By Eileen Elliott

Vol. 32, No. 10 First Class U.S. Postage Paid — Permit No. 4119, New York, N.Y. 10007 October 2002

The walls inside the gymnasium at the Rutgers Community Cen-ter in Lower Manhattan were covered with graffiti on September19, 2002! But unlike the “tags” that can show up uninvited onNYCHA buildings around the City, these colorful renderings were en-couraged by the Housing Authority, and by the Operations ServicesAnti-Graffiti Unit in particular. This graffiti was created over a periodof six weeks by seniors and children, ages 8 to 12, at 20 CommunityCenters that are part of NYCHA’s Citywide Anti-Graffiti Program. Thisgraffiti did not deface anyone’s property, rather residents painted it ontocanvases with the help of Harborview Art consultants, as expressions oftheir visions of a post 9/11 future. The single unifying theme of the mu-rals was “Tomorrow's Vision Through Youthful Eyes.”

Inside:• Office of School Safety

and Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2• Apartments Available For Seniors . . . . page 3• New Computers For Brooklyn . . . . . . . page 4• 2002 Garden Competition Awards . . . . page 8

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE — NOV. 5TH(Continued on page 2)

(Continued on page 5)

Residents of Cypress HillsHouses in Brooklyn canbreathe a little easier afterPolice Commissioner RaymondW. Kelly and Brooklyn DistrictAttorney Charles J. Hynes an-nounced the arrests of 45 gangmembers at a press conference atOne Police Plaza on September25. A six month NYPD under-cover investigation during whichnarcotics detectives made morethan 100 purchases of illegaldrugs led to the arrests.

Mr. Kelly said that five sepa-rate drug gangs were involved,each operating in an assigned setof buildings, with dealers sellingdrugs in the lobbies and halls andlookouts watching out for them.He said the 45 suspects sold an es-timated $1.5 million in cocaine,heroin and marijuana this year,and that the gangs, “…had astranglehold on the Cypress Hillscomplex.” These gangs are nowdismantled.

The case was particularly im-portant, Mr. Kelly said, “becausewe were able to show that theleaders of these gangs colluded to sell narcotics.” Eight allegedlyhigh-level leaders face conspiracycharges that could land them lifesentences.

“It’s the greatest thing that’sever happened at Cypress Hills,”said Resident Association Presi-dent Dwayne Faison a week afterthe arrests. “I’m so glad the NewYork City Police Department didwhat they did. It’s like a new day.People aren’t afraid to come outanymore. I’ve seen some of ourseniors who I haven’t seen sincesummer,” he laughed. “And thekids are out playing. That’s thebest thing.”

Cypress Hills Houses, locatedin the East New York section of Brooklyn, has 15 seven-storybuildings, which house an esti-mated 3,526 residents. The devel-opment was completed in 1955.

WORKING TOGETHER NYCHA Chairman Tino Hernandez (right)joins PAL Chairman Robert M. Morgenthau at the PAL Miccio CenterGrand Opening. The background mural was unveiled at the ceremony.

PAL-Miccio Center ReopensIn Red Hook, Brooklyn

“Don’t call it a comeback,” abanner near the entrance read,“we’ve been here for years.” To besure, the Police Athletic League(PAL) has been serving Brook-lyn’s youth at the PAL MiccioCenter since 1963. PAL also man-ages the Miccio Day Care Centeracross the street and a PAL HeadStart Center next door.

Distinguished guests seatedon the dais included ManhattanDistrict Attorney and PAL Chair-man Robert M. Morgenthau, PALExecutive Director John J. Ryan,NYC Department of Youth andCommunity Development Com-missioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav,and from NYCHA, ChairmanTino Hernandez, General Manag-er Douglas Apple, SecretaryFrank Marín, and Department ofCommunity Operations DeputyGeneral Manger Hugh B. Spence.Also seated on the stage were RedHook Houses East and West

ANTI-GRAFFITI MURALAWARDS CEREMONY

The PAL Miccio Center at the corner of Smith and West NinthStreets in Red Hook, Brooklyn, had its official Grand OpeningCeremony in the “gymnatorium” on a rainy September 26, 2002.Visitors streamed through the sparkling lobby of the facility to celebratethe completion of over $3 million of renovations, paid for by the NewYork City Housing Authority, and the reimplementation of a full sched-ule of programs for area residents for the first time since the Center wasclosed for the renovation in 1995.

By Eileen Elliott

Resident Association PresidentsDorothy Shields and CarmenCruz, respectively, and Joseph A.Miccio III, the grandson of slainPolice Officer Joseph A. Miccio,for whom the Center was named.

Center Director NatashaCampbell welcomed everyone tothe event, saying the new facilityaddressed a serious need in thecommunity.

“It was not easy to convinceeveryone that the Red Hook com-munity is worthy of such a beauti-ful building,” said Red HookHouses East Resident AssociationPresident Dorothy Shields. “Weare all grateful and will strive towork together. This is truly a won-derful gift — a dream come true.”

PAL Executive Director JohnRyan was beaming as he thankedNYCHA, calling it a fabulousday. “It couldn’t have been donewithout the Housing Authority

THERE SHOULD BE PEACE ON EARTH This mural, entitled“New York City,” was one of the 12 winners of the Anti-Graffiti MuralContest. It was created by children from the Borinquen Plaza CC.

