OUR TIME PRESS | March 21-27, 2019

| From the Villa ge of Brook ly n |

OUR TIME PRESS THE L OCAL PAPER WITH THE G LOBAL VIEW

| VOL. 23 NO. 12

Since 1996

March 21-27, 2019 |

Photo: Winston Wharton

“And on my father’s side, my great-great-grandmother taught all her children to sew. My father came to New York as a tailor in the ‘40s. She told him, “You all will always probably have to work for some white people, but you won’t have to clean up their house.”

Brenda Brunson-Bey: Fabulous Is Her Business!

B

renda Brunson-Bey, fashion design artist extraordinaire, regularly turns heads in Brooklyn, a place where you can see any variety of fabulous on a given day. But Brunson-Bey's brand of fabulous is several steps beyond. A native of Georgia, she’s been in Brooklyn for decades, building a solid business with diehard clients who take pride and pleasure in supporting her. Brunson-Bey describes her Tribal Truths Collection as “Africenfused”–centered in African fabrications and silhouettes (the circle, square and triangle) while incorporating European, Asian, Native and other influences. Her client is the culturally and socially conscious woman 18-80 and petite to plus-size. They can go anywhere and turn heads themselves; when your outfit displays innovative genius, you’re seen as a person of confidence and good taste. While growing up, Brunson-Bey took advantage of the home economics courses requiring students to have basic survival skills, but she already knew more than a bit about sewing. It was passed generously

Ό

By Maitefa Angaza

down the family tree and she feels both a creative impetus and spiritual responsibility to carry it on. “My maternal grandmother used to put little things into the slips she made us, a bead or something, and that was our blessing. I put little talismans on the ends of my clothes. It’s a tribute to Katie Merriweather. On my father’s side, my great-great-grandmother taught all her children to sew. My father, Bill Brunson, Sr., came to New York as a tailor in the ‘40s. She told him, “You all will always probably have to work for some white people, but you won’t have to clean up their house.” Having been born with a greater number of choices, Brunson-Bey put her combined biology and chemistry degrees from Morris Brown College to use by teaching, working in a lab, etc. She also studied fashion buying, merchandising, advertising and communications at Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. She later moved to New York for good as a buyer for Abraham & Strauss, designing on the side, but finding no pleasure in her day job. Browsing the

shops nearby on her lunchbreak helped to lift her spirits. “There was a man that had a cute little shop on Montague St. and I was wearing capes, cause I always liked drama stuff. And he said, ‘Where are you getting all these capes and stuff from?’ And I said, ‘I make them.’ He said, ‘You do?! Well, can you make a dozen for my stores?’ He had two stores, one in The Village and one in Brooklyn. I went home and put in my two weeks resignation and I never looked back.” For 12 years, Brunson-Bey was a successful vendor/member at Brooklyn’s trailblazing 4W Circle of Art and Enterprise. In 2003, she opened her Tribal Truths Collection boutique, remaining in business there for 15 years. She now has a showroom studio for clients to visit by appointment, an active Tribal Truths Collection page on Facebook and can also be reached on Instagram and via email at: tribaltruthsfashion@yahoo.com and at 718-638-7624. Brunson-Bey is proud also of the brainchildren that are her civic and economic

contributions. For 19 years, she’s co-produced the Fort Greene Juneteenth Arts Festival and she founded the Diaspora Art Collective, a monthly Brooklyn-based artists’ market nine years ago. The Tribal Truths Collection continues to thrive because not only are the beautiful pieces one-of a kind, they’re also the lasting kind – durable and too fashion-forward to ever go out of style. “A friend called me and said, ‘Brenda, your clothes just have staying power!’ I was walking today and saw this young teenager. I said, wait a minute, that looks like some of Brenda’s fabric!’ And she caught up to her and saw that it was mine, because she saw the talisman hanging from the front. She told the girl, ‘That coat is so beautiful! Where’d you get it?!’ And the little girl said, ‘It belonged to my grandmother.’” Her grandmother, a longtime client of Brunson-Bey's, had passed away, and to know her granddaughter is wearing that coat touches and galvanizes the artist who made it.

2

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

VOL. 23 NO. 12

Mosley Says Affordable Housing Overshadows Shadows

A

Ό

ssemblyman Walter Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) this week gave political support to the massive mixed-use housing/retail project proposed for 960 Franklin Avenue, saying housing for working folks overshadows shadows. The project site sits on a large Franklin Avenue lot between Montgomery Street and Sullivan Place in Crown Heights. The proposal calls for nearly 1,600 units of housing in two buildings, each over 40 stories high with ground floor retail space. “In our current climate, where rapid gentrification, large-scale development and community displacement has led to the worst housing crisis in decades, it has understandably become the norm to immediately rebuke developers who saunter into our neighborhoods, selling our community half-genuine promises. However, I have numerous reasons to remain optimistic when it comes to the substantial affordable housing

By Stephen Witt

proposal slated for the old Spice Factory on Franklin Avenue,” said Mosley. He pointed out that currently within Brooklyn’s Community Board 9, 66.3% of the population is Black and another 9.6% is Hispanic. With 76% of the population being people of color, and the existing rent burden seeing 49% of the population spending 35% or more of their income on rent, the proposed ratio of actual affordable housing will allow this population to experience some relief from existing rents and unaffordability. “Located between Prospect Park and Ebbets Field, this site is slated to include approximately 1,600 housing units – 50% of them being for lower, middle- and moderate-income families,” said Mosley. “Of the affordable units proposed – 40% of them will accommodate families at or below 50% AMI, with incomes as low as $36,550 for a single person – 20% of them will accommodate families at or below 80% AMI, or a two person household making

$66,800 – 20% of them will accommodate families at or below 100% AMI, or a three person household making $93,900 and the remaining 20% of them will accommodate families at or below 120% AMI – true newly union-constructed and permanently-affordable housing for Brooklyn’s struggling working and middle class families.” In addition to this substantial level of affordability, which is something that has been missing from many of the development projects in Central Brooklyn, Mosley said, the project will be 100 percent union-built and union-financed. Mosley said while he understands and sympathizes with local residents’ concerns over the height and shadow impact these proposed housing towers would have on the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, located on the east side of Prospect Park, it is his understanding that the developer has been working closely with the city’s planning department, including restructuring the tower design to mitigate shadow impact, and

updating the contextual zoning. But, Mosley said, mitigating shadows aside, affordable housing, particularly in the Southern Crown Heights/Lefferts Gardens area is scarce, and the landscape of the community is rapidly changing. “This proposal for the [former] Spice Factory site does not include luxury condos, nor does it strictly offer services and benefits to the few at the cost of the many. In fact, this is one of the few proposals I’ve seen come through my district that offers truly substantial bands of affordability and benefits for working class families,” Mosley said. “Before we prematurely oppose the developer, we must come together and have a conversation with the developer to learn what this deal really entails. As such, I commend the developer and the Department of City Planning for working together to ensure this project meets the needs of our community, while simultaneously addressing affordable housing, union labor, and environmental preservation,” he added.

Meeting Happenings at Brooklyn CB #8

B

Ό

rooklyn Community Board No. 8 (CB8) held its latest general meeting on Thursday, March 14th at 1000 Dean Street, commencing around 7pm. That night, there was a public hearing on the board’s Preliminary Capital and Expense Budget Priorities and Requests. The first three capital budget priorities dealt with housing

DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc. 358 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 599-6828 Web site: www.ourtimepress.com e-mail: editors@ourtimepress.com

By Akosua K. Albritton

for extremely low-income households, senior housing, the disabled and the expansion of loan programs for the rehabilitation of multiple dwellings. Other needs included the renovation of two local schools serving elementary to middle school students. The repair of subway stations, a park dog run, the installation of lamp posts at the

Dean Street Playground, as well as a new or upgraded community board building and equipment, were other budgetary items. In fact, CB8 staff and board members seek to acquire land or re-appropriate a City-owned building at 1472 Bergen Street which had been used by the NYC Fire Department. Given the rise in popularity of the district

renting while

Publisher DBG MEDIA Editor-in-Chief David Mark Greaves Copy Editor Maitefa Angaza Columnists Eddie Castro Victoria Horsford Michael Johnson Abigail McGrath Marlon Rice Reporters Akosua Albritton Margo McKenzie Contributors Lisa Durden Fern Gillespie Web Editor www.ourtimepress.com Liani Greaves -ȑACȧ+?L?ECP Joanna Williams Advisor Bernice Elizabeth Green KinEsthetics International © 2015, DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc., printed in New York City. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced without prior permission of the publishers. Publishers are not responsible for any ad claims. + # !BOQFȳBA FK ,6! ,60 and the Port Authority of NY & NJ +BJ?BO ,BT 6LOH 0Q>QB ÅOBPP PPL@F>QFLK

is a human right NYC has one of the strongest Human Rights laws in the nation. It protects New Yorkers against discrimination and harassment based on race and color. If you have experienced or witnessed discrimination or harassment, report it to the NYC Commission on Human Rights.

TM

Call 311 or 718.722.3131 or visit NYC.gov/HumanRights today.

Commission on Human Rights Bill de Blasio, Mayor

Carmelyn P. Malalis, Chair/Commissioner

The Commission can investigate complaints and fine violators up to $250K in civil penalties. Reports can be made anonymously.

by newcomers, topping the expense budget priorities is the provision of rental subsidies and incentives to property owners to gain acceptance of rental assistance vouchers. What this is about is the push and pull of the housing needs of existing working-class residents and newcomers working in the digital industry. A concern for both longtime and new residents is the rat population. An answer to this is getting training at the Rat Institute for housing professionals and private households. Other issues include landlords of rent-controlled and rent-stabilized housing reducing services in order to push out longtime residents and sign leases with higher-income, rent-paying tenants. In the same vein, commercial tenants are dealing with increases in commercial rent while running their business. The City must step into the lease negotiations to ensure more business owners can remain in their commercial spaces. After all, must everyone shop at big box stores and theme restaurants? One expense-budget item of significant concern is senior services. Given that information, entertainment, commerce and education are being conducted online, it is necessary that older adults are in the loop and know how to access and use information technology. Computer training programs need to be instituted in all senior centers in CB8. The unfortunate situation is that the NYC Department for the Aging is underfunded in this area and “there is no additional funding available to increase program budgets or commence new initiatives.” Given the majority of senior citizens were once vital and active in the social, familial and commercial aspects of society, it is a sad statement that in their “Golden Years,” when they ought to be relaxing, there is the need to engage in work in their 60s, 70s and 80s. Reports from the Economic Development, Education and Youth, EST, Health, Housing, Public Safety and Senior Committees comprised the other business on the meeting agenda. An action item came from the Land Use Committee which dealt with a “Resolution to Pursue Acquisition of Dedicated Brooklyn Community Board No. 8 General Meeting Space.” The Land Use Committee met on Thursday, March 7th at the Center for Nursing α Continued on page 6

