Things to do in the Bx

Tomorrow is First Wednesday, Bronx Culture Trolley night to some of the hottest cultural spots right here. As always, trolley riders meet at Hostos Community College on the Grand Concourse for a rich lineup of cultural and art events for free. For more information, go to www.bronxarts.org.

'Latin Fest' on Third Ave.

Community calendar

NYC's Gran Finale Hispanic Heritage Festival 'Latin Fest 2008'

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion along with The Hub Third Avenue Business Improvement District and ILM Marketing Group will close the celebration of this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month with the Latin Fest 2008.

The festival will feature recording artist Raulín Rosendo, salsa singers Javier Luis and Ronny Mercedes, live Mexican mariachi, merengue bands and Hispanic pop music artists. There will also be folkloric dance presentations, children’s activities, food and more.

Free. The fest will run from noon to 7 p.m., Saturday, October 11, at 149th - 154th streets on Third Avenue.

For more information, (718) 618-0733.

According to the 2000 Census, the largest Hispanic population in New York resides in The Bronx county with a total population of approximately 700,000 Latinos out of the entire 1.4 million Bronx residents.

source: Bronx BP office press release

Who's the Boss?

Who's the Boss?
Originally uploaded by gessleindaniel

Today's featured shot from the Bronx Latino photo group is by gessleindaniel.

Dan writes: Is Assemblyman Carl Heastie the new Bronx Democratic Party Chairman? It's still unclear. After a raucous vote in which both Heastie and current party boss Jose Rivera (Center) claimed victory a judge will soon determine which man is the Dem leader. See more @ www.bxnews.net

Who's the Boss?

Who's the Boss?
Originally uploaded by gessleindaniel

Today's featured shot from the Bronx Latino photo group is by gesslein daniel.

Dan writes: Is Assemblyman Carl Heastie (Center) the new Bronx Democratic Party Chairman? It's still unclear. After a raucous vote in which both Heastie and current party boss Jose Rivera claimed victory a judge will soon determine which man is the Dem leader. See more @ www.bxnews.net

Quotable quote

When a person falls on hard times and needs food stamps, we are told they lack personal responsibility. When the biggest firms on Wall Street make outrageously risky investments, and fall on hard times, why are they not held personally responsible? Why do I have a feeling no one will go to jail for this scheme even though it could cost the taxpayers far more than any financial crisis in history? -- Congressman Jose Serrano on the financial bailout issue

source: The Serrano Report

Featured story

Bronx Dem Chairman Faces Rebels This Weekend

This weekend, Bronx Democrats will determine whether Assemblyman Jose Rivera can keep his post as chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party. In a rare insurgency, fellow Assembly members are trying to oust him.

To listen to WNYC interview:



To read story, go to http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/110718

@ La Peña del Bronx bash

IMG_0617
Originally uploaded by clarisel

For more images of the Viva La Peña anniversary celebration last Sunday at St. Mary's Park in the South Bronx, go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel.

In the Mailbox

Hello Clarisel,
We are casting a new show for the new Latino Cable Network SiTv called FANdemonium. It's an exciting new show that highlights the people who give celebrities their super-star status - the fans. These are the people who camp out overnight for tickets, catch every episode of their favorite actors' show and memorize every statistic on their favorite athlete.

To give credit to these true devotees, FANdemonium will travel to different cities and venues - from large-scale music festivals and parades, to concerts and comedy shows, to red-carpet premieres and major sporting events to find the biggest fans there and give them a chance to win AMAZING prizes through an exciting series of competition with fellow fans.

We are preparing to hit up Malo and Seguida's tour at their stop at The Blender Theater at Gramercy in New York City on September 27. We're looking for hardcore Latino fans that would like to participate in our new show. We would love to have submissions sent to our e-mail at FanCasting@gmail.com. I'm wondering if you might be able to put this information up on your blog to get the word out there. Feel free to forward the information to anyone you see fit and/or might be interested. Please make sure to include their name, age, location, a way to contact them and their top reasons why they LOVE Malo and/or Seguida and why they would be great for this show.

Thanks so much for your interest and participation.