NYCHA staff, residents andmany of the young artists gath-ered at Rutgers late in the after-noon of the 19th for the Anti-Graffiti Mural Ceremony to viewthe art and learn which 12 of themurals would be chosen for a2003 calendar.

Operations Services CitywideAnti-Graffiti Unit CoordinatorJacqueline Gathers gave creditwhere it was due, first, to the De-partment of Community Operations

and the Department of OperationsServices, which collaborated onthe project. She also thanked JoySuarez from Jerry Joy Music whovisited the children at the sites toteach them about the importanceof respecting private property andthe positive effects of constructivecreativity.

“The goal of NYCHA’s Anti-Graffiti Program is simple andstraight forward,” Ms. Gathers

BIG DRUG BUST AT CYPRESSHILLS HOUSES

Page 2 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL October 2002

Message From The Mayor

Department of Education’s New Office ofSchool Safety and Planning

Iam pleased to announce the creation of a new office designed tomake our schools safer — the Office of School Safety and Plan-ning. This office will work collaboratively with the New YorkCity Police Department (NYPD)and the Mayor's Criminal Jus-tice Coordinator to implement a comprehensive, new schoolsafety plan. This will providesupport to all schools on the effective, coordinated use of disciplinary tools, truancy pre-vention programs and schoolsafety resources.

First and foremost, studentsand teachers coming into ourschools must have a safe and or-derly environment. Childrencannot learn and teachers cannot

teach if they are scared or intimidated, and although New York Cityhas made real progress in addressing issues of crime and safety inrecent years, there is still more that can be done. This collaborationwill ensure that principals, teachers, and school safety personnel inevery school are working together effectively. This level of intera-gency collaboration will serve to demonstrate the power of the newschool governance structure.

One component of the plan is SchoolSafe, a data driven strate-gy, whereby the Office of School Safety and Planning will work toidentify those schools with the worst criminal incident rates and im-plement comprehensive action plans. The plans will draw on newand existing resources such as programs for truancy, attendance, anddiscipline. SchoolSafe will focus on the 10% of schools with thehighest incident rates. These schools account for over one-third ofreported school-based crime, with criminal incident rates exceedingthe average by 150% in the middle and high schools. Students fromthese schools also score lower in key academic performance areas.Graduation rates are 30% below average and the number of studentswho meet minimum academic standards is 16% below average.

A joint committee comprising representatives of the Departmentof Education, the NYPD, and the Criminal Justice Coordinator’s of-fice will monitor these schools and measure the effectiveness of newprocedures and initiatives by analyzing incident rates, perceptionsof safety, and other key indicators.

The new safety plan also includes three other pro-active compo-nents aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning environment inschools throughout the City. First, the Office of School Safety andPlanning will monitor and immediately respond to schools thatshow signs of escalating incident rates. Second, the Office will pro-mote safety in all schools by working with community-based orga-nizations and appropriate City agencies to develop truancy preven-tion programs, after-school activities, and other initiatives that in-volve students in school governance, such as youth courts. Finally,the Office will develop a continuum of immediate and graduated re-sponses for individual students engaged in misconduct, so that theschools, police and juvenile justice system can send a consistent andunified message to deter future misbehavior and criminal conduct.

Over the past two years criminal incidents in New York City’spublic schools have dropped by 16%. In the future, the Office ofSchool Safety and Planning will work to make crime in our schoolsdrop even more, so that New York City Housing Authority residentsand all New Yorkers who attend public schools receive the educa-tions they deserve.

Michael R. Bloomberg

ESTABLISHED 1970 • CIRCULATION 200,000

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

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

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

Tino Hernandez.......................................................................................ChairmanEarl Andrews, Jr. ............................................................................Board MemberJoAnna Aniello ...............................................................................Board MemberFrank Marín .............................................................................................SecretaryDouglas Apple.............................................................................General ManagerSheila Greene .................................Director of Public and Community RelationsRuth Noemí Colón ............................................................Editor, Spanish EditionHoward Marder ............................................................Public Information OfficerEileen Elliott .................................................................................................EditorAllan Leicht .........................................................................................Staff WriterDeborah Williams ................................................................................Staff WriterCarlos M. Casanovas ..............................................................................TranslatorPeter Mikoleski, Kevin Devoe............................................................Photography

If you are interested in placing an advertisement in the Journal,please call our marketing representatives in the Department of Economic and Business Initiatives at (718) 250-5907. The inclusionof any advertisement in this Journal does not constitute any endorsement by the Housing Authority of the advertiser or its prod-ucts or services or any other representation by the Housing Author-ity with respect to such products or services.

T h e H o u s i n g A u t h o r i t y

Journal 68yearsof Public HousingIn New York City

staff,” he said, thanking in partic-ular Chairman Hernandez, Mr.Spence, Department of Designand Capital Improvement Direc-tor David Burney and DeputyDirector Effie Tsitiridis, andBrooklyn Borough CommunityOperations Director Mary Starks.

NYCHA Chairman Tino Her-nandez called the PAL MiccioCenter “the achievement of a vitaland truly productive partnershipbetween NYCHA and PAL,which reaches back 40 years.” Healso congratulated the many peo-ple involved, saying that Detec-tive Miccio, his sons and grand-sons, a number of whom becameNew York City police officers andfirefighters, “are truly a family ofheroes.”