VOL. 23 NO. 12

3

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

TPT Horror Stories Aired at Packed Borough Hall

E

Ό

ditor’s Note: This continues a KCP investigative series by reporters Kelly Mena and Stephen Witt on how New York City is taking paid-off properties from longtime small property owners, including Black and Brown seniors, and giving them to connected nonprofit and for-profit developers, as gentrification continues to sweep across Brooklyn. Dozens of majority Black and Latino property owners packed two full rooms at Brooklyn Borough Hall last Friday as attendee after attendee told their story of how the City took their property from right under them. At the helm of the three-hour-long legislative hearing was Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, joined by state Senators Velmanette Montgomery, Kevin Parker and Brian Kavanagh, chair of the state Senate Housing Committee and Assembly Members Tremaine Wright and Nick Perry, who looked to Brooklyn residents for the next course of action against the Third Party Transfer Program (TPT) under the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Last October, city and state officials called on both the New York State Unified Court System and the de Blasio Administration to put a moratorium on and investigate the seizing of properties through the TPT Program. “We did a letter and I think about 20 of us elected officials signed on asking for a moratorium on the TPT Program specifically. We wrote to the mayor and all of the leaders and everyone we could think of, but we got no response. So, clearly asking for a moratorium

By Stephen Witt & Kelly Mena, Kings County Politics

Photo: Kelly Mena

QQCK@JWȩKCK@CPȩ2PCK?GLCȩ5PGEFR ȩQCAMLBȩDPMKȩJCȓ ȩUGRFȩ1R?RCȩ1CL?RMPQȩ4CJK?LCRRCȩ+MLREMKCPWȩ?LBȩ)CTGLȩ .?PICP ȩFCJBȩ?ȩRFPCC FMSPȩJCEGQJ?RGTCȩQCQQGMLȩRF?RȩACLRCPCBȩK?GLJWȩMLȩRFCȩ2FGPBȩ.?PRWȩ2P?LQDCPȩNPMEP?K ȩ did not work, so we are wondering if we need to do something more than that and what would that be?” Montgomery posed to the attendees. The lawmakers represent the neighborhoods most hard-hit and arguably disproportionately affected by the most recent round of seizures through the TPT Program, including Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights and

other parts of Central Brooklyn. In Dec. 2017, over 60 properties were bundled before Kings County Supreme Court Judge Mark Partnow, who made a foreclosure judgment on them for the same date. The TPT Program itself aims to sustain affordable housing and prevent tenants from living in deplorable living situations by taking over so-called “distressed properties.”

However, under the program, the City gives ownership to properties behind on property taxes, water bills and, in some cases, building violations to favored non- and for-profit developers for $1 plus $8,750 per unit minus the super’s unit. The chosen developers are not α Continued on page 14

“An Apple a Day...” Services covered at 100%: Talk to your doctor about preventive services that Medicare covers

Annual wellness visit Flu and pneumonia shots Hepatitis C screening Bone mass measurement Colon cancer screening Breast cancer mammogram screening Counseling to stop smoking Much more For free and impartial Medicare information, contact the Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) at nyc.gov/aging or by calling 311 Para información en Español, llame al 311

4

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

WHAT’S GOING ON Ό

By Victoria Horsford

NEW YORK POLITICS

What is going on in Albany between the Assembly/Senate leadership and Governor Cuomo who scheduled a meeting in Harlem on 3/18 at the Mission Society, then cancelled? It is doubtful that there will be a meeting of the minds among the “three people in the room,” Heastie, Stewart-Cousins and Cuomo, to meet the budget deadline in a fortnight. The NYS lawmakers are close to a deal on the criminal justice system, including speedy trials, changing how evidence discovery is handled and curtailing cash bail. However, there are other bumps in the road, re: multiple budget items. Why did B r o o k l y n freshman NYS Senator Zellnor Myrie tell the NY Daily News that Governor Cuomo’s criticism of AfricanA m e r i c a n Zellnore Myrie Democrat Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins was rooted in racial and gender bias? Why did Senator Stewart-Cousins reverse her position on Amazon, publicly appealing to Amazon to reconsider bringing its campus to NY?

pledged more diversity at the workplace, which is traditionally white male and will hire more women, African-Americans and Hispanics. According to a 2017 Bloomberg News report, the Black presence was declining at banks like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase. Less than 20% of Goldman’s 400 partners are women, with less than a handful being Black. Citigroup is looking at a group of mid-to-senior management spread which will comprise 40% women and 8% Black by 2021. Today, Ivy League B-Schools, feeders of the most candidates to those banks, are evenly represented by men and women. The REALDEAL.com interviewed Secretary Ben Carson, who said HUD will give preference to developers and investors who build affordable housing in federal Opportunity Zones when it comes to certain grants. Opportunity Zones is one facet of Trump’s omnibus 2017 tax overhaul program. The OZs allow investors/developers to forego or defer paying some capital gains taxes if they invest “in designated zones.” In another issue of REALDEAL, HUD says that Dreamers have effectively been cut out

Berry Gordy

Ben Carson of FHA mortgage programs, not meeting FHA GUIDELINES because DACA does not grant legal residency in the USA. Crain’s NY Business magazine includes an essay, “HOUSES OF WORSHIP: GRAPPLING with Harlem’s Development Boom,” a survey piece about partnerships between local churches and predatory developers waiting to take advantage of them. Some interesting stats: Harlem’s population ballooned from 109,000-143,000 from 2000 to 2016. Church map for article spans area from 110th to 155th Streets. During that time, the Black population dropped from 77% to 57%, as did church membership. Essay concludes: “Black churches are asset-rich and cash-poor.” Manhattan Boro President Gale Brewer confirms that there are 913 parcels classified as religious

Cultural Caravan TV Airs Celebration of ActionOriented Women

H

EDUCATION

NYC Mayor de Blasio vowed to get more children of color into New York City’s eight elite public high schools. Here are the results of his efforts. Of the 4,798 students admitted to the city’s elite schools, only 506 are Blacks (190) and Latinos (316.) Of the 895 students accepted by Stuyvesant, only seven are Black. Other elite schools include Brooklyn Tech and the Bronx HS of Science. Why is NYC the most segregated education system in the United States?

NEWSMAKERS

BUSINESS MATTERS

Documentarian Stanley Nelson’s long-awaited, work-in-progress, “BOSS: The Black Experience in Business,” explores the history of African-American entrepreneurs that will air on PBS stations on April 23 at 8 pm. The film is encyclopedic and inclusive, documenting entrepreneurial endeavors dating back to the 19th century. Robert Smith, Ursula Burns, Richelieu Dennis, Cathy Hughes, Berry Gordy, John Rodgers and Earl Graves are among the entrepreneurs profiled. Goldman Sachs and Citigroup recently

facilities, and 106 were sold from 20132018. About 650 of those buildings are neither protected landmark nor historic district. Close to 200 of those buildings are in neighborhoods zoned for mid- to high-density housing, making them prime prospects for development. Some of the churches referenced in the partnerships with predatory developers include St. Stephen Community AME on Frederick Douglass Boulevard at 116th Street; East 125th Street Evangelical Church; St. Luke’s Baptist Church on Morningside at 123rd Street and the Metropolitan Community United Methodist Church on East 126th Street. Subotovsky is one of the developers who is partnered with three Harlem churches. I reported a similar story about Brooklyn’s Black churches last year.

ere’s an opWBLS 107.5FM “Steve Harvey Morning Show;” portunity for “The Goddess of Afrikan OTP readers Culture” – BlackRose; to catch a richly inspirDr. Shadidi Beatrice ing program they may Kinsey, First Doctor of not have been able to atAcupuncture licensed tend. On Sunday March in the State of New York 24th from 3-7pm, Louis and the Honorable Judge Dente’s award-winning Nichelle Muhammad of Cultural Caravan TV Mt. Vernon, New York. and Online Series will Louise Dente The program will broadcast its recent feature an African fashWomen’s History Month celebration titled, “Establishing Our Role in ion show, spoken word, vocal music, Eagle 2019 and Beyond: No More Talk – It’s Time Academy Band, as well as health and wellness therapies by the African Holistic Health for Action.” Program participants included Ann Chapter in New York. It can be watched Tripp, veteran journalist and news director at online at ccptv.org

Congratulations to two of my favorite globe-trotting neighbors, Roy Paul and Kim Morton, who were on holiday in Paris, France when they got engaged on St. Valentine’s Day. Back home in Manhattan, they visited Cartier to shop for an engagement ring. They are contemplating a spring 2020 wedding. RIP: Beloved family patriarch William Frank Perry, 86, passed on March 14. Mr. Perry is the father of Judge Frank Perry, former Manhattan Community Board 10 Chairman. His memorial service will be held on March 23rd at 10am at the Berean Missionary Baptist Church, located at 1635 Bergen Street, between Rochester and Utica Avenues, Brooklyn, NY 11213.

KAMALA’S HERITAGE

There is a running argument between two of my favorite broadcast journalists, CNN anchor Don Lemon and American Urban Radio Networks’ April Ryan, regarding US Senator Kamala Harris…. Is she Black or is she African-American!? For their uninformed info, Kamala is both, just like them. Did not know that either journalist had history creds. Senator Harris’ dad is from Jamaica, originally a British colony with enslaved Africans who were ubiquitous

VOL. 23 NO. 12

Kamala Harris throughout the New World which comprises North America and South America. All Blacks whose African ancestors were a part of the Transatlantic Slave Trade are African-American, as are their descendants, plain and simple. Brazilians, Colombians, Jamaicans with African ancestors are African-Americans.

SPRING BREAK NY

Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network hosts its Annual Convention at the Times Square Sheraton Hotel, Manhattan, New York from April 3-6, located at 811 Seventh Avenue. Politicos, captains of industry and media brass will be convention participants. [Visit: Nationalactionnetwork. net] The Jazz Foundation of America will host its 17th Annual A GREAT NIGHT IN HARLEM concert gala on April 4 at the Apollo Theater, honoring music grandees Harry Belafonte and Jȩ1F?PNRML Tony Bennett with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Concert lineup includes August Greene featuring COMMON, Patti Smith, Bettye Lavette, the Count Basie Orchestra, Bruce Willis and Savion Glover. Actor and civil rights advocate Danny Glover will be MC. A “Let the Good Times Roll” After-Party follows the concert. [Visit: jazzfoundationofamerica.org] The National Conference of Artists hosts its NY 2019 Arts and Culture Conference on April 27, 2-8 pm; Art and Entrepreneurs: Bridging the Gap with a 60th Anniversary Celebration at the Andrew Freeman Home, Grand Ballroom, 1125 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY for the Black Arts History Makers Awards. Workshops are panels, artisan market and book corner. Free and open to the public. [Visit: ncanewyorkart.com]

The Sugar Hill Supper Club: How Sweet it Still is Eddie Freeman started what’s now the Sugar Hill Restaurant and Supper Club at DeKalb and Nostrand Avenues in Brooklyn. Eddie settled with an aunt in BedfordStuyvesant when he migrated from North Carolina, got his start driving gypsy cabs and working in factories. Eventually, he

opened a small bar/club and today, 39 years later, the Sugar Hill Restaurant features six different areas offering dinner, dancing and live entertainment. Live music & Southern fare are the specialties of this glossy supper club & dance hall. Sugar Hill Restaurant and Supper Club, 217 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn.