Casting TeamCity Lights
TelevisionCityLightsMedia.com

Our Quality of Life

Dept. of Homeless Services Commissioner Robert Hess and representatives of the Mayor's Office will be on hand to discuss the proposed seven-story homeless intake center on 151st Street and Walton Avenue at tonight's Community Board 4 Public Hearing.

Tonight at 7 p.m.
Hostos Community College, Savoy Multi-Purpose Room
120 E. 149th St. (at Walton Avenue)

Senator Jose M. Serrano is opposed to the project, which would be the only homeless family intake center in the city. He believes it is unjust and impractical to force homeless families from as far away as Brooklyn and Staten Island to travel to the South Bronx for intake.

Serrano instead supports a homeless intake system "that is truly decentralized, with well-administered and appropriately-sized facilities in each borough - especially Manhattan."

For more info on the hearing, call Community Board 4 at 718-299-0800.

source: newsletter from Serrano's office

Holiday Print Show in Hunts Point

Opportunity

Studio 889 announces its second annual holiday print show

Launching a winter tradition, Studio 889's Second Annual Holiday Print Show will take place in its gallery starting on December 6 with an opening reception from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Studio 889's artists invite everyone to celebrate the season by sharing the gift of art.

The Holiday Show is an exhibition of hand-pulled prints by resident artists, as well as prints contributed by community artists and selected artists who responded to an open call for printmakers (from the five boroughs to France, from Peru to Canada - many are participating). The show runs from Saturday, December 6 through Saturday January 10 at Studio 889's own gallery. Top price is $125.

Holiday Print Show gallery hours are:
December 6 through January 10
Thursday-Friday 3 to 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Or call for an appointment.

Founded and led by well-respected printmaker and BRIO Award winning artist Alejandra C. Delfin. Studio 889 introduces printmaking to people throughout the community, encourages individuals of all ages and levels of experience to explore, get involved, and support the arts.

Alejandra C. Delfin, Studio 889's executive director, states: "Art always makes a great gift and there is something for everyone in this exhibition. What we are doing here with the Holiday Show and with the gallery in Hunts Point is trying to create a space where printmakers can work and exhibit their prints".

Studio 889 began with just one community printmaking workshop through a grant from The Bronx Museum, ACTION LAB – Bronx Museum at The Point in 2004. Now Studio 889 is a nonprofit visual arts gallery, workshop and classroom whose mission is to cultivate an artistic environment that encourages creative development, technical experimentation, and the exchange of ideas. They do so by providing arts in education, community and professional printmaking workshops. The studio occupies a 500 square foot storefront at 889 Hunts Point Avenue, in the vanguard of the burgeoning South Bronx area. The space allows for one large press and one small press on premises, as well as gallery exhibit space.

If interested in submitting a print, guidelines are as follows:

- Original fine art prints are eligible. Digital prints, photocopies etc. will not be accepted
- All prints must adhere to the 6"x9", 10"x10", 5"x7" or 8"x10" paper size
- Work is non-juried but Studio 889 reserves the right to reject unsuitable work
- Price of artwork cannot exceed $125
- $5.00 entry fee for up to 3 prints pieces
- Studio 889 receives 25 percent commission
- Deadline is November 22 – Contact: studio889@gmail.com for more info and application.

source: 889 Studio press release

Community calendar

Hey gente, make sure to check out The Bronx Hispanic Festival of 2008, which is currently going on and will run until October 18. The festival is showcasing outstanding contemporary art, cinema, performance, literature, sporting and social events at various venues for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Go to http://www.sonichoop.com/bxhispfestclndr.html for the calendar of events.
Free.

Save the dates

Bronx Council on the Arts’ Bronx Culture Trolley
and Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture

Celebrates 12 Days in the South Bronx Cultural Corridor
October 1– 12

Bronx Biennial Exhibition / Bronx Hispanic Festival

Aires de Loiza, Culture & Nature -- Longwood Art Gallery @ Hostos A Retrospective of Work by Samuel Lind with Masks by Raul Ayala

Bronx Culture Trolley / Hostos Community College / Oct 1

Hip Hop Theatre Festival / Hostos Community College / Oct 2 – 4 “Taking Over” – Danny Hoch’s One-Man Show on Gentrification

Viva Bronx Festival / 500 Grand Concourse / Oct 5

Go to www.bronxarts.org for more information. This is a wonderful lineup of culture and art right here in the Bronx. You can't miss.

