stars shine at the annual talent show - new york · new yorkers can be proud of the tremendous...

Vol. 36, No. 8 www.nyc.gov/nycha AUGUST 2006

PAGE 2MEET DREW-HAMILTON’STAVELL FOX

PAGE 3BOARD ADOPTS BUDGETAND 2006 ANNUAL PLAN

PAGE 5FIRST CULINARY ARTSPROGRAM GRADUATES

City Renames W. 103rd Street In Honor Of Humphrey Bogart’s Childhood HomeDESPITE THE RAIN ON THE EARLY AFTER-NOON OF JUNE 24TH, REPRESENTATIVES

FROM THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING

AUTHORITY (NYCHA) JOINED MOVIE-LEG-END LAUREN BACALL, HER SON STEPHEN

BOGART, AND GARY DENNIS, WHO

IS THE OWNER OF THE UPPER WEST

SIDE VIDEO STORE MOVIE PLACE,FOR A STREET RENAMING CEREMONY

ON WEST 103RD STREET IN

HONOR OF ITS MOST FAMOUS RESI-DENT AND MS.BACALL’S LATE HUS-BAND, HUMPHREY DEFOREST

BOGART. The ceremonyincluded a plaque unveilingat 245 West 103rd Street,where the film icon, whostarred in such classics as“Casblanca” and “The Mal-tese Falcon,” lived from thetime of his birth in 1899 until

HONORING AN ICON (Left to Right) Council Member Melissa MarkViverito, Movie Place’s Gary Dennis (partially hidden), Resident Association President St. Clair Clement, Lauren Bacall, ChairmanTino Hernandez and Stephen Bogart with the new street sign honoring the actor Humphrey Bogart. At right, the plaque NYCHAinstalled at the site of Bogart's former home.

he was 23. The brownstone nowon that site is part of NYCHA’sDouglass Houses Rehabs.

“It is an honor to be here withMs. Bacall, a legend in her own

right,” said NYCHA ChairmanTino Hernandez. “Once we weremade aware of this request weworked diligently to install aplaque.”

Also present were RecordsCommissioner Brian Anders-son, City Council MemberMelissa Mark Viverito,Assembly Member Daniel J.O’Donnell and ResidentAssociation President St.Clair Clement.

The effort was initiated byMr. Dennis, who said that hewas thrilled with the City’sresponse. The street’s newsecondary name betweenBroadway and West EndAvenue is now “HumphreyBogart Place.”

THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING

AUTHORITY’S (NYCHA’S) ANN-UAL TALENT SHOW HAD A NEW

TWIST THIS YEAR: “REALITY TVMADNESS.” Staged as though itwas a television production for“Channel 36,” the 36th AnnualTalent Show, held at Manhattan’sFashion Institute of Technology(FIT) on June 25th, featured par-odies of popular reality TVshows, interspersed with the res-ident performances. And the ver-satile Comedian Brooklyn Mike,whose real name is Mike Troy,was the host.

The program began with“NYCHA Idol,” accompanied byalmost the same degree ofexcitement as the real “AmericanIdol.” As Brooklyn Mike said,“We don’t have Paula, Randy orSimon, but we do have song-writer, author and poet EugeneKitt; actor and songwriter DannyMadden; actor Jesus Martinez;actor, singer and former Rock-ette Erika Vaughn; and directorJesse Wooden, Jr., here to judgethe competition.”

It’s not easy to get up and per-form even in front of a smallgroup, let alone the crowd inFIT’s enormous Haft Audito-

FIRST PLACE The graceful LaGuardia Dancers from the Lower EastSide won first place in the 55 and Up Age Category.

STARS SHINE AT THE ANNUAL TALENT SHOW

rium, but the NYCHA contestants pulled it off without a hitch. In the 6-12 Age Category, Tytiana Brown of Brooklyn’s Gravesend

Houses took first place for her rendition of “If It’s Loving That YouWant.” The second-place prize went to the dance group Latino Kidsof Brooklyn’s Morris Houses and the third-place winners, also from

(Continued on page 5)

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES (Left to Right) City Council Members DanielR. Garodnick and Melissa Mark Viverito, Mayor Michael R.Bloomberg, NYCHA Chairman Tino Hernandez, Holmes Houses Res-ident Association President Sally Maldonado, Assembly MemberJonathan L. Bing and Council on the Environment of New York CityExecutive Director Marcel Van Ooyen cut the ribbon on a new green-market at NYCHA’s Holmes Towers.

RIPE, RED STRAWBERRIES, APPLES OF ALL KINDS, CRISP GREEN BEANS AND

RHUBARB TO YOUR HEARTS DESIRE. This was just some of the fresh producesold at the Greenmarket Kick-Off event on June 25th at the New YorkCity Housing Authority’s (NYCHA’s) John Haynes Holmes Towers onthe Upper East Side of Manhattan.