The highlight of the ceremonywas when Joseph A. Miccio III,told his grandfather’s story. WhenJoseph A. Miccio returned fromWorld War I in 1941, he was ahero. He had a medal, a PurpleHeart, but he was unable to walk.Though the doctors told him hewould never walk again, Miccodidn’t let that get in the way of hisdream of becoming a police offi-cer. Not only did he achieve thatdream, he also realized his greaterdream of becoming a detective.He was shot while on duty inBrooklyn on December 7, 1942,and died the next day.

Mr. Miccio III was himself aHousing Bureau patrolman in theRed Hook developments beforehe became a firefighter. The mes-sage he said he got from hisgrandfather was, “Never give up.You can achieve your dream.”

A quick tour of the gleamingthree floor facility revealed gamerooms, class rooms (each with adifferent theme), a library, a com-puter lab that will hold 20 com-puters, a performing arts studiocomplete with mirrors and a barrefor dancers, a full service cafete-ria that will hold ethnic cookingclasses for the community, andthe piece de résistance — a hugegate in the gymnasium that opens up to create an amphithe-ater for indoor/outdoor perfor-mances. Other highlights of theOpening Ceremony included adance performance depicting theevents of September 11, and awelcome poem recited by chil-dren from the Day Care Center.

Over 300 children and teensare expected to participate in the25 programs offered at the Centerevery afternoon and Saturday.Hours are 2:30 PM to 9:30 PM,Monday through Friday and 10 AMto 6 PM on Saturday.

PAL-Miccio(Cont’d. from page 1)

WELCOME BACK (top photo) Young residents, mostly from theRed Hook Houses East and West, sport their PAL Miccio paper hats asthey enter the Center for the Grand Opening Ceremony. (bottom pho-to) Joseph A. Miccio III said the message he received from his grand-father, the Center’s namesake, was, “Never give up.”

FREE JOB TRAININGFor Survivors of Domestic Violence

JOBS in building maintenance & construction

Call Project Superwomen212-591-0313

October 2002 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL Page 3

Message From The Chairman

October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Vio-lence Awareness Monthbut the New York CityHousing Authority (NYCHA) iscommitted every day to puttingan end to domestic violence andhelping victims in every waypossible. Each year since 1997NYCHA has held a conferenceprimarily for its Management,Community Operations and Social Services staff to keepthem abreast of domestic vio-lence issues and trends. Thisyear, in addition to our annualconference for staff and our day-

to-day programming, NYCHA brought domestic violence confer-ences out to the boroughs. These conferences, entitled, “DomesticViolence/A Community Response” were created for residents,rather than staff, to help familiarize the community at large with domestic violence and its complexities, and to provide informationon available local resources.

The half-day conferences were held during the week of October7th and most were attended by over 100 participants, including Res-ident Association Presidents and Council of Presidents (COP)Chairs. All conferences included a panel discussion with partici-pants from a variety of community service providers, Safe Horizonstaff, NYCHA staff, and in some cases a representative from theDistrict Attorney’s office. In addition, the conferences included adramatic presentation by a troupe called Plays for Living, entitled“Rules of Thumb,” which illustrated the family dynamics within aviolent household. The purpose of the dramatic presentation was toshow clearly what domestic violence is, how it is experienced by thevictims, how it affects all members of a household and how it cre-ates a cycle of violence in future generations.

I was honored to be able to attend the conference held at JacobRiis Settlement House in Queens on October 10. It was truly an in-credible resource and I hope that all residents who are in need of theinformation provided there were able to attend. As has been men-tioned previously in the NYCHA Journal, I am a social worker bytraining, and so this issue is one that is of particular interest to me.As a social worker with a focus in family therapy, I saw first-handthe effects of domestic violence, and am keenly aware of the com-plications and misunderstandings associated with it.

NYCHA has worked with Safe Horizon/NYPD Housing Bureausince 1987 to serve families who report incidents of domestic vio-lence, through The Domestic Violence Intervention, Education andPrevention Program (DVIEP). By teaming up social serviceproviders and police officers, Safe Horizon and the NYPD reachvictims at the moment of crisis to reduce further incidents of do-mestic violence. The DVIEP trains counselors and Domestic Vio-lence prevention officers who talk to the victims, make referrals forongoing services, and provide advocacy and outreach. The programalso works with NYCHA’s Emergency Transfer Program to confi-dentially relocate victims of domestic violence.

No discussion of domestic violence would be complete withoutmentioning the Mayor’s Office To Combat Domestic Violence,which serves as an invaluable resource to domestic violence victimsthroughout the city.

Domestic violence afflicts families from all walks of life. NY-CHA is working to make a difference by providing you, our resi-dents, with the information you need to meet this difficult challenge.If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence,please call the Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-621-HOPE or1-800-810-7444 TDD or the Crime Victims Hotline at (212) 577-7777. Callers will receive immediate assistance including crisiscounseling, safety planning and referrals.

Keep an eye open for the November Journal, which will coverNYCHA’s annual domestic violence conference, to be held on October 29. The topic this year will be “Holding Offenders Accountable.”

