100 Bronxites wanted for photo shoot

Teacher, mom and amateur photographer Miriam DeLeon is currently putting together a project  to photograph 100 Bronxites (4 from every zip code). With so much diversity within our borough, Miriam says, she wants to capture those images on camera. If you are interested in being her "model," send Miriam a note with your name (or nickname), zip-code and a brief description of yourself. She would love to photograph people where they feel most comfortable, but prefers the outdoors for better lighting.
For more information about the 100 Bronxites photo project, email miriam.deleon [at] gmail.com. Miriam is a member of the Bronx Latino photo group.

Good luck.

Bronx Princess and Nora screening

Things to do in the Bx

6 p.m., Saturday, August 29
BRONX PRINCESS AND NORA 
FREE  
A free screening of two films about strong-willed women surviving, learning and dancing in their journeys between New York and Africa. 

Venue:On the lawn of Mullaly Park in the Bronx 
Address: The park is bordered by Jerome Ave, McClellan St, River Ave, and E 164 St 
6 p.m.: Live music by Kewulay Kamara, Blitz the Ambassador, Mamarazzi and others. 

9 p.m.: Films 

10:30 p.m.:  Filmmaker Q & A 

Rooftop Films,  a summer-long independent film festival based in NYC (www.rooftopfilms.com) is hosting the event. It is presented in partnership with: POV, Cinereach, New York magazine and Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo

For more information, www.rooftopfilms.com.

Save El Maestro

In the mailbox:

EL MAESTRO, INC.

JUAN LAPORTE'S BOXING GYM

1029 EAST 167^TH STREET

BRONX, NEW YORK 10459

TEL.: (646) 337-6775

                                                       

LAST TIME OPORTUNITY TO SAVE EL MAESTRO, INC.

 

To: All our Friends, Family and Comrades

From: Ponce Laspina

We are reaching to you to request your support in helping an important institution stay alive: El Maestro, Inc. is a 501-C 3 non profit organization founded in 2003 whose mission is to improve the quality of life of the people in the community through social activities such as; sports, cultural and educational programs.

At this time we do not have or receive any funding. We are reaching out to you to request your assistance in order to continue providing these services to the youth in our community.

El Maestro, Inc.  is a sports, cultural and educational oasis in the heart of the South Bronx named in honor Puerto Rican Patriot, Don Pedro Albizu Campos "El Maestro", where all aspects of Puerto Rican culture, history and identity are nurtured, developed and made available to the community of New York City. We focus on grassroots community activism as a means of strengthening our community.

 

These are the programs we offer:

 

1- EL MAESTRO, INC.  (CULTURAL & EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM)

2-JUAN LAPORTE'S BOXING GYM (BOXING, MENTORING  & FITNESS PROGRAM)

3-  5 EN PLENA    (BOMBA & PLENA GROUP)

4-LAS PRINCESSAS DEL CARIBE (BOMBA & PLENA DANCE GROUP 5 -15 YRS. OLD)

5-LOS ADOLESCENTES DEL CARIBE ( MERENGUE & BACHATA DANCE GROUP 12-18 YRS OLD)

6-JUAN "IGOR" GONZALEZ LITTLE LEAGUE (16 TEAMS- BOYS & GIRLS 4-15 YRS. OLD)

7-ROBERTO CLEMENTE SOFTBALL LEAGUE (14 TEAMS YOUTH- 17 YRS OLD & UP)

 WE NEED TO GET 100 FRIENDS TO DONATE

 

$100.00 EACH  PAY RENT AREARS OR WE GET EVICTED.

THIS ACTION WOULD SAVE EL MAESTRO AND HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

 * WE HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 12TH TO RAISE THESE FUNDS.

ON THAT DAY WE CELEBRATE OUR YEARLY FESTIVAL AT VYSE AVENUE IN THE BRONX.

PERFORMING:5 EN PLENA,CONJUNTO SWING Y SABOR, LAS PRINCESSAS DEL CARIBE,LOS ADOLESCENTES DEL CARIBE,JOSIE “LA GATA NEGRA “ & THE WILD STYLE,LIVE BOXING SHOW, ARTS & CRAFTS.

YOU CAN BRING THE DONATIONS ON THAT DAY.

PAYABLE TO: EL MAESTRO, INC.

OR MAIL IT TO: EL MAESTRO, INC.

1029 EAST 167^TH STREET, BRONX, NEW YORK 10459

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H&R Block seeks candidates to train for income tax course and future job opportunities

H&R Block reached out to Bronx Latino to help spread the word on this opportunity. Courses in English and Spanish will be offered at three locations (2477 Grand Concourse, 349 East 149th St. and 1630 Westchester Avenue) in the Bronx. Good luck.