In an effort to bring affordable and fresh produce to underserved com-munities, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Council Member Daniel R.Garodnick (Council District 4) and NYCHA Chairman Tino Hernandez,among other key organizers, announced the opening of the Holmes Tow-ers Greenmarket along with nine other farmer’s markets throughout the

Greenmarket at Holmes TowersBy Heidi Morales


By Deborah Williams

2 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALAUGUST 2006

Setting Priorities in the City’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2007

CREATING JOBS AND OPPORTU-NITY IN ALL FIVE BOROUGHS

AND CONTINUING FISCAL

RESTRAINT AT CITY HALL —THAT’S THE RIGHT FORMULA

FOR NEW YORK’S LONG-TERM

STABILITY AND GROWTH. Andit’s the foundation of the $52.9billion budget agreement weworked out this summer withthe City Council. It covers Fis-cal Year 2007 — the 12-monthperiod that began on July 1,2006, and it funds key invest-ments that will help make thenation’s safest big city even

safer, enhance neighborhood quality of life, continue the historicturnaround of our public schools and fuel our growing economy.It also makes down payments now on big future costs.

The budget deal gives the go-ahead for putting 1,200 morepolice officers on our streets by next July: 800 newly hired offi-cers and 400 officers re-assigned from desk jobs to patrol duty.We’ll also keep our police officers safer by purchasing 18,000new bulletproof vests over the next two fiscal years. These vestsare designed to the NYPD’s own exacting specifications. Andwe’ll continue to build new police, f ire and EMS stationsthroughout the City.

The budget agreement also green-lights major improvementsto neighborhood quality of life. That includes developingBrooklyn Bridge Park, and a major new park at Fresh Kills onStaten Island, as well as continuing our ambitious $200-millionplus expansion and improvement of parks across the Bronx.Together with Council Speaker Christine Quinn, we’re alsolocking in annual City funding both for five-day-a-week ser-vices at all our public libraries and for summer jobs for youngpeople across our City.

The new budget also continues the City’s largest-ever school construction program. It’s a five-year, $13 billion plan (and earlierthis year, we persuaded the State to pay for half of it). We’re oncourse to create 66,000 new classroom seats throughout the City,and build the labs, libraries, gyms and other facilities our young-sters need for a first-class education.

Better schools are essential to the City’s economic future. Soare the job-creating projects funded in the budget — projectslike extending the Number 7 subway line, building the new EastRiver Science Park, and redeveloping the Homeport on StatenIsland. And the $400 property tax rebate once again included inthis year’s budget will not only be good news to our hardworkinghomeowners; it will also support neighborhood businesses andjobs in all five boroughs.

As many New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) resi-dents are aware, the City’s budget for Fiscal Year 2007 alsoincludes $120 million for NYCHA, as it works to implement its“Plan to Preserve Public Housing.” I was happy to be able toallocate this transitional funding to preserve one of New YorkCity’s most valuable resources: the 344 public housing devel-opments which house 400,000 New Yorkers.

But we’re not only making investments; we’re also practicingrigorous financial responsibility. We’re reducing long-term debtby funding some big projects on a "pay as you go" basis. And thisyear, we’re adding $1 billion to the $1 billion we’ve already com-mitted to our unprecedented trust fund to cover future costs ofhealth benefits for retired City workers.

New Yorkers can be proud of the tremendous progress we’vemade over the past four-and-a-half years. We’ve come furtherfaster than anyone ever thought possible. Now, by continuing tomake sound investments and responsible decisions, we can lock inand build on everything we’ve achieved. That makes this new bud-get good news for all New Yorkers.

Michael R. Bloomberg

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

ESTABLISHED 1970 • CIRCULATION 200,000

Published monthly by the New York City Housing AuthorityDepartment of Public and Community Relations

250 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10007Tel (212) 306-3322 • Fax (212) 577-1358

nyc.gov/nycha

Michael R. Bloomberg...........................................Mayor

Tino Hernandez.......................................................................................ChairmanEarl Andrews, Jr. ............................................................................Vice-ChairmanMargarita López .............................................................................Board MemberVilma Huertas..........................................................................................SecretaryDouglas Apple.............................................................................General ManagerSheila Greene..................................Director of Public and Community RelationsEileen Elliott .................................................................................................EditorHeidi Morales ....................................................................Editor, Spanish EditionAllan Leicht .........................................................................................Staff WriterDeborah Williams ................................................................................Staff WriterPeter Mikoleski, Kevin Devoe............................................................Photography

If you are interested in placing an advertisement in the Journal, pleasecall our marketing representatives in Marketing and Revenue Operationsat (212) 306-6616. The inclusion of any advertisement in this Journaldoes not constitute any endorsement by the Housing Authority of theadvertiser or its products or services or any other representation by theHousing Authority with respect to such products or services.