VOL. 23 NO. 12

5

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

Thinker’s Notebook The Strength of a Assembly member Tremaine Wright, second from left, with State Senators Velmanette Montgomery and Kevin Parker, Part One

I

’m going to tell you a story. It is the most powerful and captivating story I’ve heard so far this year. And, I didn’t just hear it. I was there for it; via text, through phone calls, and in person. I saw this story unfold before my very eyes, and I am amazed at the strength of the woman I am going to introduce to you. Her name is Lydia Gonzalez, and this is a story about the last five months of her life. I met Lydia through her boyfriend Patrick. He and I have been friends for a few years. I met him at Rustik Tavern. There is a really tight-knit group of people whose friendships can be traced back to the connections made at Rustik. Pat and I are included in that group. I’ve always admired Pat because he’s an experienced runner. He’s run more than a dozen NYC Marathons, as well as a bunch of races all over the country. I am also a runner, not at all at the level of Patrick and Lydia, but a runner, nonetheless. I used to pick Pat’s brain for advice on how to be a better runner. The advice turned into running with him. The running bought us closer as friends. In 2016, Patrick contracted meningitis. He almost died. He was in the hospital for weeks as doctors worked hard to keep him alive. It was during this time that I met Lydia. You fall in love with Lydia within the first five minutes of meeting her. She wears her spirit on the outside of her skin. She’s so friendly and engaging. She wants you to be happy. She wants you to feel important. She wants you to know that she is listening, even if it’s the first time you’ve ever spoken to her.

Ό

By Marlon Rice

I met her and immediately she became my friend. She’d keep me updated on Patrick’s condition, and even before he was fully healthy Lydia would say to me, “you gotta run with Patrick. You guys have to run together again.” It was at a brunch in January 2017 when Lydia and Pat, at that point fully healthy and back to running, convinced me to run the NYC Marathon. The two of them are like night and day; Pat is reserved and strategic, Lydia is boisterous and excited. I listened to them both and completed my first marathon in November of 2017. The three of us, along with a core group of our friends who are also runners, started the Wild Famous Running Crew in 2017. Even though I made up the name, we all recognized that the leaders of our crew were Patrick and Lydia. On October 29, 2018, just six days before we were all set to run the 2018 NYC Marathon, Lydia received a call that changed everything. Lydia’s mother, Lidu Santiago Valenzuela had discovered that she had a mass in her brain. The doctors would need to perform a biopsy in order to find out whether or not it was cancerous. Lydia’s love for her mother has always been an anchor in her life. This news shook her down to her foundation, leaving Lydia to question whether or not she should even be running the marathon. She says, “I remember the night of November 3rd. I was in my room crying and asking myself why am I in New

Lydia Gonzalez York? Why am I here? Am I being selfish?” Against her heart and emotions, Lydia got up the next morning and ran the 2018 NYC Marathon. There was a touching video caught by a friend that shows Lydia crying for her mother while running the race, her emotions spilling over uncontrollably. She finished the race in 3:44:12, and the next day she was on a flight to her hometown of St. Helens, Oregon to be at her mother’s side.

The mass was found to be cancerous. 20 minutes after the biopsy was performed, Lidu became paralyzed on her left side. The only thing worse than not saying goodbye to someone you love, is knowing that you must say goodbye to someone you love. Lydia stayed in Oregon for three weeks, returned to New York for the Thanksgiving week, and flew back cross country to St. Helens on November 29th. Except for the seven days she spent in New York, Lydia spent every waking moment next to her mother. “I stayed with her. She was in the ICU, and I stayed with her in the ICU. Then, when she got discharged, we took her into hospice and I stayed with her in hospice. We were praying that she’d make it into the New Year.” While in Oregon caring for her mother, Lydia’s personal and professional life was forced into the backseat. There was her job as Program Coordinator with the New York Road Runners. There was Patrick. There was her running calendar, with two races coming up in the beginning of 2019, the Tokyo Marathon on March 3rd, and the Barcelona Marathon on March 10th. But with Mama Lidu suffering, none of it mattered. “I had to think about all of it. I had to think about my job, think about Patrick, think about training, think about my life in New York. I really had to ask myself, ‘What’s going to happen?’” Part Two follows next week.

©2019 New York Lottery

PLAY. SCAN. WIN UP TO $ 5,000 IN STUBHUB GIFT CARDS.

Download the Collect ’N Win app. Enter your Win4 and NUMBERS tickets into monthly drawings for your chance to win. NYCollectNWin.com

PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY.

Struggling with a gambling addiction? Call the HOPEline 1-877-846-7369 or text HOPENY (467369). You must be 18 years or older to purchase a lottery ticket. NYLResponsiblePlay.com Enter tickets by 5/19/19 for a chance to win.

6

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

VOL. 23 NO. 12

YOUTH SYMPOSIUM “Mission Possible: A Safe Space for Our Youth”

ÅELQL !LROQBPV -C@ LC 0Q>QB 0BK>QLO )BSFK Å>OHBO

*CȓȩRMȩPGEFR ȩ,?R?QF?ȩ+?RFGQ ȩ,?PGR?ȩ$MV ȩ(CL?Gȩ(?AIQML ȩ"CQGPCCȩ)LGEFR ȩ(MGȩ(MFLQML ȩ)GKȩ- ȩ,C?JC ȩ1R?RCȩ1CL?RMPȩ)CTGLȩ.?PICP ȩ$CJGAG?ȩ0GAF?PBQ ȩ1R?LJCWȩ )GLEȩMDȩ MWQȩ ȩ%GPJQȩ!JS@FMSQC ȩ+?BGQMLȩ"SL@?P ȩ(?L?W?ȩ P?VRML ȩ)?WJ?ȩ JCV?LBP? ȩ%?@PGCJJ?ȩ$JCKGLE

O

n Saturday, March 15th the sophisticated ladies of Eta Nu Sigma Brooklyn and Queens Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and New York State Senator Kevin Parker hosted the sorority’s annual Youth Symposium - “Mission Possible: A Safe Space for Our Youth” at Thomas S. Murphy Clubhouse Madison Square Boys and Girls Club located on Bedford Avenue. “Alumnae Chapters around the globe, simultaneously, hosted our 22nd Annual Youth

T

Symposium. We were excited to be the host here in Brooklyn! This year’s collaboration with Senator Parker, the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club at Thomas S. Murphy Clubhouse, Agape Food Rescue and our local Sears/Kmart store connected participants with neighborhood resources. Financial literacy, bullying, nutrition and teen hot topics were the focus of this year’s symposium,” stated Kim O’Neale, Chapter president. Middle school students received education on financial literacy – information on

Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College 2019 NBWC Biennial Symposium Sat, March 23

he Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, announces open registration for the 2019 National Black Writers Conference— the nation’s premier gathering of students, writers, authors, scholars and literary icons on the topic of Black literature. The event will take place at Founder’s Auditorium, 1650 Bedford Ave., between Crown and Montgomery Streets in Crown Heights, Brooklyn on Saturday, March 23rd from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. The symposium offers a series of panel discussions, a public town hall, dramatic readings, a bookstore and special performances for anyone interested in attending. Registration is open online at www.centerforblackliterature.org and will also be available on-site at the college. This year’s theme, “Playwrights and Screenwriters at the Crossroads,” is in response to the growing number of award-winning film and theater works produced in the U.S. by Black writers; the symposium will continue the discussions around “Race, Healing and Activism in Black Literature” and broaden its focus to spotlight, for the first time ever, playwrights and screenwriters. It

will also pay special tribute to renowned Obie Award-winning poet, playwright and novelist Ntozake Shange, who transitioned in 2018. Her sister Ifa Bayeza, playwright, producer, novelist, will serve as the keynote speaker. Dr. Brenda Greene, Executive Director of the Center for Black Literature, reflects on the goal of the symposium. “We are at a crossroads, and as the number of plays and films by Black writers expand, we want to explore the nature of the plays and films being produced. Are Black playwrights and screenwriters writing for Black, white or mixed audiences? What is the nature of the subject matter and themes promoted by producers and directors of Black plays and films? Are Black playwrights and screenwriters more focused on entertainment than on the complexity of the Black experience in America? What is the future for Black playwrights and screenwriters?" For more information and the full program, interested participants may visit the 2019 National Black Writers Conference Biennial Symposium website at www.centerforblackliterature.org.

budgeting, saving and understanding one’s finances were addressed. Older students had a platform to discuss topics relevant to them. “It is important that elected officials and community organizations continue to come together and engage the youth in a positive way. I am proud to partner with my local Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority to bring their Annual Youth Symposium to students in my district. I am looking forward to partnering with their chapter for future events,” said Senator Kevin Parker.

Students walked away with backpacks and goodie bags filled with healthy snacks and water. The event concluded with the attendees exercising to the latest Soca music during their Zumba party to promote physical activity. The sorority has been dedicated to service for more than 90 years. Members work to enhance the quality of life for their families, friends and neighbors, and are committed to “Greater Service, Greater Progress.”

CB #8 α Continued from page 2 and Rehabilitation [sic], 727 Classon Ave., to review the feasibility of use for roughly 15 sites with the criteria of 1) Being central to the geographic boundaries of the district, 2) Able to accommodate a minimum of 200 attendees, 3) Having conference rooms and 4) Equipped with audiovisual conference and projection facilities. Meeting all criteria was at 1472 Bergen Street. The committee voted unanimously for that location. Another action item came from the Parks Committee, which met on Tuesday, March 5th at David Chavis Apartments, 230 Kingston Avenue. This item dealt with the Lincoln Terrace Reconstruction Project, which involves the repair of the seating plaza, the pathways and the addition of benches. The plan includes the installation of barbecue grills. The committee compared other pathway material to asphalt but did not require a cost-benefit analysis to be performed. This committee voted unanimously for the design plans for the Lincoln Park Pavement Reconstruction Project. The third action item involved the usual consideration into liquor license renewals, namely Nostrand Pub at 658 Nostrand Avenue, a bar/tavern, full license; Lincoln Station at 409 Lincoln Place, a restaurant, beer/wine/cider; Washington Tavern at 434 Park Place, a bar/tavern, full license;

Lincoln Terrace / PRFSPȩ1 ȩ1MKCPQȩ.?PI Sharlene’s at 353 Flatbush Avenue, a restaurant, full license; Puerto Viejo Restaurant at 564 Grand Avenue with closing hours moving from 11 PM to 1 AM; Cataldo 54 at 554 Vanderbilt Avenue, a restaurant, beer/ wine/cider license. All six renewals were passed by the CB8. Other applications involved the transfer of ownership between family members at 689 Restaurant & Bar at 689 Washington Avenue with a full license and a change in the Method of Operations at Soda Bar at 627 Vanderbilt Avenue. Given Galina Sokolova (tenant) and Max Almonor vacillated on what actions or modifications (operational and physical) were to be instituted, it was agreed to move this item back to the SLAC Committee and stay in the committee until the work is done.

