Vol. 33, No. 3 First Class U.S. Postage Paid — Permit No. 4119, New York, N.Y. 10007 March 2003

ALL THAT JAZZ H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. Program Director Anne Fitzgibbon (left) joins young NYCHA res-idents after their first class and a special jazz concert on February 8 at the New School. DeputyMayor for Policy Dennis M. Walcott (right) brought greetings from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

By Eileen Elliott

Anew pilot program called the Housing Authority Resident Musicians Of New York, orH.A.R.M.O.N.Y., had its Kick-Off Ceremony at the New School For Social Research on Saturday,February 8, 2003. New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Policy Dennis M. Walcott made a special ap-

pearance at the event. As he presented a proclamation from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg commending theprogram’s young participants, he told them, “You’re going to take the best ride of your life, learning instru-ments and enjoying music. Stick with it!”

H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. is a collabora-tion between the Mayor’s Office,the New School For Social Re-search and the Housing Authority.It’s overall goal is to provide NY-CHA residents in grades fivethrough eight with basic instruc-tion in a musical instrument,while helping them develop anappreciation for music.

New School H.A.R.M.O.N.Y.Supervisor Dan Greenblatt intro-duced the student-teachers whotreated the audience to a briefconcert that was the highlight ofthe kick-off, saying, “We’re going

to play the kind of music we likebest — jazz.”

And play they did. “Take The ATrain,” was the first number, fol-lowed by “Blues In D Flat” by Th-elonious Monk, and a song thatsounded suspiciously like a jazzedup version of the theme song for“The Flintstones” cartoon.

This eight-week pilot programis comprehensive, providing morethan just music instruction. The31 participants will meet everySaturday from 9 AM until noon.During this time they will have anoptional hour of practice time be-

fore receiving musical instructionin group classes, free of charge,from music education studentsenrolled at the New School.

“It’s a win-win situation,” saidNew School Jazz and Contempo-rary Music Program ExecutiveDirector Martin W. Mueller. “Ouryoung people will always have ameans of passing on music.”

Following the instruction peri-od each week, distinguishedguests will perform and/or speakto the students and their parentsabout their musical backgroundsand careers. In addition, amateurand professional musicians willserve as mentors to students.These mentors will be invited toattend the guest speaker period ofeach session and will join pro-gram participants in group excur-sions and social events.

“I thought the first day wentexceptionally well,” saidH.A.R.M.O.N.Y. Program Direc-tor Anne Fitzgibbon. “We had a

H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. KICK-OFF CEREMONY

Inside:• Subway and Bus Fare Hikes . . . . . . . . page 2

• The Financial Forecast . . . . . . . . . . . . page 3

• Birds Of Prey, at NYCHA? . . . . . . . . . page 4

• Resident Celebrates 103RD B’day . . . . .page 5

March Is Women’s History Month

HOW HAPPY ARE YOU WITHYOUR NYCHA APARTMENT?The Resident Service and Satisfaction Survey

On March 17, 2003 the U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment’s (HUD’s) Real Estate Assessment Center(REAC) will send out surveys to New York City Housing Au-

thority (NYCHA) residents living in the Housing Authority’s 324 fed-erally funded developments. The Resident Service and Satisfaction Sur-vey (RASS) is sent each year to a random sampling of public housingresidents nationwide to find out how satisfied they are with public hous-ing. It focuses on five areas of life in public housing developments:maintenance, communications, safety, resident services and neighbor-hood appearance.

RASS is part of the PublicHousing Assessment System, orPHAS. PHAS, in its entirety, eval-uates the physical condition, fi-nancial health, management oper-ations and resident services ofpublic housing agencies in theUnited States.

The RASS accounts for 10 of atotal 100 PHAS points. PoorPHAS scores could result in seri-ous consequences, such as the de-nial of certain federal funds. InFiscal Year 2001, the last year forwhich data is available, NYCHA

received 8 out of 10 points.If you receive a survey, please

answer all 26 questions on thefour pages and mail it back to theaddress indicated by April 24,2003. The results will be analyzedby a private company and willprovide an overall impression ofresident satisfaction in the areasspecified, which will be includedin HUD’s yearly evaluation ofNYCHA.

It is then up to the public hous-ing authority’s management to use

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“New York City is the Capitolof the World because of the di-verse ethnic groups that livehere,” Chairman Tino Hernandeztold over 200 seniors. “We owethe progress of the civil rightsmovement, our social progress, toAfrican-Americans and I am hon-ored to share your pride.” Com-menting on the overall theme ofthe program, entitled, “Remem-bering African-American Musi-cians from Yesterday and Today,”the Chairman noted how African-American music has influencedall music, concluding, “It is fittingto remember Black Historythrough music.”