Things to do in the Bx

Acentos Bronx Poetry Showcase
Tomorrow

Featuring poet Lisa Alvarado

The new season of poetry is here, showcasing some of the country's best Latino/a poets in the Bronx.

Lisa Alvarado is a poet, performer, and installation artist and is the author of two award-winning chapbooks, Reclamo and The Housekeeper's Diary; the latter also a one-woman performance which toured nationally. She is also the co-author of the acclaimed young adult novel, Sister Chicas, written with Ann Hagman Cardinal and Jane Alberdeston Coralin. She is the recipient of grants from the Department of Cultural Affairs, The NEA, and the Ragdale Foundation, and is also a journalist, contributing reviews and interviews to La Bloga, and Blogcritics.org.

@ 7 p.m.
The Bruckner Gallery @ Bruckner Bar & Grill
1 Bruckner Boulevard (Corner of Third Avenue)
Free ($5 Suggested Donation)

For more information, call Acentos' host Fish Vargas (917) 209-4211.

Community service

Share the power of art with a child…
Be a Weekly Arts Mentor!

Free Arts NYC seeks caring volunteers to bring creative arts programs to young people and families in the Bronx facing homelessness, domestic violence and abuse. No experience with youth or arts necessary. Training is provided by experienced program staff.

To sign up, contact Katie Key at (212) 974-9092 or katie@freeartsnyc.org.

Bronx assignments

Stratford House (6 train to Morrison-Soundview)
Tuesdays 6-8:30 p.m., Youth Ages 6-8, Sept 30th – Dec 16th

Neighborhood Family Empowerment Center (B17 Bus to 187th St )
Tuesdays 6-8 p.m., Bilingual Family Program, Oct 7th – Nov 25th

For more information, www.freeartsnyc.org

Sports Spotlight: Boxing's Melissa 'Huracan' Hernandez

Bronxite Melissa Hernandez is known in the boxing world as “Huracan,” Spanish for hurricane.
This boricua boxer made history earlier this month in Las Vegas, winning her third world title belt, the vacant Women's International Boxing Association's super featherweight crown.
She defeated Elsa Nuñez, scoring a unanimous 10-round decision. This is the latest addition to her titles. Hernandez is also the winner of the International Female Boxing Association’s Super Bantamweight title and the Global Boxing Union’s Female Lightweight Title.
Described as fiery, highly entertaining, and confident, Hernandez says she loves the challenge of the sport.
"I am pound for pound one of the best female boxers in the world and I don’t want to just talk about it," she says. "I want to show it. In New York City, I am without a doubt the best female boxer, and I want to prove that I am the best wherever I go."
She now holds a title in three different divisions, which is a real accomplishment in the boxing world. If she were a male boxer, she would probably be a millionaire and more of a household name.
Based on her number of titles alone, she joins her fellow Puerto Rican male boxers Wilfredo Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez, Hector Camacho, Felix Trinidad, and Wilfredo Vazquez who have won three or more division titles.
Hernandez, who was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and raised in the Bronx, says she always "wanted to be up there with all the great Puerto Rican boxing champions from the past."
Although boxing is a male-dominated sport, Hernandez believes there is a market for female boxers. She is outspoken about the need for the sport to be fairer to female boxers.
"Women boxers get the short end of the stick all the time cause promoters feel women have a set pay already," she says. "For example, women don’t get that much for title fights. The men get well you up to millions. The women don’t."
But this does not deter Hernandez's love for the sport.
Her family is not crazy that she's a boxer because "they don't want me hurt."
Still, Hernandez is never really outside the ring.
“Things I like to do when I’m not boxing is training my fighters," she says. "I have a stable of fighters from amateurs to world champions at the famed Gleason’s Gym. Crazy thing about me is I eat, sleep and box."
On her spare time, she enjoys spending time at home with her family and friends.
"My home girl Belinda Laracuente, also a boxing champion, often times comes over to help out with the cooking, where we often share recipes," she says. "Nice place to relax when I don’t have a fight coming up. Everyone comes to the house to get the best Latino cooking in town." -- Ismael Nuñez

Ismael Nuñez is a freelance writer based in East Harlem.