Here's a press release from H&R Block:

The nation’s unemployment rate is more than 9 percent.* Job fairs have lines out the door. And, an economic turnaround isn’t projected until 2010. Those looking for work face staggering challenges. But H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) has good news for job-seekers: The company is preparing to hire nearly 15,000 tax professionals nationwide.

           

Interested candidates must complete H&R Block’s Income Tax Course, which is now open for enrollment. Upon passing the 69-hour** class, qualified English-speaking or bilingual candidates will be eligible to apply for a tax preparation position in one of the company’s retail offices nationwide.

 

“In a tight job market, this course is a good opportunity to learn fresh skills that could lead to a new career,” said Marcia Aviles, H&R Block instructor in the New York City area. “For the thousands affected by layoffs, H&R Block’s Income Tax Course could be an avenue for pursuing a job with the country’s tax preparation leader.”

 

Multiple class locations are offered and courses are held at different times throughout the day. Classes start Aug. 29 and generally meet two or three times a week for three hours.

 

The course covers common tax topics seen in the field by preparers, including:

·         Credits, deductions and charitable contributions

·         Health savings accounts

·         Stock sales, retirement planning and income

·         Mortgage interest

·         Home offices, self-employed income and wages

 

Once hired, H&R Block tax professionals will participate in ongoing training to stay apprised of the latest tax law changes. 

 

To enroll in H&R Block’s Income Tax Course in New York City call 1-888-412-7880.

 

*US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 5, 2009.

**State requirements may vary.

 

H&R Block is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This course is not intended for, nor open to, any persons who are currently employed by or seeking employment with any professional tax preparation company or organization other than H&R Block.

 

Wanted your Bronx photos of the 1970s

I recently digged a story by David Gonzalez of the New York Times, one of my favorite writers in that paper. I recommend you check out the article about the Bronx in 1970s and the photographs he shot.

"In this place that had been written off as hopeless, I saw people just moving on," he says in a podcast.

Now that David has shared his images and photos, the New York Times has issued a call for readers to also send in their pictures of the Bronx of the 1970s.

Here's the New York Times' message to readers: "Were you there when the Bronx was burning? We'd like to see your photographs of the Bronx from the 1970s, not only in its chaos and despair, but in its unquenchable vitality, too."

The link to submit your photos is here: http://submit.nytimes.com/bronx70s

Bronx Latino recommends you send the photos. Try to send a diversity of images. Try to send photos that represent the life of the people of the Bronx despite all the abandonment and rubble.

David wrote a story from the heart. You could tell.

Listen to David tell his story at http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/08/19/nyregion/bronx_gonzalez/index.html
To read his report, go to
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/nyregion/23bronx.html?_r=1

By the way, if you are on Digg, follow me there at http://digg.com/users/prsun. I usually Digg stories related to the Bronx, Latino themes and more. I'm Prsun at Digg. Digg it.

Thanks David for sharing your photos and your Bronx story with the world. Now, that's a Bronx tale.

Acentos Writers Workshops are back

The Acentos Writers workshop season start up again Sept. 6th with Marie-Elizabeth Mali.
These classes are free and open to the public.

Starting Sept. 6th, Acentos features Marie-Elizabeth Mali. She was born and raised in New York City, with frequent trips to Venezuela and Sweden where most of her family lives. Before receiving her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, she practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is a co-curator for louderARTS: the Reading Series. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Calyx, MiPOesias, Pebble Lake Review, and RATTLE, among others.

The Acentos Writers Workshop was established with the purpose of nurturing the newer voices in the poetry community. With writers from across several genres donating their time, the workshop encourages newer writers to hone their craft, establish and create community, and perform their work in front of growing audiences.

The Acentos Writers Workshop offers opportunities for growing writers through contact with professional writers, poets, mentors, and teachers. The workshop accepts writers of all backgrounds and skill level to foster growth and maximize their full potential and grow as writers.

As part of the Acentos Foundation and the louderARTS project, the workshops continue to serve a multitude of generations, ethnicities and backgrounds.