VOL. 23 NO. 12

7

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

Janelle Farris Makes History as First Black President of 150-Year-Old Brooklyn Community Services

L

Ό

ast year, Janelle Farris made New York City nonprofit history. Farris, who holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Spelman College and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University, was appointed the first African-American executive to head Brooklyn Community Services--one of America’s oldest social service agencies. BCS was established in 1866 by Brooklyn’s elite as a charity to help local destitute children and families after the Civil War. During its 163-year history, African-American women social workers like feminist and activist Cora Calhoun Horne, Lena Horne’s grandmother, and civil rights leader Dorothy Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women, have assisted BCS in caring for Brooklyn’s underserved Black communities. Today, as president and executive director of BCS, she heads a nonprofit with 35 programs, over 20,000 clients and 600 staffers throughout the borough, encompassing early childhood education, after-school, youth development, family services, workforce development, mental health and intellectual disabilities. BCS sites include Downtown Brooklyn, Brownsville,

By Fern Gillespie

Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, East New York, Fort Greene/Clinton Hill, Red Hook and Coney Island. Some of the high-profile youth and family programs include the BCS Brooklyn High School for Leadership and Community Service, which has the unique Speakers Bureau where noted Brooklynites mentor the students. For over 100 years, BCS has had workforce development programs for people with intellectual and physical disabilities. There’s the Gary Klinsky Children’s Centers after-school and summer programs for youth in Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York and Brownsville. The BCS Cornerstone Programs in Seth Lowe Houses, Farragut Houses, Carey Gardens and O’Dwyer Garden housing projects have holistic programs that engage families and youth in recreational, social and workforce projects. “I am honored to become the CEO of BCS, an organization that has historically been at the nexus of Brooklyn’s neighborhoods working to provide the means for people to gain self-sufficiency,” said Farris, a Bedford-Stuyvesant resident. “We will continue this work in the years ahead, driven by the challenge of inequity

and dedicated to the people we serve. I’m excited to weave a network of partnerships that foster each individual’s potential and to provide opportunity for everyone to achieve their personal goals.” Farris joined BCS in 2013 as Chief Operations Officer. Prior to BCS, she was Associate Director of Operations at the Pratt Center for Community Development and Director of Common Ground’s Times Square single-occupancy supportive housing facility, The Times Square. She

also worked in Uganda for two years as a Management Consultant for the Educate! nonprofit. Last year, when Farris was promoted, African-American women were winning elections and major appointments at record levels. “African-American women, as a group, statistically attain a higher level of education than many,” Farris pointed out. “We have been working behind the scenes as number twos for quite some time. It may seem that we have come to the tipping point. We need to watch and see.”

A New Memoir Honoring Colleagues in the Arts! GLORY: A Life Among Legends by Dr. Glory Van Scott The Riverside Church Welcome Center/ Gift Shop

The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute

91 Claremont Ave. Btwn. 120th & 122nd Street, NYC

120 East 125th Street Btwn. Lexington & Park Ave., NYC

Phone: (212) 870-6792

Phone: (212) 307-7420

$YDLODEOH D WKH YHQXHV DERYH DQG Amazon.com

8

M

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

VOL. 23 NO. 12

From South Africa to Bedford Stuyvesant: Sustainable Messages for Women in Brooklyn and Beyond essages of women’s empowerment resound throughout the world from every media

form. But whether those messages are echoing in the lives of all women on the grassroots levels may be a question. That is why it was such a refreshing change of pace to know that Ms. Bathabile Dlamini, Minister of Women, Minister Bathabile Department of the Dlamini, Minister Presidency of The MDȩ5MKCL ȩ1MSRFȩ Africa Republic of South Africa, wanted to speak to local media about “good practices in the provision of social protection, public services and sustainable infrastructure for women in her country, including recognizing and valuing unpaid care and domestic work.” Ms. Dlamini is a participant in the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women currently taking place at the United Nations in New York City through March 22nd. She is also a tireless worker in the formation of South Africa’s Progressive Women’s movement. Her work involves talking to and advising women in her country about social protection systems, accessing public service, building sustainable infrastructures for gender equality and then directing them to the resources and available for self-empowerment. On Friday, March 15, following a day of ministerial roundtables, high-level interactive dialogue and expert panels with other powerful women leaders from around the world, Ms. Dlamini and members of her delegation travelled from the East side of Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge to visit Bedford-Stuyvesant – as they have done previously for two consecutive years. “This is a place we call a home away from home,” Ms. Dlamini told Our Time Press. “We came to have fun, yes” she said. “But, more importantly, we also came to share.” And to give a full basket of good information. This year is special to Ms. Dlamini. Next month, South Africa will be celebrating 25 years of, according to her report delivered March 11 to the U.N., “an inclusive democratic and non-sexist society.” “On April 17 1994, Nelson Mandela cast his vote at the ballot box in the very first election that included all raced in South Africa as equals. (Two years later), a constitution that enshrined equality between men and women, outlawed discrimination on the basis of gender and laws to redress the imbalances of the past were adopted.” She noted in her address that South Africa has made “great strides” in the areas of social protections and sustainable infrastructure. The approach is “based on universal human rights” and progressive realization guided by policies and legislation to respond to inequality of the past and deeply imbedded systems of patriarchy.” The key, she told the audience in Brooklyn that evening is looking at the solution in a new way: as provisions of a basket of goods and services: support through non-contributory social grants, free housing, free basic services at the local municipalities, free basic education, free health

care services and free higher education for poor students. The free basic services, she said, determines the amounts of water sanitation, electricity and the exemption from paying local taxes for poor households. This “basket of goods and services reduces the cost of living for poor households and goes a long way in reducing inequalities.” The basket is effecting South African citizens in three ways: empowering women in the household to have decision-making in household expenditure; women receiving the social grant to improve household consumption through

food, education, clothing and general wellbeing.” Third, she noted that the multiplier effect in the economy deriving from households receiving social grants greatly improves local economic development. The “comprehensive basket of services leads to sustained social and economic inclusion of women and girls.” In South Africa there’s evidence that the content of this basketed is breaking the international cycle of poverty, and that children, especially girls , who receive the Child Support Grant enter higher education. South Africa has come a long way since

25 years ago, and may have further to go, but when Ms. Dlamini came across the Brooklyn Bridge last Friday, she brought a gift, a basket filled with messages. And she’s hoping that her sister Africans in the Americas will receive it and use its contents. It was a warm and festive time. In her address to the 100 guests present, she offered a personal thought as a mother, delivered earlier in the day: it is important we link up and remember that working together we can create a better world for our children and our children’s children. Bernice Elizabeth Green

VOL. 23 NO. 12

9

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

Dream Builders …

Lewis Legacy Women, Architects of “All-Star Code,” Building Opportunities for Young Men of Color

A

ll-Star Code, an innovative program giving young men of color hands-on, project-based learning and a first stepping stone to college and eventual tech entrepreneurship, is driven by a legacy of success – with two premier businesswomen at the steering wheel. Founded by Christina Lewis, award-winning journalist (Wall Street Journal), daughter of Loida Nicolas Lewis and the late Reginald F. Lewis, the business legend and the world’s first African-American billionaire, All-Star Code – over the past six years--has created a powerful, reinforcing alumni network where students can celebrate failures and promote their successes in a safe space. And All-Star’s success was shimmering at last Thursday’s annual spring fundraising cocktail event in Manhattan at Chelsea Pier’s Current event space. The initiative raised nearly $95,000 to help fund the organization’s educational programs for young men of color and feature impressive interactive demonstrations and

JJȩ1R?Pȩ!MBCȩ1AFMJ?PQ

"CLXCJȩ"GVML

Scholar Product Stations by All-Star Code students. Some of the innovations included: College Start, a one-stop shop website for college preparation that helps students find scholarship opportunities, internships, connections and more; Inquirix, an interactive web app that provides students with tools to create an individualized study experience that best fits each student’s needs; and M.A.R.S., a nonprofit that provides community service opportunities so students can help clean up beaches, learn about the underwater world and spread awareness of how to make oceans safer for both humans and marine life. It’s no small wonder that 95 percent of All-Star Code students have matriculated to four-year colleges, over a third of which are top 100-ranked universities. Eighty-percent of All-Star Code students are majoring in

or plan to major in computer science or a related field. “Our goal is to close the tech entrepreneurship gap in the United States by developing a pipeline of diverse 21st century leaders,” according to Ms. Lewis. And they have a head start. “All-Stars finish the program with both coding skills and an entrepreneurial mindset,” adds Miss Lewis. All-Star Code’s flagship program is their free Summer Intensive, a 6-week program in New York, NY and Pittsburgh, PA with over 200 hours of computer science instruction and soft skill development which is designed to give high school boys the access and exposure they need to become successful tech entrepreneurs. α Continued on page 11

0GTCPȩ$GCJBQ

Culture Warrior …

PR Maven Cheryl Duncan Advocates for City Artists

I

n a world where clickbait rules and art has devolved to reality television, veteran publicity maven Cheryl L. Duncan is fighting for quality cultural projects to get their time in the limelight. The culture advocate is president and CEO of Cheryl Duncan & Company, Inc., a boutique publicity firm specializing in entertainment and social betterment that serves the New York City metropolitan area. For more than 15 years, Duncan has been behind the scenes guiding the public image of some of New York City’s top arts organizations, including National Black Theatre, Black Public Media and HiARTS. For 13 years, she has represented the New York African Film Festival, which runs annually at BAM Cinématek, Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Maysles Documentary Center. Hers is the go-to firm for Black culture, whether it be Broadway

and off-Broadway theater, film, television, fine arts or music. In addition to culture, Duncan also helps bring cultures to mainstream attention. In her work with client City College Center for the Arts, she has promoted Cuban, Spanish, South American and African-American artists. The New York City Korean Parade, Sejong Soloists string ensemble, My Indian Kitchen cookbook, Noche Flamenca dance troupe, Tang’s Natural New York City Dumpling Festival and the African Film Library are among the projects she’s publicized. In 2016, she helped bring to national attention to the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, one of only three orders of mostly Black nuns in a publicity campaign marking its centennial. Working with the Terrie Williams Agency, she served on the team that helped secure MTA approval for the major Brooklyn

redevelopment that is now home to the Barclays Center. Also with Terrie Williams, Duncan repped Prince for his “Welcome 2 America” tour dates at Madison Square Garden, a career highlight. “Culture weaves together our stories, bringing forth a colorful tapestry that reminds us of our shared humanity,” said Duncan. “Artists are a civilizing force and I’m so happy that I get to amplify their voices.” An alumna of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Duncan has run campaigns focusing on human and civil rights issues including criminal justice, psychiatric abuses and modern-day slavery. She has done pro bono work for Youth for Human Rights. The Howard University graduate who hails from Yonkers, New York and Stamford, Connecticut, is also a published humor writer. For more information on Duncan’s firm,

Photo Credit: Lisa Farrow

!FCPWJȩ"SLA?LȩMDȩ!FCPWJȩ"SLA?Lȩ.0ȩ visit: www.cherylduncanpr.com, or follow it on Twitter at @cherylduncanco.