(photo courtesy of Melissa Hernandez)

SoBro Studios Rehearsal Space for Musicians

A Sanctuary for Loudness in The South Bronx

SoBro Studios is the new rehearsal space for bands and musicians in the up and coming Mott Haven neighborhood.

The historic and revitalized neighborhood of Mott Haven is home to a growing artist and musician community, and attracts visitors who are in the know about the galleries, artist’s lofts, restaurants, bars, parties and more in the area. The new rehearsal space will serve the locals and aims to attract more musicians to the neighborhood.

SoBro Studios owner Steven Gallegos knew that The Bronx is already home to a plethora of musicians and bands from genres spanning hard rock, hip hop, salsa, jazz and more who are in need of a comfortable environment in which to hone their skills. Mott Haven’s status as an up and coming mecca for artists and musicians, and its close proximity to many parts of the Bronx as well as upper Manhattan makes the neighborhood the perfect spot for an hourly rehearsal space.

The studio aims to provide a superior rehearsal experience. Gallegos, having played in numerous bands himself, felt that many NYC studios are lacking in terms of functionality and basic amenities such as quality gear and air conditioning, as well as atmosphere.

SoBro Studios provides both with four climate controlled rooms fully equipped with all new gear including Line 6 SpiderValve combos, heads and cabinets; Fender Deville combos; Yamaha Powered mixers and speakers; Sennheiser Dynamic Mics; Gallien-Krueger Backline 210 bass combo amps; Tama Imperial Star and Pearl Forum drum kits and Roland live cd recorders. The waiting area provides a relaxed, local hangout atmosphere with a couch and coming soon: a plasma TV, vending machines and more.

SoBro Studios opened its doors in late August and is celebrating its opening by offering new customers their first hour free. Rates are $20 per hour and the studio is open from noon to 4 a.m. daily.

For more information,
Steven Gallegos
11 Bruckner Blvd.
Phone: 718-758-4033
http://www.sobrostudios.com
http://www.myspace.com/sobrostudios
info@sobrostudios.com

source: press release

Community calendar

The Bronx Native American Festival

Enjoy music, dance, storytelling and more with Master of Ceremonies, Bobby Gonzalez (Taino)

Featured artists: Joe Cross (Caddo/Potawatomi) Matoaka Little Eagle (Tewa/Apache/Chickahominy) & The Silvercloud Singers.

noon - 4 p.m., Sunday, September 21
South Picnic Area, Pelham Bay Park, Bruckner Boulevard
Free

Our Salud

Nuevo sitio de Internet se dedica al tema de VIH/SIDA

Mexicanos Unidos esta comprometido en continuar informando sobre el VIH/SIDA a nuestra comunidad. Por esta razón, han creado un nuevo sitio de Internet el cual tendrá entrevistas sobre el VIH/SIDA con gente de la comunidad, especialmente jovenes y famosos y famosas mexicanos y Latinos.

Ademas del VIH-SIDA, han incluido videos sobre los jovenes, condones, la comunidad LGBT, drogas y alcohol, violencia doméstica y otros temas.

El fundador y director de Mexicanos Unidos, Javier Soriano, comentó que estan buscando mexicanos que quieran compartir sus anedotas relacionados al VIH-SIDA y de esta manera, continuar concientizando a nuestra comunidad sobre esta enfermedad que continua matando a millones de personas. Este nuevo sitio no esta terminado y no estara terminado hasta que haya una cura a esta enfermedad.

Mexicanos Unidos es un grupo de voluntarios sin fines de lucro, sirviendo a la comunidad Mexicana/Latina en la Ciudad de Nueva York. Nuestra misión es la prevención del VIH/SIDA através de la educación, referidos y abogacia. Mexicanos Unidos utiliza el arte, la cultura y tradiciones mexicanas, entre otras formas como medios para promover la prevención, además de la solidaridad y comprensión hacia las personas infectadas y/o afectadas.

Para mas información, visita: www.MexicanosUnidos.org.mx y deja tu opinión. Puedes dejar mensajes y fotos en el blog. Unete a Mexicanos Unidos. En la unidad esta la fuerza! Comunicate al (718) 573-9179.