Here's the lineup of the Acentos Writers workshop facilitators:

Sun Sep 6, 2009 Marie-Elizabeth Mali
Sunday Sept 13 Thomas Sayers Ellis
Sunday Sept 20 Jeffrey McDaniel
Sun Sep 27, 2009 Tony Brown

Sun Oct 4, 2009 Blas Falconer & Helena Mesa
Sun Oct 11, 2009 Lisa Ascalon
Sun Oct 18, 2009 Patricia Spears jones
Sun Oct 25, 2009 Cornelius Eady

Sun Nov 1, 2009 Sheila Candelario
Sun Nov 8, 2009 Cheryl Boyce Taylor
Sun Nov 15, 2009 Adam Faulkner
Sun Nov 22, 2009 R Erica Doyle
Sun Nov 29, 2009 Samantha Thornhill

Sun Dec 6, 2009 Sarah Gambito
Sun Dec 13, 2009 Christina Olivares
Sun Dec 20, 2009 Edwin Torres

Sun Jan 3, 2010 Tara Betts
Sun Jan 10, 2010 Annecy Baez
Sun Jan 17, 2010 Sammy Miranda
Sun Jan 24, 2010 Li-Yun Alvarado
Sun Jan 31, 2010 roger bonair agard

Sun Feb 7,2010 Jive Poetic
Sun Feb 14, 2010 Diana Marie Delgado
Sun Feb 21, 2010 Corie Feiner
Sun, Feb 28, 2010 Mildred Ruiz

Sun, March 7, 2010 Louis Reyes Rivera
Sun, March 14, 2010 Americo Casiano
Sun, March 21, 2010 Zora Howard
Sun, March 28, 2010 Rachel McKibbons

April 4, 2010 Vannessa Hidary
April 11, 2010 Ishle yi Park
April 17, 2010 Acentos Poetry Festival

Get there at 12 p.m. sharp.

Eugenio María de Hostos Community College •450 Grand Concourse,***ROOM 454

To RSVP or more information, Fish (at) louderarts.com.

Bronx News Network: Seeking students for a youth journalism class

Bronx News Network: Seeking students for a youth journalism class

Q&A with Bronx activist Vicente "Panama" Alba

The organization “For a Better Bronx,” a community-based organization in the South Bronx, which fights to achieve environmental, social and food justice through education, community organizing, and empowerment held a special event earlier this year at St. Luke’s Church in the Bronx. That day, long-time activist Vicente “Panama” Alba was honored for many years of service to the organization and his commitment to people. Vicente has done it all in his many years of activism, including being a member of the influential Young Lords Party, which this weekend celebrates its 40th anniversary, and being a member of the underground group the F.A.L.N. (Fuerzas Armadas Liberacion Nationalista). He has fought againstpolice brutality and against the war. He is an environmentalist. He was also active in the movement to get the Navy out of the Puerto Rican town of Vieques.
With the anniversary and reunion of the Young Lords, Alba reflects on his time with the organization and says it continues to shape his work as an activist.
Q: Let’s talk about the Young Lords. It’s been close to 40 years since they took over the church at 111th Street and Lexington Avenue. Why are the Young Lords still in the minds of people to this day?
A: As far as the history of my involvement, I am a proud former member of the Young Lords Party. That experience has paved the road I’ve been walking since.
Q: Should there be a memorial in this (NY) city despite their birth in Chicago, Illinois?
A: As far as should there be a memorial for the Young Lords, it needs to be clear that the great majority of us never thought that we were making history. That was not our motivation. We just loved our people, hated what we were being subjected to, and dreamed of a better world. Those are the things that drive me to do what I do to this day. We, without realizing it, did make history. All the credit is deserved by Cha Cha, Sal, Omar, and the women who turned a gang into a revolutionary force and inspired young people in NY and then other parts of the country to join. I have to say, though, I believe that if the YLO had not happened in Chicago and moved people here, something else after that would have been born here because the reality we demanded it. As far as a memorial, that is not for me to say.
Q: Richie Perez was in the Lords with you. Can you tell us a little about him? He once stated that being in the movement keeps you young and strong. 
A: As for as Richie Perez, the fact that from amongst all the people who lived for our people, you ask me about him speaks for itself. I first met Richie as one of the fellows when I was a teenager. He was soon after a teacher at Monroe High School where I was registered, but never went. Richie along with Cleo Silvers were the two most influential people at that time in my life. They knew me as an out-of-control rebel and guided me to the path I’ve been on since I joined the YLP. Until his death, he was my brother, my friend,companero de lucha, and is today one on whose spirit I call on. Richie was one of the most caring and committed people I’ve been honored to have in my life. Probably the most brilliant person I have ever come across. He never asked others to do something he would not do himself.

The Young Lords celebrate its 40th anniversary and reunion Sunday with an event at the First Spanish Methodist Church aka "The People's Church" in East Harlem. -- Ismael Nunez

Ismael Nunez is a contributing writer to Puerto Rico Sun.

(photo by Ismael Nunez of Vicente "Panama" Alba, center, with his children at the Better Bronx event)
(Young Lords flier; click on image for larger text)