10

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

VOL. 23 NO. 12

D O N AT E Y O U R C A R Wheels For Wishes benefiting

Make-A-Wish Metro New York ÂŽ

* 100% Tax Deductible * Free Vehicle Pickup ANYWHERE * We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not * We Also Accept Boats, Motorcycles & RVs

Place YOUR Business Card Here! Call 718-599-6828

WheelsForWishes.org Call:(917)336-1254 * Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or Âż QDQFLDO LQIRUPDWLRQ FDOO RU YLVLW ZZZ ZKHHOVIRUZLVKHV RUJ

CLASSIFIEDS Attorney/ Legal REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY; Buy/Sell Real Estate Broker. PROBATE/CRIMINAL/WILLS/ BUSINESS MATTERS – Richard H. Lovell, P.C., 10748 Cross Bay Blvd. Ozone Park, NY. 718835-9300; www.LovellLawNewYork.com

Home Improvement BATHROOM RENOVATIONS. EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Grab bars, no slip flooring & seated showers. Call for a free in-home consultation: 888-657-9488.

Attorney/ Legal Lung Cancer? And Age 60+? You And Your Family May Be Entitled To Significant Cash Award. Call 866-951-9073 for Information. No Risk. No Money Out Of Pocket.

Medical Supplies Attention Viagra users: Generic 100 mg blue pills or Generic 20 mg yellow pills. Get 45 plus 5 free $99 + S/H. Guaranteed, no prescription necessary. Call 877-845-8068.

Auto Donations Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Call (917) 336-1254

Medical Supplies Cancelled

Automotive

ABLE HEALTH CARE

HOME HEALTH AIDE & PERSONAL CARE AIDES

EXCELLENT PAY & BENEFITS

New Higher 2019 Pay Rates Aides needed in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx Immediate work for HHA’s w/certificates

FREE Training Classes

Classes start April 1 in Queens Call for schedule in other areas & to Register! Full Time, Part Time, Weekends All Shifts - All Locations Great Benefits include Health Insurance Vacation, Sick Pay, Personal Days

EXTRA PAY FOR AIDES WITH CARS

ABLE Certified Home Health Agency

Brooklyn 718-947-3693 Queens 718-947-3673 Nassau 516-634-2117 Suffolk 631-729-2384 Bronx/Westchester 914-470-9929

www.ablehealthcare.com

NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS ATRIUS 3062 LLC filed Arts. of Org. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 1 / 1 6 / 2 0 1 9 . O ffi c e : K i n g s County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: The LLC, 2955 Shell Rd. #1P, Brooklyn, NY 11224. Purpose: any lawful act.

STARPOINT DEVELOPMENT LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/12/18 with an existence date of 01/01/2019 Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 132 Greenpoint Avenue, Suite B1, Brooklyn, NY 11222. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

COPY CHANGE CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled- it doesn't matter! Get free towing and same day cash! Newer Models too! Call 1-833-839-3981.

Miscellaneous PLEASE NOTE: NEW AD COPY DISH TV $59.99 for 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote. Some restrictions apply. Call 1-800-943-0838.

Business Opportunity Have an idea for an invention/new product? We help everyday inventors try to patent and submit their ideas to companies! Call InventHelpÂŽ, FREE INFORMATION! 888-487-7074

Miscellaneous PLEASE NOTE: NEW COPY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHEDULE. DIRECTV & AT&T. 155 Channels & 1000s of Shows/Movies On Demand (w/ SELECT Package.) AT&T Internet 99 Percent Reliability. Unlimited Texts to 120 Countries w/ AT&T Wireless. Call 4 FREE Quote - 1-888-534-6918.

Cable & Satellite TV Spectrum Triple Play! TV, Internet & Voice for $29.99 ea. 60 MB per second speed. No contract or commitment. More Channels. Faster Internet. Unlimited Voice. Call 1-855-977-7198

Miscellaneous Earthlink High Speed Internet. As Low As $14.95/ month (for the first 3 months) Reliable High Speed Fiber Optic Technology. Stream Videos, Music and More! Call Earthlink Today 1-855-970-1623

Career Training AIRLINE CAREERS Start Here –Get trained as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call AIM for free information 866-296-7094

Miscellaneous A PLACE FOR MOM has helped over a million families find senior living. Our trusted, local advisors help find solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. Call: 1-800-404-8852

Financial 70 years old, kids are grown. Still need your life insurance? Or is a big LIFE SETTLEMENT CASH PAYOUT smarter? Call Benefit Advance. 1-844-348-5810 Health VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150 FREE shipping. Money back guaranteed! Call Today: 800-404-0244 Help Wanted JOB OPPORTUNITY $18 P/H NYC * $15 P/H LI * $14.50 P/H UPSTATE NY If you currently care for your relatives or friends who have Medicaid or Medicare, you may be eligible to start working for them as a personal assistant. No Certificates needed. (347)462-2610 (347)565-6200

Real Estate Sebastian, Florida (East Coast)Beach Cove is an Age Restricted Community where friends are easily made. Sebastian is an “Old Florida� fishing village with a quaint atmosphere yet excellent medical facilities, shopping and restaurants. Direct flights from Newark to Vero Beach. New manufactured homes from $114,900. 772-581-0080; www.beach-cove.com Services COMPUTER ISSUES? FREE DIAGNOSIS by GEEKS ON SITE! Virus Removal, Data Recovery! 24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE, In-home repair/On-line solutions. $20 OFF ANY SERVICE! 844-892-3990

VOL. 23 NO. 12

Making Moves Ό

W

ith a week of the NFL free agency in the books, the Jets roster for the upcoming 2019 campaign is starting to take shape. The team’s primary goal was to put a respectable product on the field and build around their young quarterback in Sam Darnold. For the first time in a long time, the franchise decided to spend their money exclusively around their offense, which ranked one of the worst last year. With over $100 million dollars, the question was how will the Jets go about upgrading their roster? In the recent past since General Manager Mike Maccagnan has taken over the position, he has shown a significant effort in trying to upgrade the team on the defensive end, something that was appealing to then-Head Coach Todd Bowles.

11

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

DENTAL Insurance Physicians Mutual Insurance Company

By Eddie Castro

Now with a more offensive-minded head coach in Adam Gase, the team addressed many needed positions. They quickly made moves to accommodate the offense by signing wide receiver Jamison Crowder to go with the receiving core of Quincy Enunwa and Robby Anderson. The team also signed a few guards to protect Darnold’s blindside. With all the dealing the Jets were doing, it is safe to say that they were able to catch the biggest fish of them all in this free agent class as the team was able to come to terms by signing the dynamic former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell. Bell signed a 4-year/$52 million-dollar deal. He provides many talents at his position and will take a load off of the young quarterback. The Jets continued their spending spree on the defensive side by signing former Baltimore Raven C.J. Mosley. Although the Jets may still not have the pieces of a playoff-caliber team, it will be quite the surprise

A less expensive way to help get the dental care you deserve!

if they do not improve from their abysmal 4-12 last-place finish from last year. Unfortunately for Gang Green, they are still in the same division (AFC East) as Tom Brady. The Jets still have a pretty good window to build around Darnold while they have him at a good price and with three more years in his rookie deal. The hope is that the $100 million that the organization invested to these players will indeed provide a beginning to what they hope will finally be a winning culture for Jets fans to be proud of. Sports Notes: (Baseball) BREAKING NEWS! Outside of New York sports for a second as with just a little over a week to go until the start of the 2019 season, a record-breaking contract took place for Los Angeles Angels’ center fielder Mike Trout by finalizing a 12-year/ $430 million-dollar deal which will go down as the largest contract in professional sports history!

CALL NOW!

1-855-225-1434

Get help paying dental bills and keep more money in your pocket This is real dental insurance — NOT just a discount plan

1-855-225-1434

You can get coverage before your next checkup

Visit us online at

Don’t wait! Call now and we’ll rush you a FREE Information Kit with all the details.

www.dental50plus.com/nypress

Insurance Policy P150NY 6129

MB17-NM003Ec

Discover the world’s best walk-in bathtub from 5 Reasons American Standard Walk-In Tubs are Your Best Choice 1

Architects of “All-Star Code”

FREE Information Kit

2 3

Includes FREE American StandardRight Height Toilet

Limited Time Offer! Call Today!

4

888-609-0248

5

Receive a free American Standard Cadet toilet with full installation of a Liberation Walk-In Bath, Liberation Shower, or Deluxe Shower. Offer valid only while supplies last. Limit one per household. Must be first time purchaser. See www.walkintubs.americanstandard-us.com for other restrictions and for licensing, warranty, and company information. CSLB B982796; Suffolk NY:55431H; NYC:HIC#2022748-DCA. Safety Tubs Co. LLC does not sell in Nassau NY, Westchester NY, Putnam NY, Rockland NY.

Backed by American Standard’s 140 years of experience $ Ultra low entry for easy entering and exiting Patented Quick Drain® fast water removal system Lifetime Warranty on the bath AND installation, INCLUDING labor backed by American Standard 44 Hydrotherapy jets for an invigorating massage

1,50

SAVING0 S

FREE IN-HOME EVALUATION!

Saving a Life EVERY 11 MINUTES +HOS DW +RPH

+HOS LQ 6KRZHU with

GPS !