In English: Mexicanos Unidos is committed to continuing informing the community about HIV/AIDS in the Latino community. That's why Mexicanos Unidos has created a new website focusing on interviews about HIV/AIDS with community members, including young people and prominent Mexican and Latino personalities.
For more information, visit www.MexicanosUnidos.org.mx

source: press release from Mexicanos Unidos

OPEN to feature Bronx Latino

Bronxnet @ Rincon Criollo
Originally uploaded by clarisel

Tune in to OPEN this Friday
10 a.m. Channel 67, Bronxnet

Host Rhina Valentin interviews me on the Bronx Latino and Puerto Rico Sun projects I run. -- Clarisel

FYI

Bronx Hispanic Festival presents several activities, including a free art show tomorrow night, as part of Hispanic heritage month events in our borough. For more information, go to www.ilovethebronx.com.

@ Fiesta de Flores

IMG_0428
Originally uploaded by clarisel

These pretty girls show off their colorful faces at the Fiesta de Flores yesterday at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. The day highlighted Latino culture as part of the garden's Hispanic Heritage month celebration. Fiesta de Flores is an annual event at the garden.

The day included everything from face painting and paper flower making to a live musical performance with Dan Zanes and Friends.

Bronx Latino dijo presente. For more photos of my day at the Fiesta de Flores, go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel. Click on the New York Botanical Garden photo set.

Featured story

South Bronx Rhythm Resistance

The legal struggle continues for South Bronx-based hip-hop activists Rodrigo and Gonzalo Venegas, who were aggressively arrested by New York Police Department officers June 18. The brothers, members of the popular group Rebel Diaz, said they were trying to help a street vendor on Southern Boulevard in Hunts Point who, they felt, was being harassed by police officers.
For more, go to the Indypendent at
http://www.indypendent.org/2008/09/12/south-bronx-rhythm-resistance/

Rescate de Terreno

Rescate de Terreno
Originally uploaded by Rigglord

Today's featured shot from the Bronx Latino photo group is by Ricky "Rigglord" Flores.

The Shack in 1983

Things to do in the Bx



Organized by guest curator Lydia Yee, Street Art, Street Life examines the street as subject matter, venue, and source of inspiration for artists and photographers from the late 1950s to the present.

This far ranging exhibition, one of the largest to consider the subject, includes street photography; documentation of performance, events, and artworks presented in the street; works using material from the street; and examples of street culture by more than thirty artists including William Klein, Lee Friedlander, Raymond Hains, Vito Acconci, Martha Rosler, Sophie Calle, David Hammons, Jamel Shabazz, and Francis Alÿs, among others.

Open House

To celebrate the opening of Street Art Street Life, the Bronx Museum will sponsor a grand street fair on the sidewalk immediately in front of the Museum on Sunday, September 14, from 12 – 6 p.m. Highlights include live D.J. and performances, arts activities for families, street food, and local artisans.


For more information on this and related activities going on this weekend, go to www.bronxmuseum.org.

The Street exhibition, which kicks off September 14, runs until January at the museum.

source: Bronx Museum of the Arts

In the Mailbox

Hi Clarisel,

I saw your blog and thought you might be interested in this info as we near Day of the Dead festivities--it's for a national art contest for teens--since you are a photographer, thought this may be of interest in case you know any talented teens.

Below is a link to the site where teens can submit their art: www.holamun2.com/wonka.

If you'd like more info please let me know.

Kind regards, Marybell

Marybell Martinez
P: 210-244-2195 | F: 210-244-2401
marybell.martinez@bromcomm.com

Editor's Note: I know the Bronx has plenty of talented teens. Aprovecha.

Featured story

Bronx Democrats In Post-Primary Disarray

The defeat suffered by the Bronx County Democratic organization, which lost every race in which it supported a candidate in Tuesday's primary, may mean new leadership for the county party.
The organization was opposed by a so-called rainbow coalition of legislators, which includes prominent black, white, and Hispanic lawmakers from throughout the borough.
For more, go to
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bronx-democrats-in-post-primary-disarray/85646/

Hispanic Heritage Month Book Giveaway

For Bronx Latino Readers





In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct 15), Bronx Latino is joining forces with Hachette Book Group USA. Hachette has rounded up a collection of its best books that celebrate Hispanic Americans to offer exclusively online to their favorite bloggers and websites to host a free Hispanic Heritage Book Giveaway.