Tino Hernandez

Deborah’s Diary

By Deborah Williams

Champions — During the summer months NYCHA held its An-nual Summer Games sponsored by the Department of CommunityOperations. Many NYCHA Community Centers throughout thefive boroughs competed in sports such as basketball, softball, andtrack and field. But there was only one that emerged victorious andclaimed the Citywide Championship in all the sporting events —and that was the Sedgwick Community Center. In the BasketballCitywide Event 2002 for ages 11 and under, all trial games wereheld at the Melrose Classic Center in the Bronx. Sedgwick defeat-ed the Classic Center finalists and became the Bronx Champs.Sedgwick went on to defeat Manhattan Borough Champs in thesemi-finals and advanced to the finals. They defeated the BrooklynBorough Champs and became the winners of the Citywide Cham-pionship 2002. Congratulations to Shaquille Strokes, Phillipe Dorr,Manny Smith, Jerrelle Joyce, Akil Andrews, Denzelle Sanders,Demitrius Montez, William Davis, Malik Dayvon, Dylan Davis,Marina Melendez, and Antonio Rosa. The Softball Bronx BoroughChampionship games were held in Brooklyn at Kingston Park.Sedgwick was able to slide into home base and become the BronxBorough Champions 2002, with a 4-win and 2-loss record. Way togo Ashley Davis, Shanquel Thomas, William Davis, Ignacio Ro-driquez, David Camacho, Demitrius Montez, Angel Pagan Jr., Ju-lian Rodriguez, Jasmine Blackman, J-Quan Johnson, RaymondCalleja, Travis Maple, Shaquille Stokes, Jayson Smart, and Chris-tian Pagon. In NYCHA's final event, the Track and Field Citywide2002 game, which took place at Van Cortlandt Park and the finalswere held at Riverbank State Park. Showing their agility, the Sedg-wick Center again proclaimed victory as they ran across the finishline and into the title of Citywide Champions 2002. Congratula-tions to Ashley Davis, Shanquel Thomas, Jose Andino, ShaquilleStokes, Raquel Andu-Num, Daniel Ocasio, Akil Andrews, MichaelWilliams, William Davis, Quincyu Acheampong, Elizabeth Ross,Anthony Battles, Jayson Smart, Jamal Polk, Nathaniel Robinson,Jakeal Johnson, and Rae Rivera.

Divas —Well, I guess the name says it all. Sharisse Rucker, age10, Sharkira Maxwell, age 11, Natasha Jenkins, age 10, and Jermanda Thomas, age 9—these young ladies are the “IngersolDance Troupe” and are known to everyone as the “Divas with Attitude.” They have been dancing for a year now and the rewardshave been plentiful. Organized by Teicha Merritt, Community Coordinator and Yolanda Taylor, Housing Assistant, the divas haveperformed three times at the Apollo on Amateur Night, coming inat first, second and third place. Which, by the way, qualifies themfor the Amateur Night finals to be held on December 23, 2002 at7:00 PM. Now we know why the young ladies are called “Divaswith Attitude.” Not only are they great dancers but they choreographtheir own moves. Well young ladies, I’d like to congratulate you onall of your successes so far and I look forward to hearing more aboutDivas with Attitude. (I like that name!) Anyway, I want all the read-ers of “Deborah's Diary” and Ingersol residents to turn their televi-sions to Channel 4 at 7:00 PM on December 23, 2002, and watch“Divas with Attitude” perform with attitude, live at the Apollo.

Deborah’s Diary is a column that is for you, the residents of NY-CHA, to share significant events in your lives with your neighbors.As always, I plan to tell you about those individuals who are the"talk of the town," but I need your help in getting that news. So, remember the Diary! If you have news, share it with me and I willshare it with my readers. Drop me a few lines c/o The NYCHAJournal/250 Broadway/12th Floor/NY, NY, 10007 or by fax at 212-577-1358. Or, hey, make it personal! Give me a call at 212-306-4752. I can’t 100% guarantee it, but I’ll do my best to seethat your good news makes it into this column.

New York City Hous-ing Authority (NY-CHA) res identswho are 62 years old or older and live in mixed generation developmentsshould know that NYCHAcurrently has apartmentsavailable in a number of senior developments. Thesedevelopments are specifi-cally for seniors and are located in all five boroughs.If you are interested, simplycontact your Housing As-sistant and say you want torequest a transfer to a seniordevelopment. Your Hous-ing Assistant will let youknow which of NYCHA’s42 senior developmentshave apartments available.

Senior developmentscan provide unique benefitsto elderly residents. Manyof these developments haveSenior Centers which servemeals as well as offer recre-ational activities and pro-grams. In addition, SeniorResident Advisors and Ser-vice Coordinators provide anumber of services such ascounseling, monitoring res-idents through home visitsand running errands. Seniorvolunteer Floor Captainsalso assist and monitor theirneighbors.

The Congregate HousingServices Program at theSaratoga Square Senior Development in Brooklynis a one-of-a-kind programthat offers a continuum ofsupport services for the eli-gible frail elderly and non-elderly disabled who needcomprehensive assisted ser-vices. These include twomeals a day, case manage-ment, housekeeping, homecare, personal care, escortservices, shopping services,medical screenings, andtransportation, recreationaland educational programs.

If you are interested inSaratoga Square or othersenior developments, con-tact your Housing Assistant.