The Housing Authority

Journal 72years

of Public Housingin New York City

Drew-Hamilton’s Tavell Fox: Success Knows No Limits!

TAVELL FOX NEVER BACKS DOWN

FROM A CHALLENGE. He is a deter-mined young man who believes infacing obstacles head on. In fact,his motto is, “As long as I can sayit I can do it!” And that’s how helives his life.

This 18-year-old Harlemite andresident of the New York CityHousing Authority’s (NYCHA’s)Drew-Hamilton Houses has wis-dom beyond his years. Like manyyoung men his age—he wears hispants baggy, he sports the latestNike Jordans, he loves to talk onthe phone, is charming and has akiller smile. But what makesTavell Fox “unique” is not hissense of humor or his academicachievements, which are many,not his chess-playing skills, whichare superb, not even CerebralPalsy—a condition he was diag-nosed with when he was two yearsold. What makes Tavell stand outis his positive attitude and hisdesire to succeed.

Cerebral Palsy, also known asCP, is a condition caused by injuryto the parts of the brain that con-trol the ability to use the musclesand the body. “A lot of people inmy situation get scared and don’tknow what to do but as soon as Iwas born and my family realizedthat I wasn’t doing the normalthings like walking when I turnedone, they immediately tookaction,” said Tavell. And thanks tothis quick responsiveness his fam-ily was able to get Tavell the carehe needed very early in his life.

“Being diagnosed with CerebralPalsy—I just never let it stop me; itactually means nothing to me. Iuse it as an advantage and a moti-vator,” Tavell said with a slightspeech impediment and a grinfrom ear to ear.

Tavell has proven that he hasnever been defeated by his disabil-ity. He not only has a “can do” atti-tude, he does. He recentlygraduated from Cardinal HayesHigh School and is getting readyto attend John Jay College ofCriminal Justice in the fall.

Tavell graduated at the top of hisclass with a 94 average, and wasthe recipient of the CUNY-ValloneScholarship—a monetary award tohelp pay for college.

Besides the unconditional andconstant support of his family,Tavell has a special man in his lifewho has made it possible for himto receive a top rate education,Joseph Grano. Mr. Grano is Chair-man and CEO of Centurion Hold-ings LLC, a financial advisingcompany for private and publicbusinesses, and the Chairman ofthe Homeland Security AdvisoryCouncil under the U. S. Depart-ment of Homeland Security. To putit in Tavell’s words, he is “a manthat is so nice.”

When Tavell was in the sixthgrade and attending P.S. 92, Mr.Grano was invited to be principalfor the day and Tavell was chosento escort him around the school.“At the end of the day we weretalking about my life aspirationsand I told him I wanted to be alawyer because there are so manypeople in this world who aretreated unfairly and I’m inspired tochange that. He said, “You are aman of great courage. I want tohelp you pay for college.”

Mr. Grano has been a greatf inancial supporter of Tavell’sever since. In fact it was with Mr.Grano’s help that Tavell was ableto attend Catholic middle and high schools. “Mr. Granopaid for everything—uniforms,books, Christmas, whatever itwas I did. He’s been unbeliev-able,” Tavell said.

It doesn’t take much to feelinspired by Tavell. His words arepurposeful and his character isincomparable. Perhaps this is thereason he has such a solid supportsystem. “In school I have a wholelot of friends. They’re always sup-portive; whatever I need they helpme with. I have a great foundation.Everybody is always there, willingto help me.”

However, not everything ispleasant for Tavell. Like all of ushe encounters difficulties that per-haps are intensified because heuses a wheelchair. However, over-all, Tavell is very independent andsays that his daily tasks are no dif-ferent than any other person’s. “Itmay take me a little bit more time,so I have to plan ahead basedaround how quickly I do things.”

Tavell shares his home life withhis mother Laverne, his 13-year-old brother Bernard, his grand-mother Shirley, who visits oftenand who is very protective of him,and an extended family that is veryencouraging.

“Whatever I need, whether it’ssomething small like cooking me ameal, or taking me around theworld, I can just pick up the phone,call someone and they’re alwaysthere at the drop of a hat. They’rethere and they show me love,”Tavell said.

It’s obvious that his relationshipwith his mother is one very dear tohis heart. “My mother, she’s my


TAVELL FOX WITH HIS HIGHSCHOOL DIPLOMA AND TROPHIES.

By Heidi Morales

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 3AUGUST 2006

NYCHA Board Adopts Budget and Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2006

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE

THAT ON JUNE 28TH, THE NEW

YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHOR-ITY (NYCHA) BOARD ADOPTED

THE FINAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL

YEAR 2006 AND THE AMEND-MENT TO THE ANNUAL PLAN FOR

2006, WHICH INCORPORATED

SOME ASPECTS OF THE “PLAN TO

PRESERVE PUBLIC HOUSING.” Asmany of you are aware, this wasthe culmination of a processthat included over 200 publicmeetings and a tremendousamount of input from NYCHAresidents, advocates, electedofficials and other stakehold-ers.