+HOS 2Q WKH *R

HELP

® up! t e g t ’ n a and I c I’ve fallen

®

Get HELP fast, 24/7, anywhere with

For a FREE brochure call:

1-800-404-9776

Photo: Bernice Elizabeth Green

"CLXCJȩ"GVMLȩCVNJ?GLQȩRMȩ-2.ȩNS@JGQFCPȩ"?TGBȩ%PC?TCQ ȩFMUȩFGQȩRC?K Qȩ NPMEP?KȩP?RCQȩLCUQȩ?PRGAJCQȩMLȩ?ȩNMQGRGTCȩRMȩLCE?RGTCȩ?RRGRSBCȩQA?JC ȩȩȩ |'RȩJMMIQȩJGICȩGRȩAMSJBȩ@CȩFCJNDSJȩGLȩBCRCARGLEȩF?RCȩQNCCAF ȩȩ+?W@Cȩ$?AC@MMIȩ QFMSJBȩEGTCȩRFCKȩ?ȩA?JJ }ȩ%PC?TCQȩQ?WQ ȩ α Continued from page 9 In 2018, All-Star Code received over 800 applications for 144 spots in the Summer Intensive. Due to the growing demand, 2019’s program plans to serve 200 young men of color this summer. All-Star Code’s Summer Intensive takes place in New York City and Pittsburgh and serves students from across the country. Kudos to Christina Lewis and Loida Lewis who are keeping Mr. Reginald Lewis’s legacy alive and working for young

men who will be the tech leaders of the future. In addition to celebrating the Scholars, John Henry, Partner, Harlem Capital, and star of Viceland’s upcoming doc-series, HUSTLE (executive-produced by Alicia Keys), with the Hank Williams Trailblazer Award. Our Time Press will feature the All-Star Code scholars, heirs to a legacy, and Reginald Lewis (the first to create a Black law firm on Wall Street) in its June Men’s Issue. For more information: www.allstarcode.org/. (BG)

Photo credit: JW Perkins

JJȩ1R?Pȩ!MBCȩ?LBȩ$MSLBCP !#-ȩ!FPGQRGL?ȩ*CUGQȩ D?PȩPGEFR ȩFMQRCBȩ JJȩ1R?Pȩ !MBC Qȩ?LLS?Jȩ1NPGLEȩ!CJC@P?RGML ȩ(MFLȩ&CLPWȩ &?PJCKȩ!?NGR?Jȩ.?PRLCPȩ?LBȩ QR?PȩMDȩ4GACJ?LB QȩBMASQCPGCQȩ&312*# ȩQCAMLBȩDPMKȩPGEFR ȩU?QȩNPCQCLRCBȩ UGRFȩRFCȩ&?LIȩ5GJJG?KQȩ2P?GJ@J?XCPȩ U?PBȩ?Qȩ JJȩ1R?Pȩ!MBCȩQAFMJ?PQȩ QFMUA?QCBȩRFCGPȩRCAFȩGLLMT?RGMLQ ȩȩ

12

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

LEGAL NOTICES SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF ROCKLAND INDEX NO. 032710/2018 Plaintiff designates ROCKLAND as the place of trial situs of the real property NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY, Plaintiff, vs. JAYNE FOSTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PIERCE H. FOSTER A/K/A PIERCE HASTING FOSTER A/K/A PETER FOSTER; PIERCE HASTING FOSTER, JR. A/K/A PIERCE FOSTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PIERCE H. FOSTER A/K/A PIERCE HASTING FOSTER A/K/A PETER FOSTER; JENNIFER ALICE FOSTER BLUNIER A/KA JENNIFER BLUNIER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PIERCE H. FOSTER A/K/A PIERCE HASTING FOSTER A/K/A PETER FOSTER; DAVID J. FOSTER A/K/A DAVID FOSTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PIERCE H. FOSTER A/K/A PIERCE HASTING FOSTER A/K/A PETER FOSTER; JONATHAN E. FOSTER A/K/A JOHNATHAN FOSTER, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PIERCE H. FOSTER A/K/A PIERCE HASTING FOSTER A/K/A PETER FOSTER; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND DISTRIBUTEES OF THE ESTATE OF PIERCE H. FOSTER A/K/A PIERCE HASTING FOSTER A/K/A PETER FOSTER any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; CHASE BANK USA, N.A.; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; CITIBANK, N.A. F/K/A CITIBANK (SOUTH DAKOTA), NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION BANK; ‘’JOHN DOE #1’’ through ‘’JOHN DOE #12,’’ the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the premises, described in the complaint, Defendants._ SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Mortgaged Premises: 72 LIBERTY ROAD TAPPAN, NY 10983 District: Section: 77.9 Block: 1 Lot: 13 To the above-named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall

not expire until (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $847,500.00 and interest, recorded on July 7, 2010, at Liber 2010-00024329, of the Public Records of ROCKLAND County, New York, covering premises known as 72 LIBERTY ROAD TAPPAN, NY 10983. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. ROCKLAND County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. RAS BORISKIN, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff BY: Sahar Hamlani, ESQ. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT, COUNTY OF KINGS, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, vs. Patricia Campbell, Chase Manhattan Bank USA, N.A. Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. as nominee for Alliance Mortgage Banking Corp., New York City Environmental Control Board, New York City Parking Violations Bureau, New York City Transit Adjudication Bureau, People of the State of New York, Chase Bank FKA The Dime Savings Bank of NY FSB, Anthony Harris, Kemeisha Robinson, Sandra Tyndale, Trevor Grant, Donald Lee Davenport, Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale dated November 5, 2018 and duly entered thereafter, Steven B. Shapiro, Esq., the court appointed Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on Thursday, April 25, 2019 at 2:30 p.m., the premises known as 1301 St. Johns Place, Brooklyn, NY 11213; all that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Kings, City of New York, and State of New York Block 1377, Lot 149. Approximate amount of judgment is $1,037,948.72 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of said Judgment Index No. 27873/2009. Steven B. Shapiro, Esq., Referee Lawrence & Walsh, P.C., 215 Hilton Avenue, Hempstead, NY 11550, Attorneys for Plaintiff NOTICE OF SALE Supreme Court County Of Kings Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust Inc. Asset-Backed Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-AMC4, U.S. Bank National Association as Trustee, Plaintiff AGAINST Zakiya R. Millar, et al, Defendant Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated 8/1/18 and entered on 9/7/18, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court,

360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on April 18, 2019 at 02:30 PM premises known as 757 Monroe Street, Brooklyn, NY 11221. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the County of Kings, City and State of New York, BLOCK: 1638, LOT: 79. Approximate amount of judgment is $766,490.35 plus interests and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 511695/2015. Jageshwar Sharma, Referee FRENKEL LAMBERT WEISS WEISMAN & GORDON LLP 53 Gibson Street Bay Shore, NY 11706 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC AUCTION Supreme Court of New York, KINGS County. FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE ASSOCIATION, Plaintiff, -against- SHAYLA COLEMAN; BOARD OF MANAGERS OF DEKALB AVENUE CONDOMINIUM, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION; CITY OF NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; CITY OF NEW YORK PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; CITY OF NEW YORK TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU, Index No. 11825/2013. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated, February 22, 2016 and entered with the Kinga County Clerk on March 1, 2016, Domenick Napoletano, Esq., the Appointed Referee, will sell the premises known as 800 Dekalb Avenue, Unit C8/4B, Brooklyn, New York 11221 at public auction in Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, on April 25, 2019 at 2:30 P.M. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, known as Unit No. 4B in the building designated as the DeKalb Avenue Condominium, TOGETHER with an undivided 2.16% interest in Common Elements, Borough and County of Kings, City and State of New York known as Block: 1781; Lot: 1024 will be sold subject to the provisions of filed Judgment, Index No. 11825/2013. The approximate amount of judgment is $402,067.50 plus interest and costs. FRIEDMAN VARTOLO LLP 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS E*TRADE BANK, Plaintiff AGAINST David Rudy; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated January 14, 2019 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on April 11, 2019 at 2:30PM, premises known as 702 Ave R, Brooklyn, NY 11223. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of NY, Block 6683 Lot 1. Approximate amount of judgment $230,131.93 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 514581/2015. Jack Segal, Esq., Referee Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 430-4792 Dated: February 5, 2019 61347 SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF KINGS INDEX NO. 509464/2018 Plaintiff designates KINGS as the place of trial situs of the real property Mortgaged Premises: 93 LOTT STREET BROOKLYN, NY 11226 Block: 5128 Lot: 40 _OCWEN LOAN SERVICING, LLC, Plaintiff, vs. DENISE MALTAY if living, and if she/he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described

VOL. 23 NO. 12 in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; MICHAEL CULLEY; ARROW FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC; PALISADES COLLECTION, LLC; CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU, FRANK ROBINSON, JUNIOR JACKSON, ED CUMMINGS, THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, “JOHN DOE #1” through “JOHN DOE #12,” the last twelve names being fictitious and unknown to plaintiff, the persons or parties intended being the tenants, occupants, persons or corporations, if any, having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the Subject Property described in the Complaint, Defendants.___To the above named Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure the sum of $170,246.00 and interest, recorded on July 24, 1995, at Liber 3550 Page 2292, of the Public Records of KINGS County, New York, covering premises known as 93 LOTT STREET BROOKLYN, NY 11226. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. KINGS County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. RAS BORISKIN, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff BY: Matthew Ingber, Esq. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF ROCKLAND α Continued on page 13

VOL. 23 NO. 12

13

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

Tiecha’s SmallBusiness Acumen Merits Bed-Stuy Fans’ Big Kudos

S

itting around has never been an option for entrepreneur and community leader Tiecha Merritt. She’s been an active go-getter since a babe in the arms of her mom, Lillith Meyers. Ready to run away before the crawl-thenwalk phases. And so she is doing that exact thing, right now: putting her all into her thriving juice bar business as CEO of The Bush Doctor, now celebrating 11 years as a Bed-Stuy Tompkins Avenue landmark. (First, at 370 Tompkins Avenue, entrance Putnam, 2008 – 2015, and currently anchored a few blocks down on Tompkins at 307 for the past four years.) Her “can-do/will-do” attitude is what she brings to The Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association which she’s helmed as President for several years. And it has resulted in TAMA becoming one of the fastest growing business groups in Brooklyn. Nine years ago, a few hundred people showed up for TAMA’s first summer fest Weekend Walk in partnership with the Bridge Street Development Corporation (BSDC) on Tompkins between Halsey and Gates. Impressive. But last summer, with Tiecha steering, the number of celebrants jumped to nearly 3,000 celebrants. This year, the dates are July 20 and August 17. So what propels her? “ I love my Brooklyn community. The people, the area. Where else in New York or anywhere, can you find a place like Bed-Stuy with its history and its people?” If that comment sounds

like something out of the BSDC mission statement, it is. And it is intended. But Tiecha moves the message to the personal: “Where else can I give back like this? Plus it’s not hard work. It’s a labor of love; I can build the community while growing my business.” Twenty years ago, while working as a professional in the day care system and fresh out of college, Tiecha decided to activate her dreams of owning a business. She found an empty storefront space on Marcus Garvey near DeKalb. It was during a time in Bed-Stuy history when it appeared the only entities recognizing the area as a business destination back then were Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation (NEBHDC); BDSC and Community Board 3. Northeast owned the property, and with no one tearing down walls or the space, took a chance on her, giving her a low rent. “I held on to it for two years,” she said noting that she also opened up a boutique specializing in clothing and accessories from African countries. She held on to her day job. In December of 2001, she hosted a