Organized and introduced byBronx Borough Administrator forSenior Programs Kenneth Aytch,the remarks soon gave way to mu-sic, or as Community OperationsDeputy General Manager Hugh B.Spence said, “the drums and thevoice, among the first soundsknown to man.” Mr. Spence then in-troduced the Reverend Chief Alag-ba Egunfemi Adegbolola and hisyoung Bronx African drum corps.

The Reverend Chief spokebriefly of his spiritual roots in theKingdom of Oyotunji African Vil-lage in Sheldon, South Carolina,calling the 30-year-old living his-tory museum, cultural and educa-tional center, “30 acres of pureAfrica in South Carolina.”

“The first drum you everheard,” he said speaking of thepower of the drums — a themewhich resonated throughout theprogram, “was your mother’sheartbeat. These are the rhythmsthat start life.”

Through dance and narrativeBronx Dance Consultant LeonaHull told the story of African-

American history beginning withthe Portuguese slave trade in1441, and tracing the subsequentmigration of Africans to theCaribbean Islands and into NorthAmerica.

Residents Frances Muse, DorisBeavers and the NYCHA SeniorChoir sang gospel songs to the ac-companiment of the keyboard, adrum and two guitars. SoloistGloria Geddie and narrator GeriGardner carried the program fromgospel through rhythm and blues.

Songs included such contem-porary classics as “UnchainedMelody,” first sung by Al Hibblerin 1955 in the movie by the same

name, and “I’ll Take You There,”popularized by the Staple Singers.

The finale “Ain’t No Stoppin’Us Now,” has become the signa-ture song of the Senior Choir. Se-nior Choir Director Carrie Payne,who had opened the event with astirring “Lift Every Voice,” direct-ed the musical selections from the1950s through the 1970s.

Black History Month got itsstart in 1926 when educator andhistorian Dr. Carter G. Woodsonfounded Negro History Week tohonor the cultural contributions ofAfrican-Americans. Black Histo-ry Week became Black HistoryMonth, officially, in 1976.

Page 2 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL March 2003

Message From The Mayor

Understanding the New Fares ForSubways and Buses

The fare increases ap-proved by the MTA boardthis month will strain al-

ready pinched family budgetswhen they go into effect in May.There are nearly eight millionpeople who use subways, busesand commuter trains to getaround the region, and who arewondering if there’s anythingthey can do to lessen the impactof these increased fares.

There are. The best way tobeat the fare increase is to lookfor the discounts. Arrange your

budget so you can buy 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCards instead ofpaying for individual rides or buying pay-per-ride cards. The fare in-crease for the 30-day cards was only 11% compared to the 33% in-crease for individual rides and the 22% hike in pay-per-ride cards.The City’s representatives on the MTA board also fought for and wonan off-peak $2.50 fare on the LIRR and MetroNorth lines for pas-sengers getting on and off in New York City, making riding thesetrains more of a bargain.

It’s also a good time to look into something called “TransitChek.”That’s an employee benefit program run by Transit Center, Inc., a non-profit public-private partnership that includes the MTA, New JerseyTransit, the PATH train system and major business organizations.TransitChek provides double benefits: it helps more than half a millionpeople in the New York region save money on commuting while alsolightening the payroll tax burden on some 14,000 area employers.

Here’s how TransitChek works. Once your company enrolls in theprogram, you as an employee decide how much you want deductedfrom your pay before taxes are taken out — up to $100 a month,$1,200 a year. Once you’ve signed up — congratulations! You’venow cut the annual tax bite out of your paycheck; you could be sav-ing $400 a year. At the same time, your company will be reducing itsown tax liability by an amount that could total up to many hundredsof dollars per employee — definitely a win-win situation.

TransitCheks come in two basic forms. There are vouchers thatcan be used like cash to pay for MetroCards or commuter rail, bus orferry tickets. There also are unlimited ride MetroCards that go di-rectly to the employee. The more you use those cards, the more yousave. You also eliminate the hassle of having to stop at subway sta-tion machines or station booths to put more money on your Metro-Card — a real convenience during those rush hour commutes whenevery minute counts. TransitChek is a smart way to keep the cost ofusing that system affordable for everyone. For more informationabout TransitChek, call 1-800-331-CHEK, or visit their web site at:transitcenter.com.

The MTA runs what is far and away the largest and most complexmass transit system in the nation. It operates the country’s biggestbus fleet and more subways and commuter trains than the rest of thenation combined. And although we’re all disappointed that the MTAdecided to increase its fares, I hope these tips help you fit your masstransit trips into your budget.