I am confident that by adopt-ing this Plan, NYCHA is ensuring the future of public housing inNew York City. The Plan is a testament to the hard work, thorough-ness and dedication of NYCHA staff, as well as the diligence andresponsiveness of residents.

Many of you are aware of the highlights of the Plan, which wasdesigned to address a $168 million budget deficit for 2006 andprovide structural fiscal balance to the Authority. This deficit wascreated largely by flat federal funding that has not met the needs ofrising operational expenses, which include maintaining units in21,000 State- and City-built developments that no longer receiveany subsidy.

Foremost among those I have to thank for their contributions tothe Plan is Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who has made afford-able housing a priority of his Administration, and who recognizeshow invaluable public housing is to maintaining the fabric of NewYork City. Not only did the Mayor spend hours in discussions withmyself and others on the Plan, he made the unprecedented deci-sion to provide $100 million of funding to NYCHA as we work toput the elements of the Plan in place. I would also like to thankthe City Council which, as I announced on the 28th, allocated anadditional $20 million to NYCHA. This money will allowNYCHA to provide Section-8 vouchers to an additional 3,000people who are on the waiting list.

Briefly, the seven-points of the “Plan to Preserve Public Hous-ing” are: the aforementioned $100 million in transitional aid fromthe City, which has recently increased to $120 million; achievinglong-term structural balance by increasing rents for the 27% ofNYCHA residents who are already at the ceiling rent and pay lessthan 30% of their incomes; the creation of a permanent fundingstream to subsidize the operations of 8,400 non-federal apartmentsby transitioning them to the Section 8 program; an accelerated andcomprehensive construction program to keep building infrastruc-ture in good repair; efforts to improve the quality of service to res-idents through increased efficiency and strategic uses oftechnology; the diversification of NYCHA’s revenue streams soas to create a cushion against potential future subsidy reductions;and aggressive efforts to push legislative and executive actions inWashington and Albany to generate new and expanded fundingfor low-income housing and to provide relief from burdensomeregulations and unfunded mandates.

From the time I first announced the Plan, our goal at NYCHAhas been to send a loud message that we are committed to pre-serving public housing. And although the day the Plan wasapproved was a great day for NYCHA, our work is not done. Wemust still await approval from the U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development (HUD) before some of the key elementsof the Plan can be put in place. Funding from Washington contin-ues to be a challenge and could still have a significant impact onpublic housing in years to come. The “Plan to Preserve PublicHousing” was created with you, the residents in mind. Please workwith us as we continue to lead the great pioneering program ofpublic housing into the 21st Century.

Tino Hernandez

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Brooklyn: The Fourth AnnualCitywide Chess CompetitionAward Ceremony was held onthe evening of June 15, 2006 atthe Williamsburg CommunityCenter. Players competed intournaments at 25 sitesthroughout the boroughs tochoose the two teams thatwould represent their borough inthe Citywide Competition. TheBronx’s Bronxdale CommunityCenter won First Place, and Man-hattan’s Seward Park and JacobRiis Community Centers tookSecond and Third Place, respec-tively. The NYCHA Chess Pro-gram, which is open to youthbetween the ages of 9 and 12,begins again in October. Call Baf-four Adjei at: (212) 306-3322 tofind the participating Centernearest you.

The Bronx: On April 11, 2006,East 170th Street between Web-ster and Third Avenues was re-named Thelma Boyd Boulevardin honor of the late, long-timeMorris Houses resident. Sincemoving to the development in1963, Ms. Boyd worked for over50 years to improve the lives ofBronx residents, primarily inClaremont Village. Among heraccomplishments, Ms. Boydwas instrumental in obtaininghealth services for seniors atthe Martin Luther King HealthClinic. As a member of the Clare-mont Village Board she advo-cated for the development of ayouth center on East 168thStreet, and for the state-ownedButler Houses to become autho-rized as a federal development,thereby increasing its subsidy.Ms. Boyd passed away in August2005 at the age of 72.


FOR THE 26TH YEAR IN A ROW THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY (NYCHA)HELD A SPECIAL LUNCHEON TO THANK THE SENIOR VOLUNTEER RESIDENTS WHO

WORK TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THEIR ELDERLY AND NON-ELDERLY DISABLED NEIGH-BORS ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. This year’s Annual Senior Volunteer FloorCaptain Recognition Luncheon, once again held at the lavishLeonard’s in Long Island, honored 863 senior volunteers from 53senior and mixed population developments.