Visit NYCHA’s Web site at:www.nyc.gov/nycha

APARTMENTSAVAILABLEIN NYCHASENIORBUILDINGS

The Chief’s Corner

Have A Happy And SafeHalloween

Halloween can be a funtime for children andadults. The safety of allindividuals participating in theholiday festivities is paramount.This year the NYPD HousingBureau encourages all to be alertand careful. Here are some tipsto use as guidelines and to sharewith your children:

• Parents should escort their children and their children’s friendswhile trick-or-treating.• Children should never go into buildings, houses, elevators or carsalone while trick-or-treating.• Children should not eat any treats until they are inspected by a re-sponsible adult.• Children should only go trick-or-treating in their own neighbor-hoods to the residences of people they know, and stay close to home.• Children should wear brightly colored clothing or carry a flashlightat night.• Masks should not block vision or breathing.• Children should stay off of the streets, walk only on sidewalks,cross streets at the corner and wait for the light.

HAVE FUN! STAY SAFE!AND RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S PROPERTY!

Thursday, September 5, wasthe first day of the schoolyear. While young FarragutHouses residents received theirfirst day of instruction at theneighboring schools, the FarragutHouses Resident Association re-ceived its first set of instructionsin computer technology from theState University of New York’sAdvanced Technology Trainingand Information Networking Pro-gram (ATTAIN), at the FarragutCommunity Center.

Assemblyman Roger L. Greenhas secured $1 million in educa-tional funding, of which $500,000will go to the Farragut HousesCommunity Center and $500,000to the Atlantic Terminal Commu-nity Center, both in Brooklyn.Both sites will receive nearly 20computer stations, high speed Internet lines and certified com-puters.

“The New York City HousingAuthority is pleased to partnerwith Assemblyman Roger L.Green and SUNY to make thesecomputer resources available toNYCHA residents,” said NYCHAChairman Tino Hernandez.

ATTAIN works to bring tech-nology to areas in the city where it is not readily available and toincrease the academic and employ-ability skills in those underservedareas.

ATTAIN will also providetraining for the residents of Far-ragut Houses and Atlantic Termi-nal. The training classes at Far-ragut Houses, which will be avail-able for children, teens and adults,are expected to begin in approxi-mately three months. Hours willbe Monday to Friday from 9:00AM to 9:45 PM. The duration ofthe program will vary dependingon the individual’s training needsand training program choice.

Participants will train them-selves on one of any number of computer programs in topicsranging from child care, cosme-tology, and entrepreneurship, tobecoming an emergency medicaltechnician or a nursing assistant.A staff member from ATTAINwill be available at all times toprovide assistance. Once partici-pants have completed the trainingprograms, they will receive refer-rals to the nearest EducationalOpportunity Center (EOC) wherethey can receive assistance in obtaining a General EquivalencyDiploma (GED), join Adult BasicEducation classes, or receive Col-lege SAT coaching and college

By Deborah Williams

Page 4 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL October 2002

The NYCHA “Not Wanted” List

In this issue we continue our editorial policy of publishing thenames of individuals who have been permanently excluded fromour public housing developments. Listing the proscribed personsis part of the effort to keep residents informed of NYCHA’s ongoingefforts to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers in publichousing and to allow for the peaceful and safe use of our facilities.Here follows a list of the people excluded after hearings were heldon May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and June 6, 2001. REMEMBER, IF YOUSEE ANY OF THESE PERSONS ON HOUSING AUTHORITYPROPERTY, PLEASE CALL YOUR MANAGEMENT OF-FICE OR THE POLICE! THIS LIST IS PROVIDED TO ALLPOLICE SERVICE AREAS.

Prohibited as of May 2, 2001David Peterson Case 1516/01 formerly associated with the

third floor of 340 Alexander Avenue, MottHaven Houses, the Bronx.

Rasheem Wilkens Case 1512/01 formerly associated with thefourteenth floor of 159-20 Harlem RiverDrive, Rangel Houses, Manhattan.

Richard Aiken Case 1541/01 formerly associated with thefifth floor of 735 East 165th Street, ForestHouses, the Bronx.

Pablo Lopez Case 1542/01 formerly associated with thefirst floor of 1757 Story Avenue, MonroeHouses, the Bronx.

William Weston Case 1558/01 formerly associated with thefourteenth floor of 2949 West 28th Street,Surfside Gardens, Brooklyn.

Amin Allen Case 1553/01 formerly associated with thesecond floor of 872 Rosedale Avenue,Monroe Houses, the Bronx.

Prohibited as of May 9, 2001Calvin Pulliam Case 1568/01 formerly associated with the

twelfth floor of 849 Flushing Avenue,Bushwick/Hylan Houses, Brooklyn.

Joseph Brevard Case 1589/01 formerly associated with thefourteenth floor of 200 West 143rd Street,Drew Hamilton Houses, New York.

Prohibited as of May 16, 2001Anthony Barnes Case 1759/01 formerly associated with the

seventh floor of 108-41 159th Street, SouthJamaica Houses, Jamaica, New York.

Aswan Moreira Case 1767/01 formerly associated with thesixth floor of 40-10 10th Street,Queensbridge North Houses, Queens.

Elizai Rachumi Case 4543/01 formerly associated with thethird floor of 1925 Harrison Avenue,University Avenue Consolidated Houses, the Bronx.

Prohibited as of May 23, 2001Jerone Moore Case 1854/01 formerly associated with the

third floor of 240 Broadway, West BrightonHouses, Staten Island.

Jeffrey Blue Case 1901/01 formerly associated with thethirteenth floor of 162 Troy Avenue, AlbanyHouses, Brooklyn.

Prohibited as of May 30, 2001Alexis Simmons Case 1922/01 formerly associated with the

sixteenth floor of 1505 Park Avenue, Clinton Houses, Manhattan.