Bronx Latino is one of those blogs. Bronx Latino will select 1-5 winners from the US and Canada only. Each winner will receive one copy of ALL 8 books! Bronx Latino will select the winners and Hachette will mail the books at no cost to you.

First come, first serve. Please don't request if you have no interest in receiving the books.

E-mail your name and mailing address to bronxlatinoblog@yahoo.com. Please remember to send me your full mailing address (no PO Boxes), so Hachette can mail your books if you win.

Good luck.

The Bronx Remembers its 9/11 Victims

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion hosted the Bronx’s Annual Memorial Services yesterday to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
“It is our responsibility as a community to never forget and to always honor and pay tribute to their memories,” Carrion said. "And it’s also important for all of us to remember the past with sadness but to look at the future with optimism."
Police officers, firefighters and family members read one by one the names of the 143 victims of the attacks who lived in The Bronx. A total of 2,998 people died on 9/11.
“They went with the faith and believe that they will come back home but the enemies of freedom visited New York, bringing a terror that we had never seen before and hope never to see again, and in minutes changed the lives of all of them and of all us in The Bronx and in the city," he said.

source: press release and photo from Bronx BP's office

Community Service

Did you know that you could get a discount to enjoy quality Latino theater at Pregones Theater right here in the Bronx?

You can get 50% Off • ZIP TICKETS
Are you a resident in zip codes 10451, 10452, 10454, 10455, or 10474? Then you and your family are entitled to an amazing 50% discount at Pregones' box office! Only for Pregones Theater’s neighbors in the Bronx Empowerment Zone.

For more information, www.pregones.org.

In the Mailbox

I'm writing a book about Bronxites who love the Yankees. I'm looking for people from 27 walks of life, including athletes, artists, writers, community activists, etc., and need your suggestions.
More detailed information is here on my Web-site: http://www.oxfordland.net/bronxbrain/. Many thanks!
-- Chico Harris

To contact Chico Harris, e-mail chico@oxfordland.net

Latin Jazz @ The Gallery

Music



Latin Jazz With Gilberto "Pulpo" Colon At The Gallery

Wednesday, September 10
The Gallery
26 Bruckner Blvd.

Enjoy Latin Jazz night with Gilberto "Pulpo" Colon Jr.

Time: Starting After Work at 5 p.m.

Free Valet Parking

For more information, www.thegallerybx.com or www.myspace.com/thegallerybx

Scenes from the Bx PR Parade Fest

@ the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade Festival

Scenes from the Bx PR Parade Fest

IMG_0325
Originally uploaded by clarisel

In Sepia -- Francisco Gonzalez, president of the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade, speaks at the parade festival.

Scenes from the Bx PR Parade Fest

IMG_0329
Originally uploaded by clarisel

In Sepia -- Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club dancers perform at the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade Festival.

Scenes from the Bx PR Parade Fest

IMG_0333
Originally uploaded by clarisel

A member of Son Borincano performs at the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade festival yesterday.

Visit Me at Zazzle

Featured shop



A way of supporting the Puerto Rico Sun project (which includes Bronx Latino) is by shopping at PRSUN online stores. Shop features items with my photography.

Thanks.

See you at Zazzle.

Clarisel, www.zazzle.com/prsuncom*

Bronx PR Festival is this Sunday

IMG_7992
Originally uploaded by clarisel.

This Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade young queen Ariana poses with her dad Noel after the parade in May. She is part Chinese and part Puerto Rican. This reportedly is the first time in the parade's history in the Bronx that there is a reigning Chinese/Puerto Rican queen. (photo by Clarisel Gonzalez)

Featured story

Bronx boricuas will finally have their festival this Sunday, months after the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Here's a link to a Bronx News report titled "Party on My Puerto Rican Friends" that provides more info. on this Sunday's free festival:

http://www.bxnews.net/http%3A__www.bxnews.net_google123462b68effff4c.html/Headlines.html

(See related August 27 entry posted here.)

INVITATION

School groups, community-based organizations, clubs, cultural organizations, senior citizens centers

You are cordially invited to attend

BomPlenazo 2008

The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture's

Biennial celebration of Afro-Puerto Rican Culture

October 7-12

Bring your class, group, club or cultural organization to any one of the festival events and we will assign a special CULTURAL GUIDE to greet, brief and accompany you to the event. The guide will give you background information on the artists, the music and dance programs they perform and the social and cultural contexts from which the traditions have come.