26th Annual Senior Volunteer FloorCaptain Recognition Luncheon


GOOD NEIGHBORS NYCHA's newest Board Member Margarita Lópezaddresses the crown at NYCHA's Annual Senior Volunteer Floor Captain Recognition Luncheon.

everything; she’s a very special woman…She chose to keep me and loveme…that’s a big thing,” Tavell said with a shy grin on his face.

Tavell is enjoying his summer, playing chess, talking on the phone,going to the movies with friends and hanging out with his girlfriend of ayear and a half. He is excited about his future and can’t wait to start col-lege. He said that besides his family, one thing is always a constant inhis life — God — and he’s thankful. “No matter what I do in life, I knowthat God made it possible.”

Tavell Fox’s achievements are many. Here is a list of some of his tri-umphs: Coretta Scott King Award, Mr. Black History Award, MonroeAward for Academic Achievement, National Honor Society, New YorkState Attorney General’s Award for Character, Courage and Commu-nity Concern, Father Sheehan Memorial Award for Religion, Princi-pal’s Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence, and theCUNY-Vallone Scholarship.

Tavell Fox (Continued from page 2)

Special guests includedNYCHA Vice-Chairman EarlAndrews, Jr., Board MemberMargarita López and Commu-nity Operations Deputy GeneralManager Hugh Spence, as wellas Social Services staff anddevelopment managers. Also inattendance were resident lead-ers Gerri Lamb, Connie Taylor,Rosia Wyche and Barbara G.Barber.

Department of Social ServiceDirector Nora Reissig-Lazzarowelcomed the guests andserved as Mistress of Cere-monies for the afternoon.“Senior Volunteer Floor Cap-tains provide critical and sup-port services for over 3,800elderly residents,” Ms. Reissig-Lazzaro began. “They serve asescorts to appointments, helpwith light shopping and alert

others if something is amiss.Just about every month we geta call about a neighbor whooften needs medical help. Youare our eyes and our ears. Iwant to thank you. You do itbecause of the spirit in yourheart.”

NYCHA’s newest Board Mem-ber, Margarita López, broughtgreetings from the Chairmanwho was unable to attend. TheBoard Member emphasizedthat NYCHA owes a specialdebt to its seniors. “You are thegeneration that saw publichousing being built brick bybrick. You are part of a societythat fought hard to create a bet-ter life. You, the Chairman, theVice-Chairman and me all be-lieve in a social contract: thatif you contribute today, tomor-row we will take care of you.”

DIGEST BOROUGH

By Eileen Elliott


In this issue we continue our editorial policy of publishing the names ofindividuals who have been permanently excluded from our publichousing developments. This list is part of NYCHA’s effort to keepresidents informed of the Housing Authority’s ongoing effort to improvethe quality of life for all New Yorkers in public housing and to allow forthe peaceful and safe use of our facilities. Here follows a list of thepeople excluded after hearings were held on July 20 and 27, and August3 and 10, 2005. Please note: These exclusions are based onNYCHA’s Administrative Hearing Process and should not beconfused with the Trespass Notice Program under MayorBloomberg’s Operation Safe Housing Initiative.

REMEMBER,IF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ON

HOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTY, PLEASE CALL YOUR MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR NYCHA’S

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT AT (212) 306-8595.

Prohibited as of July 20, 2005Willie Miller Case 5153/05 formerly associated with the

sixth floor of 81-03 Hammel Blvd., HammelHouses, Queens.

Christopher Case 5247/05 formerly associated with the Alvarez seventh floor of 751 East 161st Street,

McKinley Houses, the Bronx.

Prohibited as of July 27, 2005Ajaron Beauford Case 5111/05 formerly associated with the

fourth floor of 40 Paladino Avenue, WagnerHouses, Manhattan.

Robert Daniels Case 5135/05 formerly associated with the firstfloor of 29 Warren Street, Stapleton Houses,Staten Island.

Romale Felder Case 4132/05 formerly associated with the fifthMarvin Sanders floor of 1435 Harrod Avenue, Bronx River

Houses, the Bronx.Renee Reeder Case 5226/05 formerly associated with the

sixth floor of 2007 Surf Avenue, CareyGardens, Brooklyn.

Andre Ociedo Case 5254/05 formerly associated with the firstfloor of 456 Richmond Terrace, RichmondTerrace Houses, Staten Island.

Prohibited as of August 3, 2005Jonathan Joubert Case 5366/05 formerly associated with the

tenth floor of 90 Baruch Drive, Baruch Houses,Manhattan.

Rasheem Zeigler Case 5370/05 formerly associated with thetwenty-first floor of 2698 Eighth Avenue,Drew-Hamilton Houses, Manhattan.

Leslie Reese Case 5405/05 formerly associated with thesecond floor of 482 Marcy Avenue, MarcyHouses, Brooklyn.