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. ............................................................................Vice-ChairmanJoAnna Aniello ...............................................................................Board MemberFrank Marín .............................................................................................SecretaryDouglas Apple.............................................................................General ManagerSheila Greene .................................Director of Public and Community RelationsHoward Marder ............................................................Public Information OfficerEileen Elliott .................................................................................................EditorRuth Noemí Colón ............................................................Editor, Spanish EditionAllan 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

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Black History Month Celebrated by Bronx SeniorsRemembering African-American Musicians From Yesterday And Today

A RICH HERITAGE was expressed (left to right) in song by NYCHA residents Doris Beavers andFrances Muse; in music by the Reverend Chief Alagba Egunfemi Adegbolola, and in dance by BronxDance Consultant Leona Hull at the Black History Celebration at the Melrose Community Center.

Seniors from seven NYCHA Senior Centers assembled in celebration of Black History Month at theMelrose Community Center in the Bronx on a sunny February 20, 2003. They navigated pools of melt-ing snow and came for drums, dance, song and a proud, vital heritage, depicted in images of African-

American legends from Harriet Tubman to Louis Armstrong that ringed the Melrose gymnasium.

By Allan Leicht

March 2003 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL Page 3

Message From The Chairman

The Financial Forecast

It’s not news to most of youthat just as the City of NewYork must call upon all of

its resources to meet its signif-icant fiscal challenges, so mustthe New York City HousingAuthority (NYCHA). NYCHAwill work very hard to main-tain the most stable publichousing authority in the coun-try and deliver quality servicesto the 420,000 residents whomake their homes in our 345developments.

As many of you are aware,most of NYCHA’s funding —

98% — comes from Washington. This money is used to operate,maintain and modernize NYCHA buildings and grounds through-out the City. Our estimated federal operating subsidy for FiscalYear 2003 of $658 million is a 12.5% reduction below last year’sallocation. The operating subsidy is the money needed to run day-to-day operations and programs at the Authority. This reductionclearly will not keep pace with rising operating expenses and wewill have to economize and be innovative to stay within our means.

There is also a significant reduction in federal funding for capi-tal projects. Capital funds are used for maintaining our housingstock — the infrastructure of our buildings and grounds. For FY2003 the estimated allocation is $372 million — an 11.5% reduc-tion, or a loss of $48 million over the last two years. Here again wewill have to make tough choices to stay within our means.

The Authority receives 2% percent of its operating subsidy, or$17 million from the City of New York. Since FY 2001, our Cityfunding has been reduced by 50%. The City has reduced NY-CHA’s capital funding for FY 2003 by $13.6 million, to $40.2 mil-lion, down from $53.8 million. NYCHA recognizes the necessityof these reductions and will work with the Mayor to put our shareof the City’s resources to the best advantage of our residents.

Given these realities, how will we meet our responsibilities?For a start, we have initiated a targeted hiring freeze focused on

NYCHA’s central office. We are reducing overtime expendituresby 15%, and we are suspending the practice of keeping develop-ment management offices open on Wednesday nights. We will im-plement these measures without any impact on resident services.We will continue to look for further cost saving measures to ensurethat the Authority remains financially stable.

It’s not all bad news. NYCHA has had major achievements overthe past year. To date, our Community Center Modernization Pro-gram has opened 48 new and renovated facilities. In the last twoyears alone we have opened several state-of-the-art communitycenters. Melrose in the Bronx and Van Dyke in Brooklyn are com-pletely new facilities. Baychester in the Bronx and St. Nicholas inManhattan were very extensive expansions of smaller centers. InStaten Island new community centers are scheduled for completionat South Beach in the coming months and Stapleton next year.Hammel Houses in Queens is an expansion that will be open short-ly, as will Williamsburg Community Center, a very impressive fa-cility in Brooklyn.

In addition, we are working to complete a two-year program toresurface the stairhalls in our developments. This program is al-ready 60% complete. To increase resident security and safety, wehave begun a major $10 million initiative to address the need tomaintain the intercom systems in our developments Citywide.

NYCHA strives to maintain a healthy economic mix in our de-velopments. Last year, in 2002, 45% of new residents moving intoour developments were working families, bringing the number ofworking families to a 12-year high. While we will continue tomaintain our historic commitment to provide housing to New York-ers with special needs, a good balance benefits everyone.

These are a few of the many good things that are happening atNYCHA. While we are mindful of the financial challenges thatlie ahead, NYCHA will continue to build on our successes andmove forward.