The guides are Hostos students who did course work with many of the festival performers and artisans in Loiza during the summer of 2008.

They will be on hand to prepare audiences for performances, answer questions and interpret presentations. This program will provide educators with a tool that will add a special dimension to the festival, making it a more meaningful experience for students. If the event schedule does not suit your schedule please call to make a cultural guide appointment at your convenience.

Don't miss this service! It's free and so is your admission to the events.

For more information or to schedule your group visit, call:

718-518-6631

or email rdelossantos@hostos.cuny.edu

(Editor's Note: Feel free to mention you read this in Bronx Latino.)

Featured story

Did you know that Senator Rubén Díaz Sr. supports Gov. Sarah Palin's candidacy for VP?

Well, check out this report from the New York Times.

South Bronx Senator Admires Palin

It isn’t every day that a Democratic state Senator from the deeply Democratic South Bronx announces his public support of the selection of a Republican vice presidential candidate. But Senator has been out front and prominent in his support of Gov. Sarah Palin, Senator John McCain’s choice as running mate.
For more, go to
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/south-bronx-senator-admires-palin/

Politics

Guide for the Last Minute Voter

As most of America focuses on the presidential election, New Yorkers have a local primary to think about.

The local primary is September 9.

Check out the Gotham Gazette guide and learn about races that impact you closer to home,

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20080902/202/2633

Community Calendar

Spanish Authors in America
Literary Evening with Spanish writers Enrique Vila-Matas and Cristina Grande
TONIGHT
6-8 p.m., Bronx Library Center, 310 East Kingsbridge Road
Free
The Spanish Ministry of Culture's Directorate General of Books and The New York Public Library present this program in the series "Spanish Authors in America" with an evening of discussion with the prestigious authors. Program will be presented in Spanish.

Fiesta de Flores at The New York Botanical Garden

Annual Day-Long Festival Celebrates the Flowers and Culture of Latin and South America
Sunday, September 14

On September 14, celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Fiesta de Flores, a day-long festival at The New York Botanical Garden commemorating the flowers and culture of Latin and South America. Enjoy the beauty of the Garden while being treated to music, dancing, and more.

Programs and activities for the popular annual Fiesta de Flores event are scheduled to take place throughout the day. Details of times and exact locations will be listed in the day’s program that all visitors receive on site; a sampling of all there is to see and do at the Botanical Garden during the Fiesta with the purchase of an All-Garden Pass includes:

• Tap, step, turn, and spin to the beat with salsa dancing lessons with Tito Sandoval, renowned salsa dancer who has performed with the Eddie Torres Dancer and Nydia Ocasio at the World Salsa Congress.
• Join in the festive cheer with face painting throughout the day.
• Venture into the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory or the Library Building’s Britton Science Rotunda and Gallery to explore the expertise The New York Botanical Garden has amassed about the flora of Latin America and learn about the places that Garden scientists have visited around the world for their research.
• View the major attraction this summer, Moore in America: Monumental Sculpture at The New York Botanical Garden, the largest outdoor exhibition of Henry Moore’s sculpture ever presented in a single venue in the United States, with 20 major pieces positioned throughout the Garden. Learn how Moore was inspired by cultures from around the world including South America on our educator led Henry Moore Tours, which meet at the Reflecting Pool and Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden on Sunday at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Watch an informative documentary film, The Art of Henry Moore in the Arthur and Janet Ross Lecture Hall on Sunday at 12 and 2 p.m. Families can enjoy Moore for Kids in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
• In the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, create tissue paper flowers inspired by plants native to South America, pot a marigold seed to take the festival home with you, and explore the plant world through hands-on investigations.
• In the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden, learn how to grow and care for plants used in Hispanic cuisine. See plants from around the world on display and make your own marigold jewelry from 1 – 5 p.m.
• The Festival of Flowers continues while you savor the spectacular display of flowers and fragrance in the renovated Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, in beautiful bloom since late spring. Garden regulars who expected to see roses only in June and then reflowering again in the fall have been treated to a lovely surprise this year, and the roses will be in bloom now until the first frost.
• Learn all about rose care at the weekly Home Gardening Demonstration at 1:30 p.m. and a curator-led Question-and-Answer session and tour of the Rose Garden from 2–4 p.m.
• Enjoy the last day of the Conservatory exhibition Shapes of Nature in the Summer Garden. Spiked flax, fan-shaped palms, puffy vine seed pods, arrowhead caladiums, dozens of varieties of scalloped-leafed coleus, and more are lushly displayed in beds, on trellises, and in formal terra-cotta containers flanking rectangular pools in the Seasonal Exhibitions Galleries of the Haupt Conservatory.
• Get on board for a narrated Tram Tour of the Garden’s historic 250 acres.