Ryan Squires Case 5425/05 formerly associated with the Keith Squires second floor of 2977 Avenue W.,

Sheepshead/Nostrand Houses, Brooklyn.Larry Duhon Case 5428/05 formerly associated with the

twelfth floor of 681 Courtlandt Avenue,Melrose Houses, the Bronx.

Kwane Dower Case 5473/05 formerly associated with thefourth floor of 3042 Avenue V.,Sheepshead/Nostrand Houses, Brooklyn.

Ato Parsons Case 5557/05 formerly associated with the thirdfloor of 67-14 Parsons Blvd., Pomonok Houses,Queens.

Prohibited as of August 10, 2005Ernesto Trossi Case 5461/05 formerly associated with the sixthErnesto Rivera floor of 411 Lafayette Avenue, Lafayette Gardens

Houses, Brooklyn.

Heriks Agosto- Case 5463/05 formerly associated with the firstRamos floor of 165 St. Ann’s Avenue, Mill Brook HousesSamuel Velez the Bronx.

Thomas Case 5505/05 formerly associated with the fifthPatterson floor of 520-522 East 156th Street, Bronxchester

Houses, the Bronx.

Dijenaro Williams Case 5722/05 formerly associated with the tenthfloor of 100 Pitt Street, Gompers Houses,Manhattan.

THE NYCHA NOT WANTED LIST West Nile Virus Mosquito Treatment

The New York City Housing Authority is in the process of treatingall of the catch basins located in Housing Authority developmentsto reduce the mosquito population in an effort to minimize the trans-mission of the West Nile Virus. These applications will take placebetween June and October of 2006. The larvicides being used are:

Vectolex CG, EPA Reg. No. 73049-20, Toxicity Category - “Caution”Bactimos Briquets, EPA Reg. No. 6218-47, Toxicity Category – “Caution”

Contact names and numbers for this application are:

New York City Housing Authority:Jamal Rashid, Coordinator – 718-707-5808 Available from 8:30 am -4:30 pmLuis Ponce, Deputy Director – 718-707-5323 Available from 9 am -5 pm

NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Region 2,Bureau of Pesticide Management – 718-482-4994

National Pesticide Telecommunications Network – 1-800-858-PEST

Inquiries concerning symptoms of pesticide poisoning should bedirected to the Poison Control Center – 1-800-222-1222.

Ms. López then elaboratedbriefly on the four senior pro-grams at NYCHA: The SeniorResident Advisor/ServiceCoor-dinator Program, which providessupportive services to elderlyand non-elderly disabled resi-dents in selected sites to helpthem maintain independent liv-ing; the Elderly Safe At HomeProgram, which provides com-prehensive crime preventionservices and crime victim assis-tance to elderly and non-elderlydisabled residents in the SouthBronx; the Senior Network Pro-gram, which is staffed byDepartment for the Aging work-ers who serve as Senior Advo-cates to assist elderly residentswith social service referrals,entitlement assistance, crisisintervention and crime victimassistance; and the CongregateHousing Services Program atSaratoga Square Houses inBrooklyn, which is designed tomeet the needs of the frailelderly or persons with disabili-ties who would otherwise be vulnerable to premature institu-tionalization.

After the awards were pre-sented and the dessert platescleared away, the seniorsdanced to the music of theNYCHA Symphony Orchestra.Leonard’s was truly the perfectsetting for the celebration, withits crystal chandeliers and mirrored walls reflecting theyouthful hearts of those resi-dents who represent the bestof public housing.

Senior VolunteerLuncheon

NYCHA residents and the surrounding community will be able to usesenior coupons, WIC coupons and EBT cards at many of the markets forthe purchase of fruits and vegetables. Greenmarket organizers alsoencourage the public to participate in the Department of Health & Men-tal Hygiene’s Health Bucks Program, which distributes vouchersredeemable for the purchase of produce at farmer’s markets.

The Holmes Towers Greenmarket opened for business on July 9, 2006.For a list of other Greenmarket locations, log onto the Council on theEnvironment at www. cenyc.org/site

summer within the five boroughs.Beside the food stands, the kick-off featured a health fair completewith tables offering educationalmaterials on nutrition, health, dietand exercise.

“This new Greenmarket is agreat thing for the tenants of theNYCHA facility and people allover the neighborhood. Farmer’smarkets are one way we canaddress the widespread epidemicsof obesity, diabetes and high bloodpressure by making healthy foodsreadily available within our com-munities,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

The ten new markets will beopen by summer’s end and willoperate through Thanksgivingweekend.

“This market will make avail-able tasty, affordable and healthyfood choices to Isaacs/Holmes res-idents on a regular basis, right out-side their door,” said ChairmanHernandez.

