afternoon, by more than one assailant. This is madness. This is so crazy you cannot believe it’s real. Tackling crime is one thing and dealing with social unrest is another and is the plan that only crime-fighting techniques and repression will be relied upon to quell a social discontent that requires social solutions and not a militarized response? Have they learned nothing from history or even from poetry about the explosive energy in a crushed dream?

I’m sure Mayor Bloomberg is an honorable man, having only the best intentions toward the African-Americans and Hispanics now in his care. He must feel, and therefore it must be true, that it is in the best interest of the child to have the mother leave her job and stay home like Anne Romney and raise thee children. But like Ginger Rogers having to dance backward in heels with Fred Astaire, the women affected by the center closings have a different degree of difficulty, working to raise their children without multimillionaire husbands and having to take handouts from the state.

And we see that the DOE and the UFT and the Federal government are all very much intent on helping inner city Black youth and bring to the struggle passionate and opposing positions, agreeing on only one thing: That Black people will never control their own education. They saw what happened during segregation, when Black teachers produced professors, doctors, engineers and more, using hand-me-down supplies and their love for their students. They’ll be no more of that. These folks who mean us only the very best have put a stop to that kind of teaching and the results are in: a 50% dropout rate and graduates unprepared to compete in today’s world. The overseers are content with dickering over how money will be divided and who will call the tune for the Black folks to dance to.

There are those who say it is a deliberate and targeted repression of Black people, but that would be calling into question the honorable intentions of the men and women who insist they have only the best interests of Black people at heart and it would be disrespectful not to take them at their word.

However, this business with the day care centers closing to save a few hundred thousand dollars each, seems counter-productive when the prison costs for the population of one block could exceed a million dollars, not even accounting for the lost productivity of a lost life. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a billionaire and he must know what’s needed to get ahead, and perhaps the toughening up under a regime of poverty and roughness is just the character-builder that’s needed by “urban youth.”

There is another thought that the center closings are like a magician’s ploy of concentrating audience attention on one hand while the other is busy elsewhere. But that would be cynical and unfair without corroborating evidence.

People have got to step forward and make this right, or “the street” will step forward and we don’t know where that will end.

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