Tickets On Sale for Special September 14 Dan Zanes and Friends Concerts

Also on Sunday, September 14, for an additional cost, visitors to the Garden can see Dan Zanes and Friends performing songs from their new album, ¡Nueva York! Tickets for the Dan Zanes concerts are available at www.nybg.org for two performances scheduled at the Botanical Garden’s Daffodil Hill,
11 a.m.–1 p.m., and 2–4 p.m. (For the Dan Zanes and Friends Concert, an upgrade from All-Garden or Grounds-Only Passes is required. The concert tickets cost $30, with discounts for children and NYBG Members.)

¡Nueva York! is Dan Zanes and Friends’ first Spanish language family album celebrating music from Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and more. It follows on the heels of their Grammy Award-winning CD Catch That Train. The group’s concerts aim to build bridges with songs that connect all people. Dan Zanes and Friends will be joined by artists who collaborated with them on ¡Nueva York!, including: The Villa-Lobos Brothers, La Bruja, La Cumbiamba eNeYé, Silvia Sierra, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Joaquin Maria Del Rosario, Isidro Chavez, Quintino Cinalli, and Bernardo Palombo.

For more information, visit www.nybg.org or call 718.817.8700.

source: NYBG press release

(photos by Clarisel Gonzalez at a recent trip to the New York Botanical Garden. For more photos of my day there, go to www.flickr.com/photos/clarisel and look for the photo set dedicated to garden shots.)

Opinion

If a politician doesn't have time to serve, he or she should not hold an elected position. I am disgusted that a Bronx Latina is topping the list of City Council members who don't show up for meetings.
The Bronx NEEDS representation. We don't need a politician who doesn't show up to work.
We don't need slackers.
How could the leader of the Bronx delegation go from fourth worst to worst? How could this be acceptable?
Our politicians must be accountable.
The Bronx deserves better. -- Clarisel Gonzalez

Here's the story that got me pissed off that ran in the Daily News:
Bronx politician Maria Baez at head of class - for skipping work

Though many City Council members seem open to extending - or scrapping - term limits, some don't even bother to show up for meetings now.

The news report provides these stats: The no-show leader is Maria Baez of the Bronx, who went from a 75.63% attendance in the 2006-07 period to 47.66% this year. She dropped from fourth worst to worst.
Baez, who did not respond to repeated requests for comment from the Daily News, is the leader of the Bronx delegation.

To read the complete Daily News story:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/09/01/2008-09-01_bronx_politician_maria_baez_at_head_of_c.html

'Recuerdos' and Latinidad

Things to do in the Bx

Bronx Blue Bedroom Project presents

Recuerdos

By Melissa A. Calderon

September 6 – September 29

Opening reception for the artist: 2-5 p.m., Saturday, September 6

In Recuerdos, Melissa explores the creation of a transnational “fantasy heritage”. Using installation, photography, sculpture and video, she examines stereotypical imagery within the context of American assimilative process of Latinidad. The work addresses the discourse of the construction of a hybrid identity from the 2nd generation Latino perspective. While exploring the ideas of cultural alienation and rememory, Recuerdos brings a new context to emotional embeddedness of Latino culture.


Noted as Best of September 2008 by 10 best.com…see link below…
http://www.10best.com/New_York,NY/Events/bestEvents.html?eventMonth=200809

Feel free to bring a treat or drink to share with us during the opening…

Abrazos!!

Bronx Blue Bedroom Project
309 Alexander Ave. Apt. 3A
www.bronxbbp.com