Greenmarket(Continued from page 1)

(Continued from page 3)



THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSING AUTHORITY’S (NYCHA’S) DEPART-MENT OF RESIDENT EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (RES) HELD ITS FIRST CULI-NARY ARTS TRAINING PROGRAM GRADUATION CEREMONY AT THE

WILLIAMSBURG COMMUNITY CENTER ON JUNE 15, 2006. As Commu-nity Operations’ Deputy General Manager Hugh Spence told the grad-uates, what makes this program particularly exciting is that, “NYCHAcan assist the Culinary Arts Program graduates in establishing a cater-ing service that will cater events at NYCHA Community Centers. Mr.Spence called the nine graduates, “pioneers,” and said their successwould serve as a model to launch similar programs throughout the fiveboroughs.

Manhattan: The Harlem Sum-merStage Concert Series hastaken over Thursday nights onthe plaza at the Adam ClaytonPowell, Jr. State Office Buildingon 125th Street. On July 6th, itwas jazz and R&B with the BillSaxton Quartet, NuQ-Leus andP.J. Morton; on July 13th, gospelby the Singletons and theNYCHA Senior Chorus; July 20thbrought R&B with Shanice, TheUntouchables and NYCHA’s ownHip Hop Story; and Calypso wasfeatured on the 27th with theMighty Sparrow and the UnitedSounds Steel Band. The freeConcert Series, which is spon-sored by NYCHA, the Apollo The-ater and the New York StateOffice of General Services, continues through September7th on Thursday evenings from5:00 to 8:00 PM. See page 6 formore on upcoming per for-mances.Queens: Longtime QueensbridgeHouses Resident and formerResident Association President,the late Lillian Brown, was hon-ored with the installation of aplaque on the bench where sheloved to sit and chat with herneighbors in the development.The dedication, held on June16th, was initiated by AssemblyMember Catherine Nolan of the37th Assembly District, for whomMs. Brown worked. In addition tothe Assembly Member, the briefceremony was also attended byNYCHA General Manager Dou-glas Apple, Queens BoroughManager Michael Cornelius,Queensbridge Manager AntoniaCaraballo and Resident Associa-tion President Nina Adams.

Staten Island: On June 29th theNew York City Housing Authority(NYCHA) joined the City’sDepartment of Housing Preser-vation and Development, theHousing Development Corpora-tion (HDC), City Council MemberMichael McMahon and StateSenator Diane Savino for apress conference at the nearbyRichmond Terrace to announcethe development team that willrebuild Markham Gardens inWest Brighton.


CULINARY ARTS GRADUATIONCEREMONY AT WILLIAMSBURG

CHEFS A LA NYCHA Chef Kate Wayler (left) with the first class of Culi-nary Arts graduates, posing with their chefs’ hats and certificates.

Other special guests at the cer-emony included Board MemberMargarita López, RES DirectorSonia Torruella and City CouncilMember Diana Reyna.

Speaker after speaker encour-aged the new chefs to becomeentrepreneurs and create theirown businesses — not to be sat-isf ied with just having a job.Board Member López said, “I amlooking forward to one day beinginvited to your place of businessfor breakfast, lunch or dinner.”She called the graduation a rite ofpassage and emphasized that“moving forward towards self-suff iciency is the name of thegame.” And Council MemberReyna pointed out that gentrifica-tion in New York City’s neighbor-hoods is creating the need to“become more advanced in ourcommunities by creating busi-nesses of our own.”

Amanda Hamlet of Brooklyn’sArmstrong Houses was enthusi-astic about the program. “Ilearned to cook internationaldishes like Spanish and Frenchcuisine, and exotic wraps. Ilearned knife skills but moreimportantly, I have learned thatcooking is an art and a science. Iencourage anyone to take thecourse.”

Although the graduates werethrilled to receive their chefs’ hatsand certif icates, it seemed theywere just as eager to have theaudience taste the dishes they had

prepared for the event in theCommunity Center’s sparklingkitchen. The sumptuous menuincluded: cheese tortellini, grilledchicken breast with fresh herbs,roasted turkey with cranberry-orange chutney, Mediterraneanstyle tuna salad, and an assort-ment of wraps and quiches. Moreinternational dishes in-cludedGuianese peas and rice withcoconut milk, baba ganoush, andAsian-style noodle salad withpeanut sauce.

The six-week Culinary ArtsTraining Program was a joint ini-tiative between the United Way,NYC Works, the Consortium forWorker Education and its ArtisanBaking Center, and NYCHA’sDepartment of Resident Employ-ment Services. Funding for theprogram was provided through agrant from the New York CityCouncil.

The experience was summ-ed up best by resident and gradu-ate Rebecca Fleming of Brook-lyn’s Marcy Houses. “I’m sohappy today. I owe it all to RESand my teacher Chef KateWayler, who encouraged me andkept me afloat. This is the f irstthing that I have completed sincethe f ifth grade and it’s the bestthing that has ever happened tome!”

NYCHA hopes to assist theresidents obtain 501c(3) [non-profit tax exemption status] or a license agreement for catering.