LEGAL NOTICES α Continued from page 12 _INDEX NO. 031486/2014 NAT I O N S TA R M O RT G AG E LLC, Plaintiff, Plaintiff designates ROCKLAND as the place of trial situs of the real property vs. ROCKLAND COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF FINANCE, AS THE LIMITED ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF EDWARD JOSEPH DETORRE A/K/A EDWARD DETORRE; LOUIS MAIO III, INDIVIDUALLY, AND AS THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA DETORRE A/K/A PATRICIA ANN DETORRE; DANIELLE MAIO, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA DETORRE A/K/A PATRICIA ANN DETORRE, HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EDWARD JOSEPH DETORRE A/K/A EDWARD DETORRE; if living, and if she be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors,

trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; NICHOLAS MAIO, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF PATRICIA DETORRE A/K/A PATRICIA ANN DETORRE, HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF EDWARD JOSEPH DETORRE A/K/A EDWARD DETORRE; if living, and if he be dead, any and all persons unknown to plaintiff, claiming, or who may claim to have an interest in, or general or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons being herein generally described and intended to be included in the following designation, namely: the wife, widow, husband, widower, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, and assignees of such deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to said real property by, through or under them, or either of them, and their respective wives, widows, husbands, widowers, heirs at law, next of kin, descendants, executors, administrators, devisees, legatees, creditors, trustees, committees, lienors and assigns, all of whom and whose names, except as stated, are unknown to plaintiff; BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, “JOHN DOE”, said name being fictitious, it being the intention of Plaintiff to designate any and all occupants of premises being foreclosed herein, and any parties, corporation or entities, if any, having or claiming and interest or lien upon the mortgaged premises, Defendants._

Kwanza celebration at the empty but renovated storefront; her mother walked into the space, and declared ‘This space says, ‘Jazz’!”

SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS Mortgaged Premises: 17A CAMP HILL ROAD POMONA, NY 10970 Section: 33.13 Block: 1 Lot: 41 To the abovenamed Defendants YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the Plaintiff’s Attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York) in the event the United States of America is made a party defendant, the time to answer for the said United States of America shall not expire until (60) days after service of the Summons; and in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT THE OBJECT of the above caption action is to foreclose a Consolidation and/or Modified Mortgage to secure the sum of $420,442.62 and interest, covering premises known as 17A CAMP HILL ROAD POMONA, NY 10970. The relief sought in the within action is a final judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. ROCKLAND County is designated as the place of trial because the real property affected by this action is located in said county. NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the answer on the attorney α Continued on page 14

Ms. Meyers and her daughter opened The Jazz Spot that next year. With no liquor α Continued on page 15

Get Your Water Tested on April 8th “Water is a key resource, critical for environmental health and economic growth. Anthropological activities contaminate water, impacting its overall quality.” Marie Boutin, an honors student at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, is performing research on water quality and environmental stewardship. Part of her work involves surveying Brooklyn’s knowledge of its neighborhood environmental burdens on aquatic communities and organisms as well as the quality of drinking water. Marie is one of the co-organizers of the college’s Arts in the Lab series of FREE events. Marie’s event will take place on Monday, April 8, 6pm-9pm at St. Francis College’s Anatomy Lab, 180 Remsen Street, BK. Arts in the Lab is an ongoing series of free events that bring scientists, artists and the sci/curious together in the lab for workshops that mix drawing and laboratory exercises. Participants are encouraged to bring a water sample from home to test for basic parameters, pH, nitrate, phosphate and other elements.

14

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

LEGAL NOTICES α Continued from page 9 for the mortgage company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may be entered and you can lose your home. Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to the mortgage company will not stop the foreclosure action. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT. RAS BORISKIN, LLC Attorney for Plaintiff BY: DYZIO J. GUZIEROWICZ, ESQ. 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310 Westbury, NY 11590 516-280-7675 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK - COUNTY OF KINGS DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2006-OPT3, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OPT3, V. VALERIE L. WILLIAMS, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure dated January 14, 2019, and entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Kings, wherein DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2006OPT3, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OPT3 is the Plaintiff and VALERIE L. WILLIAMS, ET AL. are the

Defendants. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the KINGS COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 360 ADAMS STREET ROOM 224, BROOKLYN, NY 11201, on April 11, 2019 at 2:30PM, premises known as 8614 AVENUE L, APARTMENT 404, BROOKLYN, NY 11236: Block 8065, Lot 1016: THE CONDOMINIUM UNIT (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE “UNIT”) KNOWN AS UNIT 404 IN THE BUILDING (THE “BUILDING”) KNOWN AS THE ROCHELLE COURT CONDOMINIUM AND BY STREET NUMBER 8614 AVENUE L, IN THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK TOGETHER WITH AN UNDIVIDED 3.4744% INTEREST IN THE COMMON ELEMENTS ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE BOROUGH OF BROOKLYN, COUNTY OF KINGS, CITY AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 514448/2017. Helene Blank, Esq. Referee. RAS Boriskin, LLC 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC AUCTION Supreme Court of New York, KINGS County. HSBC BANK USA, N.A., Plaintiff, -against- ESTHER MATEO; PLINIO MATEO; JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.; CITY OF NEW YORK TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NYC DEPARTMENT OF FINANCEPARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL C O N T RO L B OA R D ; CARLA PARRA; FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ; CARLOS GARCIA; JOSE MORALES; BERNARDO FLORES; JOHN DOE #1#2 AND JANE DOE #1-#2 occupants of

the mortgaged premises whose identities remain unknown to plaintiff, Index No. 21581/2012. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated, July 20, 2017 and entered with the Kings County Clerk on August 10, 2017, Bernard M. Alter, Esq., the Appointed Referee, will sell the premises known as 856 Wyckoff Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11237 at public auction in Room 261 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, on April 11, 2019 at 2:30 P.M. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York known as Block: 3386; Lot: 51 will be sold subject to the provisions of filed Judgment, Index No. 21581/2012. The approximate amount of judgment is $658,011.38 plus interest and costs. FRIEDMAN VARTOLO LLP 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS STATE OF NEW YORK MORTGAGE AGENCY, Plaintiff -against- DENISE DRAXDORF AS ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF ROBERT DRAXDORF A/K/A ROBERT JOHN DRAXDORF A/K/A ROBERT J. DRAXDORF, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered herein on February 13, 2019, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Courthouse 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY on April 11, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, known and designated as Block 6912 and Lot 70. Said premises known as 2656 MILL ROAD, BROOKLYN, NY Premises will be

VOL. 23 NO. 12 sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment and Terms of Sale. We are a debt collector attempting to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Index Number 524570/2017. PHILIP KAMARAS, ESQ., Referee STAGG, TERENZI, CONFUSIONE & WABNIK, LLP Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 401 Franklin Avenue, Suite 300, Garden City, NY 11530 SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS NATIONSTAR HECM ACQUISITION TRUST 2016-2, WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT INDIVIDUALLY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE, Plaintiff against JEANETTE BRINKLEY AS ADMINISTRATRIX AND AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF GENEVA BRINKLEY, DAVID BRINKLEY AS HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF GENEVA BRINKLEY, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on January 28, 2019. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 4th day of April, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. Said premises known as 645 East 53rdStreet, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11203. (Section: 15, Block: 4774, Lot: 65). Approximate amount of lien $ 428,393.98 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 500600-16. Jeffrey Dinowitz, Esq., Referee. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, LLC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff 145 Huguenot Street – Suite 210 New Rochelle, New York 10801 (914) 636-8900

TPT Horror Stories α Continued from page 3 responsible for any of the property taxes in arrears or water or sewer money owed, and the City puts a freeze on any property taxes. It also gives the developers very low (1%), -- and, in some cases, no percent -- financing to redevelop the properties. The developers take 10 percent of this financing for their development fee. At the same time, the former owners, many of which have owned the property free and clear, lose all their equity in the property which, because of gentrification, is often in excess of $1 million. Longtime tenants are displaced, and after the nonprofits finish redeveloping the properties, they sell them back to the tenants for $2,500 per unit as co-ops. However, these low-income tenants are now responsible for property taxes and water and sewer fees again. They are also responsible to pay back the financing the chosen developers obtained through the City, including their 10 percent development fee. Though the hearing was meant to look at the overall homeownership crisis facing the borough, including deed theft and deed fraud, the majority of testimony given was focused on the TPT Program. Several speakers alleged the City and HPD, through the TPT Program, are operating like an organized crime syndicate to the nods and clapping of audience participants. Sherlivia Thomas-Murchinson, currently homeless with two children, is one of three lead plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit against the City for the seizure of the properties. Last week, Brooklyn property owners filed papers in the U.S. Southern District of New York Federal District Court seeking certification to pursue a class-action lawsuit, which if successful, could cost the city tens of millions of dollars and the return of dozens

of property unconstitutionally confiscated. “We have definitely been cheated and targeted through this program. My family has lost real estate property, personal property and personal earning assets that exceeds over $2 million dollars,” claimed Thomas-Murchinson. Though the hearing led to an outpouring of personal horror stories and loss of generational wealth across families, Montgomery was quick to point out that they were looking for legislative direction and policy recommendations on how to properly deal with the program. “To be clear, we are really trying to get some direction. This is not for us to just hear the stories, we want to talk about solutions today. That is the purpose of this meeting,” said Montgomery. Also present was Assemblyman Al Taylor (D-Harlem), who has been closely following the TPT Program in Brooklyn as his 71st Assembly District is also facing issues with homeownership loss. Noticeably absent at the hearing were City Council Members Robert Cornegy (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) and Antonio Reynoso (D-Williamsburg, Bushwick). Reynoso, who has been silent on the issue and has yet to return many calls and e-mails from KCP, has, in particular, much to answer for, as his office was directly involved in at least two HFDC properties under the guise of “helping tenants.” One of these properties involves shareholders at 19 Kingsland Avenue, whose story KCP has chronicled and who are currently fighting for their deed back in court. At the hearing, a similar story was heard when Lori Kelley, the secretary of the 111 Linden Street HFDC in Bushwick, accounted how the low-income co-op building reached out to

2FCȩKCCRGLEȩȏJJCBȩRUMȩPMMKQȩ?Rȩ PMMIJWLȩ MPMSEFȩ&?JJȩzȩ K?GLJWȩUGRFȩNCMNJCȩMDȩAMJMP ȩ.FMRM ȩ)CJJWȩ+CL?