Weldon Walker Case 1923/01 formerly associated with sixthfloor of 1455 Harrod Avenue, Bronx RiverHouses, the Bronx.

Luis Rodriguez Case 1947/01 formerly associated with thethirteenth floor of 700 Morris Avenue,Melrose Houses, the Bronx.

Prohibited as of June 6, 2001Hommy Martinez Case 5010/01 formerly associated with the

fifth floor of 84-16 Rockaway Beach,Hammel Houses, Queens.

(Continued on page 8)

PUBLIC HOUSING DRUGELIMINATION PROGRAM SURVEY

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) isconducting a study for the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development (HUD) to learnhow residents feel about crime and safety in theirneighborhoods. Your participation will help to im-prove programs that promote safety in your com-munity and improve services for residents.

The Housing Authority is mailing questionnaires toa small number of resident households chosen atrandom. If your household has received a question-naire, an adult who has lived at the address for atleast one year should complete it. It will take lessthan five minutes to complete. The answers willgive NYCHA and HUD accurate information aboutwhat residents think.

Answers will be kept completely confidential andwill be summarized in a report of residents’ views.If you have any questions about the survey,please call the Research and Policy Develop-ment Department at (212) 306-3701.

The New York City Housing Authority thanks you inadvance for your cooperation in assisting us withthis important initiative.

Housing Bureau PoliceChief Douglas Zeigler

New Computersand TrainingPrograms ForFarragut andAtlantic Terminal

October 2002 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL Page 5

WINNING ANTI-GRAFFITI MURALS

Borinquen Plaza — “New York City”

Redhook West Senior Center — “The Garden”

Pink Houses — “Diversity City”

Marble Hill — “Wings of Hope”

Hammel Houses — “United We Stand”

Castle Hill Houses — “Kids Voice”

St. Mary’s Houses — “Our New Community”

VanDyke Houses — “Unity Mural”

South Jamaica Houses — “Ground in Harmony”

West Brighton Houses — “Our Community —The Bridge to Tomorrow”

Todt Hill Houses — “Eye Love New York”

Clinton Houses — “If I Were King or Queen of the World”

On September 11, 2002, like the City, the nation, and much of theworld, the residents of Alfred E. Smith Houses on the LowerEast Side of Manhattan, gathered to honor the memory of thosewho lost their lives, commemorate the heroism of those who fought tosave them, and to comfort those who still grieve. For their remembrancethe residents and staff of Smith chose a busy, nearby sidewalk onwhich, one year before, late afternoon shadows of the World Trade Cen-ter Towers would fall.

Smith Houses Remembers 9/11

NYCHA communities in allfive boroughs observed this day,but there was special meaning forSmith Houses because it was theNYCHA development closest tothe disaster. Residents from thedevelopment quickly felt thephysical effects of the destructionas thousands streamed past them,escaping to safety. Many tookrefuge at Smith Houses, wherethey found solace and solidarity— police officers, firefighters,emergency personnel, and NewYorkers who had become refugeesin their own town.

Nicoletta Azure, President ofthe Smith Houses Resident Asso-ciation and Chair of the Manhat-tan South Council of Presidents,commented that any one of thepeople at the gathering could havedied in the disaster. “We’re onlyhere day by day,” she said, “sotake care of each other.” After herbrief greeting Ms. Azure turnedthe proceedings over to ReverendEdmon Darrisaw, Pastor of theGlorious Temple Church inBrooklyn and longstanding care-taker at Smith Houses, where hehas also been a resident since1964.

Reverend Darrisaw broughtwith him Rose Barbar and Minis-ter Dolores Huff — Ms. Barbarfor song, Ms. Huff to read Psalms.“Walk with Me” and the 37thPsalm framed Reverend Darri-saw’s opening reflection, a callfor comfort for the families ofthose who perished.

Development Manager MargoMadden thanked the residents for working so well together to create the ceremony, as did

Superintendent Charles Alogna. Itwas a miniature of the central observance taking place at thesame moment a few blocks awayat Ground Zero. In the words of Luis Soler, Director of ManhattanCommunity Operations, “Gather-ing such as this help to make theworld a better place.”

Luis E. Reyes representedCity Council Member Alan J.Gerson, who was attending a fire-fighters’ memorial service. Mr.Reyes’ presence was most appro-priate, as he had grown up atSmith Houses, where his father,Elias, now 104, still lives. “Wemoved in in 1952,” recalled Mr.Reyes. “It was brand new, the cab-inets were still on the floor.” Hesaid he remembers Smith as “ahappy place to grow up, an incu-bator for success,” and that it wasa most fitting place to mark the“sad day and share the sorrow.”

Reverend Darrisaw also re-membered a personal reaction onthe morning after the attack. “Iwoke up on September 12 and Iwanted to find my way down tothat recruiting office and go andfight for my children, your chil-dren. But I realized I was not ayoung man. I was in a differentarmy now and I could fight a dif-ferent fight, reminding people thatearth has no sorrow that heavencannot heal.”

It had been a year of healing.Then at 10:29 AM, with candlesin the wind, and tears, the resi-dents and staff of Smith Houses,stood for two minutes of silencein the clatter of a vibrant neigh-borhood in the toughest city in theworld.

said, “to reduce both theoccurrence and resulting costs ofgraffiti and vandalism within NY-CHA developments.”