NYCHA’S TALENT SHOW

Morris Houses, were the dancersToo Cute.

After each age group per-formed another Reality TV Mad-ness program “aired,” startingwith “Dogg: The BountyHunter.” “Dogg” captivated theaudience. Additional programson Channel 36 that afternoonwere “Survivor – Then andNow,” “Girlz Behaving Badly”and “So You Think You CanDance.”

In the 13–19 Age Category,f irst place went to a troupe ofdancers whose performancestole the show—Dance Factoryof Queensbridge Houses. Singer

Saundra Amayo of Manhattan’s Straus Houses took the second-placeprize with “To Sir With Love.” The third-place winner was dancerElaini Rodriquez of Manhattan’s Baruch Houses.

“I love to perform and write my music. When I get the inspirationit just comes out. Performing makes me happy because I get to touchpeople’s lives. This world has a lack of love and through music I canprovide love,” said rapper and first-place winner in the 19–54 AgeCategory Rasheem Richardsonof the Bronx’s Mill BrookHouses. Singer Henry Watkinsof Brooklyn’s Albany Housestook second place with his ren-dition of “The Greatest Love.”Singer Debra Rodriquez of Man-hattan’s Douglass Houses camein third with “Killing MeSoftly.”

The LaGuardia Dancers ofManhattan’s LaGuardia Housestook f irst place with an Asianfolk dance in the 55 and Up AgeCategory. James Dickson ofManhattan’s Drew HamiltonHouses took second place for hisdramatization of a conversationhe had with his brother who died in the war. The Golden Girls —that is, Francis Braxton, Henrietta Bryant and Lois Credle of Brook-lyn’s Pink Houses — took third place for their skit based on the tele-vision sitcom.

In honor of Mel Edwards, who was Director of NYCHA’s TalentSearch Competition for 27 of its 36 years, the Mel Edwards Award isreserved for the special contestant who demonstrated the most initia-

tive, enthusiasm, show biz spirit,and congeniality, and who winsthe heart of the audience. Thisyear’s Mel Edwards Award waspresented to Tytiana Brown,f irst-place winner in the 6–12Age Category.

Each winner will receiveeither dance, acting or vocallessons.

The last program to “air” onReality TV Madness Channel 36was a surprise performance byUniversal Motown RecordingArtist, Elijah – the real Elijah!With the help of a young femaleassistant from the audience, Eli-jah rapped his way into the

hearts of the audience. After the show was over he handed out auto-graphed photos.

Musical accompaniment was provided by Bobby D. And The Fam-ily. Present at the Talent Show were Vice-Chairman Earl Andrews,Jr., Community Operations Deputy General Manager Hugh Spenceand Director of Citywide Programs Ernesto Lozano. In his openingremarks Mr. Spence told the audience they were in for a really greatshow and indeed it was!


Tytiana Brown

Dance Factory

Rasheem Richardson

By Deborah Williams

DIGEST BOROUGH


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The original buildings, com-pleted in 1943 as temporaryhousing for World War II shipyardworkers, will be replaced with$60 million in new apartmentsand houses to be completedwithin the next two years. TheArker and Domain Companieshave been selected to do thework, in conjunction with Neigh-borhood Housing Services ofStaten Island. The new complexwill include 240 apartments, 25 two-family houses and arecreation center. One hundredand fifty of the new apartmentswill be set aside for Section 8 voucher recipients referred by NYCHA.

In his remarks, Chairman Her-nandez said, “The NYCHA resi-dents who have lived in thisneighborhood and made it acommunity over the years willhave the opportunity to comeback to a new and betterMarkham Gardens.” At left:Council Member McMahon,Chairman Hernandez and HDCPresident Emily Youssouf.

DIGEST BOROUGH

KL


To Find Out About the City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program

for First-time Homebuyers, Call 311, or log onto:

http://home2.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/buyers/downpayment.shtml

Qualified homebuyers can recieve up to 6% of the purchase price of theirnew home to be used for the down payment or closing costs.


Join a mother-daughter drug and alcohol prevention study.Get GIFT CARDS to local stores!

What is it?

A four-year drug and alcohol abuse preventionstudy conducted by Columbia UniversitySchool of Social Work.

Who Can Participate?

Girls ages 11-13 and their Moms.You must have a computer at home.

What do you get out of it?

Gift cards totaling up to $250 for each mother-daughter pair! You may also be invited to play a CD ROM designed to strengthen your mother-daughter relationship.

How do you sign up?

Call (212) 851-2282 or sign on at: www.ihearwhatyousay.com

Study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse

VISIT NYCHA’S WEB SITE at WWW.NYC.GOV/NYCHA

and SUBSCRIBE to the MONTHLY ONLINE JOURNAL

stars shine at the annual talent show - new york · new yorkers can be proud of the tremendous...

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