Reynoso, who assigned Boris Santos from his office to look into the situation. “He came to our building and even looked at all of the repairs that were made and he was very impressed. He told us that he was on board and would help us get off the TPT list. We agreed to fill out the Article XI (a temporary property tax exemption) resolution. We filled it out and hand-delivered it to HPD, only to never get a response from them and still remained on the TPT list,” recalled Kelley. “We later found out that the Article XI packet was left on an employee’s desk that retired and nothing was done with it. We could not make an agreement for water because they wanted a huge amount to even enter into a payment agreement and without that we couldn’t get an agreement for taxes. We ultimately received an e-mail from Boris

Santos stating that they would not help us.” Kelley also said that the favored nonprofit, RiseBoro, which took over ownership of the property in September 2018, has yet to do any repairs. “We have a leak in our basement from the boiler that began about two-and-a-half months ago that RiseBoro caused, and still has not repaired – it is ruining the basement. The repair people that they send out are not licensed -- they are just repair people. Our boiler runs on manual, which means we ourselves have to turn it on and off. Every 21-25 days, we are out of oil, so we have no heat or hot water. If we do not inform them that we need oil they would never know. I have called our property manager on several occasions and no one has called us back,” Kelley said.

VOL. 23 NO. 12

15

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

March 24 PABLO NERUDA! PRESENTE! Screening hosted by Center for Black Literature at MEC in association with BPL LitFilm Writers’ Festival at Central Library, Dweck Center, Grand Army Plaza, 7:30pm-9:00pm. Narrated by Chilean scribe Isabel Allende, the film traces life, work and times of Neruda (1904-1973), the poet-activist and Nobel Laureate for

Literature from boyhood to student radicalism, early literary successes and career as a consul appointed to various nations. Talkback with film director and Neruda biographer Mark Eisner follows.

HOLISTIC HEALTH, WELLNESS EXPO, Gen Hetep Wholistic Center,

1344 Pacific St., 2pm-8pm, FREE. Workshops, demonstrations, therapies, featuring Ray Morgan, Mela Berger, Dr. Jeffrey Vincent Noble, D. Leni Gray Wilson, Bale Shabaka. Vegan meals and products. [RSVP: 718-501-6044/45]

March 26

WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS IN TECH

ASTRONOMY LIVE: NEW HORIZONS BEYOND PLUTO.

panel. Exhibits. WeWork. 81 Prospect St., 6:30-9:00pm. Entrepreneurs, innovators, community builders, social activists, powerhouse women talk about utilizing tech for local 1A?PJCRRȩ.CPPW ȩ and global #LEGLCCP ȩ2PGNJCȩ*Gȓ change.

American Museum of Natural History, 7pm, $15. Detailed images of Pluto, revealing a world alive Pluto Images/ with geological +SQCSKȩMDȩ,?RSP?Jȩ activity with History the museum’s Director of Astrovisualization Carter Emmart. α Continued on page 16

“AFRICAN-AMERICAN MANUSCRIPTS & THE ARTISTS BEHIND THEM” Photo: Lori Barra

Isabel Allende

Talk: Nigel Freeman & Erin Jenoa Gilbert, Curator, Smithsonian; Swann Gallery, 104 E. 25th Street, NYC, 6-8pm. [RSVP Required: 212-254-4710]

Tiecha Merits Kudos α Continued from page 13 license, Tiecha developed a skill for mixing alcohol-free beverages to appeal to the jazz crowds that came in, some during the late hours. But mixology became a passion, and her customers expanded. In 2015, She went from smooth jazz to smoothies when she learned of a spot with a nice kitchen area for rent on Putnam with a Tompkins Avenue address. She left that spot for a larger space owned by BDSC further south on Tompkins at 307 near Gates. When she moved, she took her Bush Doctor signage, and her secret ginger-based recipe for what has been called as The Bush Doctor’s fantastic three: ginger beer, salmon burger and veggie burger. She may be the only smoothie bar owner this side of Fulton who that makes ginger coffee. She also makes ginger cocoa and the obligatory ginger beer. But her Witches’ Brew Tea is sworn by as THE medicine for colds. Location is everything, they say And Tiecha has added the location to her list of what she loves about Bed-Stuy. The space, rented from the Bridge Street Development Corporations, puts her closer to her customers, she says. “And my customers closer to me.” Tiecha gives thanks to many individuals who have helped her go the distance

in pursuit of her dreams but the list is too long for this column. At the top, however, are NEBHDC CEO Jeffrey E. Dunston; BSDC President and CEO Emilio Dorcely and Michael Brooks, TAMA’s Vice President and an owner of Bed- Vyne cocktail lounge. Tiecha counts Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright, a former business owner (Common Grounds), and Oma Holloway, currently, BSDC’s director of community engagement as “huge” role models and counselors over the years. She credits her mother as her foundation. “She’s my rock. She has kept me motivated all of the years of my journey. She’s my inspiration and my biggest fan base.” So what about the Bush Doctor who guards her juice bar. Is it modeled after anyone? Tiecha informed us that she hired the artist TRUE to give life to her design idea. And that design was inspired by the root doctors indigenous to African culture. “When people get ill in certain cultures they go to healers who know the healthy ways to cure ills. The green is representative of herbs and roots, and they are tied to the food and juices unique to my juice bar. I wanted him dressed in doctor’s clothing,” she said. For Tiecha, it’s not been a mighty long walk; she’s speeding past bumps in the road on her way to the stars. You can’t miss the Bush Doctor’s skateboard. Tiecha keeps up. (Bernice Elizabeth Green)

SUGARHILL

217 NOSTRAND AVE, BKLYN, N.Y. 718-797-1727 A DRAWING FOR A BARREL OF MONEY POOL TABLE MATURE ADULTS SPORTS BAR FOOD BOARD GAMES MEET & GREET CINEMA AND DINNER

HAPPY HOUR 6-7pm

16

OUR TIME PRESS 21-27 March, 2019

α Continued from page 15

March 27 MUSLIMS IN BROOKLYN: BEDFORD-STUYVESANT LISTENING PARTY at The Bishop Gallery, 916 Bedford Ave., 6-8pm, FREE. For well over a century, Muslims have lived, worked and prayed in Brooklyn. Join in an oral history listening party led by Brooklyn Historical Society Oral Historian and Project Director Zaheer Ali, and Project Coordinator Liz Strong. Seating: first-come, first-served.

VOL. 23 NO. 12

12n-3pm, FREE. Hosted by the Brooklyn Anti-Violence Coalition. [RSVP: Bianca Robinson at biancarobinson28@gmail. com]

LIL PHILLIPS’ TRIBUTE TO FANNIE LOU HAMER, Sistas’ Place, 456 Nostrand Ave. at Jefferson. Two sets: 9:00pm and 10:30pm. $20, advance; $25 at the door. [Reservations: 718-398-1766]

FILM SCREENING: I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO at the Maison Francaise, Columbia University, Main Entrance/ Broadway at W. 116th St., 6:30-8:30pm. Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck’s documentary on racism in America draws a clear line from the Civil Rights struggle to today’s Black Lives Matter movement via the thought of James Baldwin.

*GJȩ.FGJJGNQȩ?Rȩ1GQR?Qȩ.J?AC

March 31 “BLACK WOMAN, WHAT ARE YOU THIRSTING FOR?” 1360 Fulton Street, Suite 401, 3-5pm, Brooklyn. Talk hosted by NAKO, the IAA Festival and the International Black Women’s Congress. IBWC life coaches Cynthia D. Pullen and Zakiyyah Zaimah will lead the discussion on love, family, finances, justice, equity and more. [www.iaafestival.org]

$GJKK?ICPȩ0?SJȩ.CAI ȩ 'ȩ Kȩ,MRȩ7MSPȩ,CEPM

March 28 RAT ACADEMY TRAINING (FREE), BQLT+Brooklyn Public Library/Grand Army Plaza, 6pm-8pm. [RSVP: Moriba. Jackson@bqlt.org]

ASTRONOMY LIVE: NEW HORIZONS BEYOND PLUTO at the American Museum of Natural History, $15 ($13.50 seniors, students), $12 Members. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft’s detailed images of Pluto reveal a world alive with geological activity. New Horizons traveled another billion miles to the Kuiper Belt object Ultima Thule. Explore the new data from this farthest spacecraft flyby in history.

SCREENINGS: BAM’S FEMINIST FILM NIGHT FEATURES THE 12-MINUTE SHORT, “HAIR WOLF,” in Cantor Auditorium. Directed by Mariama Diallo, it is a social commentary on white appropriation of Black hair culture.

March 30 11TH ANNUAL WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARDS LUNCHEON Sanders Studios, 525 Waverly Avenue,

April 1 “SHAKE LOOSE: A CELEBRATION OF SONIA SANCHEZ” rocks the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Blvd., Manhattan, 6:30-8:30pm. An evening of poetry and performance in honor of the legendary poet, activist and Schomburg Society National Ambassador. Free tickets are gone; donate $10 or $20 at Eventbrite to gain admission.

April 4 NEW STEM NEWS column edited by Dr. Shermane Austin and Dr. Christopher Boxe of Medgar Evers College School of Science, Health, Technology (CUNY) debuts in Our Time Press.

April 5-6 WORD. SOUND. POWER. 2019 at BAM Fisher (Fishman Space, 321 Ashland Pl), 7:30pm, each night, honors National Poetry in celebration of spoken word and hip-hop during two nights of electrifying performances. This year’s theme: Sankofa. Host: Baba Israel. Performances: poets Mumu Fresh, La Bruja, Timothy DuWhite and Gabriel Ramirez; dancers BRAT and Rocka Jamez; musician YAKO 440; and sets by DJ Reborn. $20. [Ages 14+]

Photo credit: Winston Wharton

Brenda Brunson-Bey

April 6 BLACK GIRLS CODE NEW YORK CHAPTER PRESENTS: TEACH, PLAY AND LEARN WITH AI! 10AM4PM. Actions and Detail Panel. SUNY Queens EOC, 158-29 Archer Ave., Jamaica, NY. Tech Divas create virtual chat boxes, work on programming a computer to guess your inputs - all on its own; tackle tasks and projects and put skills to the test! All BGC events encourage girls to pursue careers as Tech Creators and Entrepreneurs. For girls ages 7-17. No prior computing experience necessary. Check-in: 9:00 AM. Participants need not bring their lap|$PGB?ȩ)?FJM ȩ NNC?P?LACQȩ!?Lȩ@Cȩ"CACGTGLE}ȩ tops. Lunch provided. DC?RSPCQȩRFCȩEPC?Rȩ+CVGA?Lȩ?PRGQR QȩAJMRFGLE ȩ $35. [Contact: jalia@ NCPQML?JȩCȎCARQȩ?LBȩTMGAC ȩ?RȩRFCȩ PMMIJWLȩ+SQCSK ȩ blackgirlscode.org] through May.

This Summer 2019: The Legacies of Ibon and Bilal Muhammad and the Bogolan merchants’ association they formed in the 1990’s putting Fulton Street on the global map will be celebrated in an Our Time Press special issue.

Advertisers call: 718-599-6828