The event began with a videocreated by Jerry Joy Music inwhich the children expressed theirhopes for the future. Though theyused different words, nearly everychild had the same wish — forpeace in the world. The theme ofpeace dominated the murals withdepictions of the sun, flowers andtrees, birds and other animals, andNYCHA’s towering skyscrapersserving as a backdrop.

The honor of reading off thewinning names was reserved forNYCHA Chairman Tino Hernan-dez. “This is like the AcademyAwards,” he quipped, addressingthe rising level of excitement inthe room. Each name he read wasgreeted by cheers from the crowd,as the Harborview consultants forthose centers came to the front ofthe room to accept their awards.(See box at right for the names ofthe winning murals.)

Brooklyn Anti-Graffiti UnitSupervisor Jerry Burk drove themessage home when he told theyoung artists at the ceremony, sit-ting cross-legged on a mat in the front of the room, “When youwrite on the walls of your NY-CHA development, it isn’t consid-ered art. It’s considered a crime.”

NYCHA's Anti-Graffiti Unithas been working since 1994 toimprove the quality of life forHousing Authority residents. It isa joint effort on the part of law en-forcement, development man-agers and most importantly resi-dents. The program now includes300 NYCHA buildings in 67 de-velopments. Seniors from threedevelopments in the program alsocreated murals. Those develop-ments are Pomonok Houses inQueens, Red Hook Houses Westin Brooklyn and SoundviewHouses in Staten Island.

The contest was judged byVice Chairman Earl Andrews, Jr.,Board Member JoAnna Aniello,Secretary Frank Marín and Com-munity Operations Deputy Gener-al Manager Hugh B. Spence.

“It was really a labor of love,”said Harborview consultant Max-ine Razor who worked with resi-dents of VanDyke and TildenHouses.

Community Operations City-wide Programs Director DeniseLara thanked the judges and allothers involved, including Opera-tions Services Deputy GeneralManager Robert Podmore, Opera-tions Services Director RobinJackson, and Harborview ArtsCoordinators Wylie Lucero andLeticia Barboza.

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL Nikki Azure, Smith Houses RA President(center) commemorates 9/11, with residents at the development.

By Allan Leicht

WORKS IN PROGRESS (Top photo) Children from the ClintonHouses Community Center in Manhattan worked with HarborviewConsultants Virginia Bitzer (shown here) and Mimi Martinez to createtheir vision of a perfect world. Clinton Houses Community Center Di-rector Deborah Clark is in the background. (Above) One young artistproudly displays her vision of herself as “Queen of the World.” TheClinton Houses Community Center Mural, entitled, “If I Were King OrQueen of the World” was chosen to be included in a 2003 calendar.

NYCHA CelebratesHispanic Heritage

October 15 throughNovember 15

Anti-Graffiti(Continued from page 1)

Page 6 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL October 2002

October 2002 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL Page 7

2002 Garden Competition Awards Ceremony

FLOWER GARDEN“RENEW YOUR SPIRIT” SHEEPSHEAD-NOSTRAND HOUSES, SOUTH BROOKLYN

VEGETABLE GARDENGARDEN OF VENUS, SOUTH JAMAICA HOUSES, QUEENS

CHILDREN’S THEME GARDENDAWN’S PLACE (DEDICATED TO THE CHILDREN OF 9/11), LINDEN HOUSES, EAST BROOKLYN

There couldn’t have been a more perfect place for the 40th Annu-al Garden Program Awards Ceremony than The Palm House ofthe Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Beneath a glass domed ceiling,surrounded by potted palms wrapped in tiny twinkling lights, and withbackground music by the NYCHA Symphony Orchestra Jazz Quintet,gardeners from the five boroughs reaped the appreciation of NYCHA’sstaff for all of their hard work over the past year.

Community Operations Citywide Programs Director Denise Lara in-troduced “the longest standing Garden Program employee,” KathleenThomas, to give a brief history of the program. “The Garden Programwas created in the 1960s,” she said, “with a vision of how beautiful NY-CHA grounds could be.” Initially just Flower Gardens were judged,then in 1974 Vegetable Gardens were added as a category, and in 1995,Children’s Theme Gardens. Ms. Thomas called the gardens, “evidenceof the pride that public housing residents take in their homes.”

There were slightly less gardens this year because of the drought. Atotal of 462 gardens registered in the competition, including 234 FlowerGardens, 185 Children’s Theme Gardens, and 185 Vegetable Gardens.

Chairman Tino Hernandez read a proclamation from Mayor MichaelR. Bloomberg calling September 25, 2002, “NYCHA Garden AwardsDay.” He then proceeded to present the awards to the many winners.Clouds started moving in as people lined up for a buffet lunch at theconclusion of the ceremony, but that probably didn’t dampen anyone’sspirits. It’s a good guess that the New Yorkers at this event were morekeenly aware than most of how much we need the rain.

The Winners

SOUTH BROOKLYN – FLOWER GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Flower’s “R” Us, Sheepshead-Nostrand Houses2nd Prize: Hayes’ Garden of Love, Red Hook East Houses3rd Prize: Beach Front Garden #1, Coney Island Houses

SOUTH BROOKLYN – VEGETABLE GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Puerto Rico Garden, Breukelen Houses2nd Prize” Fajardo Garden, Breukelen Houses3rd Prize: Green Thumb Garden, Marlboro Houses

SOUTH BROOKLYN – CHILDREN’S THEME GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: “Flower’s of Faith, Sheepshead-Nostrand Houses2nd Prize: “Beauty at the Bay” Sheepshead-Nostrand Houses3rd Prize: Sugar Plum Garden, Red Hook East

WEST BROOKLYN – FLOWER GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Peace of Mind Garden (Baker), Gowanus Houses2nd Prize: Gowanus’ Garden, Gowanus Houses3rd Prize: Sweet Success Gardeners, Louis Armstrong Houses

EAST BROOKLYN – FLOWER GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Rosa and Carmen’s Garden, Hope Gardens2nd Prize: 345 Dumont Garden, Brownsville Houses3rd Prize: Garden of Faith, Brownsville Houses

EAST BROOKLYN – VEGETABLE GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: The Garden of Eden, Hope Gardens2nd Prize: Bountiful Garden, Tilden Houses3rd Prize: Green Thumb Vegetable Garden, Pink HousesHonorable Mention: Faith, Hope & Charity Garden, Brownsville Houses

EAST BROOKLYN – CHILDREN’S THEME GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Making Choices Garden, Brownsville Houses2nd Prize: Garden of Hope #1, Howard Houses

STATEN ISLAND – FLOWER GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: In Honor Garden, Berry Houses2nd Prize: WTC 9/11 Memorial Garden, Todt Hill Houses3rd Prize: Garden of Luv, Mariner’s Harbor HousesHonorable Mention: 145 Cassidy Place Garden, Cassidy-Lafayette Houses

STATEN ISLAND – VEGETABLE GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Nature’s Wonder Garden, Mariner’s Harbor Houses2nd Prize: Dina, Berry Houses3rd Prize: Green Thumb Garden, Mariner’s Harbor HousesHonorable Mention: Vegetable Garden, Cassidy-Lafayette Houses

STATEN ISLAND – CHILDREN’S THEME GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: A Little Sunshine Garden, Mariner’s Harbor Houses

By Eileen ElliottCitywide First-Place Winners

Continued on page 8

QUEENS – FLOWER GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Garden of Zodiac, South Jamaica Houses2nd Prize: Garden of Grace, South Jamaica Houses3rd Prize: Tabernacle Flower Garden, South Jamaica Houses

QUEENS – VEGETABLE GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Down to Earth Vegetable Garden, South Jamaica Houses2nd Prize: Garden of Eat’n, South Jamaica Houses3rd Prize: My Kitchen Garden, South Jamaica Houses

QUEENS – CHILDREN’S THEME GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Catherine’s “Down By The Bay”

Children’s Flower Garden, Beach 41st Street Houses2nd Prize: Heaven On Earth Garden, Woodside Houses

MANHATTAN – FLOWER GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Holliday’s Cuisine, Amsterdam Houses2nd Prize: Balm’s of Gidion Garden, St. Nicholas Houses3rd Prize: A Touch of Class Garden, Wagner Houses

MANHATTAN – VEGETABLE GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Troche’s Garden, Wald Houses

MANHATTAN – CHILDREN’S THEME GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: El Coqui Children’s Garden, Campos Plaza

BRONX – FLOWER GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Rain Forest Garden, Patterson Houses2nd Prize: Road to Damascus, McKinley Houses3rd Prize: Blue Shade Garden, Bronxdale HousesHonorable Mention: Rodriguez & McKay’s Sunrise Garden, Patterson Houses

BRONX – VEGETABLE GARDEN WINNERS1st Prize: Mamita’s Neighborhood Vegetable Garden,

Union Avenue Consolidation2nd Prize: Union Avenue Garden,

Union Avenue Consolidation3rd Prize: Botanical Garden,

Union Avenue Consolidation

BRONX – CHILDREN’S THEME GARDEN WINNERS

1st Prize: Tiny Toon Rainbow Flower Garden, Union Avenue Consolidation

2nd Prize: The Mickey’s Garden, Throggs Neck Houses

3rd Prize: Herbs & Woodland Garden, Bronxdale Houses

Honorable Mention: Pennye’s Reading Garden, Bronxdale Houses

Page 8 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL October 2002

preparedness training.With the ATTAIN program

residents will be able to track theirperformance, get detailed resultson test scores and have access totheir progress reports.

Residents at Farragut Housesare excited about the new pro-gram and said they hope it willprovide the educational founda-tion and training that the commu-nity needs. “At last you havemade my dream come true,” saidFarragut Community Center Di-rector George Price, as he claspedhis hands together with joy. Ac-cording to Mr. Vijay Macwan, Director of the University Centerfor Academic and Workforce Development at SUNY, “Every-one in the community can create adream with training.”

Residents of Atlantic Terminalshould contact their CommunityCenter at (718) 783-7329 for com-plete details about the ATTAINprogram at their development.

Computersfor Farragut

(Continued from page 4)

Garden Winners(Continued from page 7)

SPEAK OUT AGAINST FRAUDAND CORRUPTION!

If you or anyone in your family is aware of anyfraud or corruption committed against the New

York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) by anyNYCHA employee, contractor, vendor, or resident,we urge you to call the NYCHA Inspector General

(“IG”) at 212-306-3355 orthe Department of Investigation (“DOI”) at

212-3-NYC-DOI or 212-825-5959.

To Report DangerousCall the Dog Hotline:

1 (888) 895-3647