Tino Hernandez

Deborah’s Diary

By Deborah Williams

Alternative High Schools — Many teens today might find City highschools overcrowded so that they do not get the individualized helpthey need. That’s where the Alternative High Schools make a differ-ence. In collaboration with the Department of Education, the NewYork City Housing Authority has set up several Alternative HighSchool programs throughout the City to help teens and young adultsget the individualized attention they need and move on to becomesuccess stories. In September of 2002, eight students became gradu-ates of NYCHA Alternative High Schools and received their Gener-al Equivalency Diplomas (GEDs). James Esteves, a resident of Cas-tle Hill Houses in the Bronx, graduated from the Betances Alterna-tive High School and has since made arrangements to join the ArmedForces. Dwight Manuel, a resident of Marble Hill Houses, also in theBronx, also graduated from the Betances Alternative High Schooland is currently enrolled at Monroe College where he is majoring inBusiness Administration. Tuni Begum, a resident of Harborview Ter-race in Manhattan, graduated from the Chelsea-Elliott AlternativeHigh School and on Wednesdays she returns to Chelsea-Elliottwhere she provides a valuable service by volunteering as a math tu-tor. She is also involved in the United Nations Project where she re-ceives diplomatic training. Davon Carter, a resident of Stanley IsaacsHouses in Manhattan, graduated from the East River AlternativeHigh School and plans to attend John Jay College in the fall and ma-jor in Forensic Science. Until then, he enjoys playing his guitar.Karen Gines, a resident of Gowanus Houses in Brooklyn, graduatedfrom the Gowanus Alternative High School and plans to attend Tay-lor Business Institute. Babette Williams, a resident of Ocean HillHouses in Brooklyn, graduated from the Ingersoll Alternative HighSchool. Kevin Parker, a resident of Ocean Bay Houses in Far Rock-away, Queens, graduated from Redfern Alternative High School andhas applied to Buffalo State University and Sullivan County College.Another graduate of the Redfern Alternative High School is Jacque-line Turner, who just happens to be a resident of Redfern Houses inFar Rockaway, Queens. She has also applied to Sullivan County Col-lege and is awaiting acceptance. I’d like to take this time to congrat-ulate each and every one of you on your achievement. Obtaining aGED is a real achievement but just one step on the ladder of success.I wish you well in all your future endeavors.

Congratulations to members of the Betances Boxing Gym. In No-vember of 2002, they were invited to Puerto Rico where they com-peted in their first international tournament for the RobertoClemente Cup. With a little bit of dazzle, some fancy footwork anda lot of skill the Betances Boxing Gym came home victorious win-ning First Place. Manny Gonzalez, 106 1bs. straw-weight, won bydecision; Luis Pena, 119 lbs. bantamweight, won by KO; ShawnPatterson, 126 lbs. featherweight, won by decision; Javier Monser-ate, 148 1bs. won by decision and Luis Reyes, 180 lbs. heavy-weight, won by decision. In the words of Mohammed Ali, “Float likea butterfly, sting like a bee!” Nobody can beat the Betances BoxingTeam! Congratulations and keep the “fight” alive.

Basketball Extravaganza — On February 19, 2003, NYCHA’s De-partment of Community Operations, Sports Unit held an all-dayBasketball Extravaganza. Approximately 500 youth from develop-ments Citywide gathered at Pace University for what promised to bean exciting event. Selected all-star players from the previously heldCitywide Basketball Tournaments participated in the five scheduledgames. After each game two players were selected to receive theMost Valuable Player Award. Move over Theresa Witherspoon andmake room for Esha Nixon or Sharlyn Harper (both from SamuelCommunity Center) or Tamesha Briggs or Jessica Gatling or Jas-mine Wise or Ariel Guzman because all these young ladies werenamed “Most Valuable Player” and received trophies. You Go Girls!Jaquan Jones, Ramel Harris, Step Colon, Oviel Olevian, ShaquilleStokes, and Dashaun Herring also received “Most Valuable Player”trophies. Guys keep up the good work. For all you other upcomingbasketball stars if ‘you got game’ and are a resident interested injoining NYCHA’s Basketball Team please call 212-306-7935 for ad-ditional information.

The Department of Investi-gation’s ongoing City-wide crackdown on fraud

has resulted in 55 arrests sinceJanuary 2003, involving morethan $1 million of improperlyobtained housing benefits.Twelve of those arrests were an-nounced on February 27, 2003by the United States Attorney forthe Southern District of NewYork James B. Comey and Com-missioner for the New York CityDepartment of InvestigationRose Gill Hearn.

The 12 defendants surrenderedto federal and state authorities oncharges of obtaining public hous-ing benefits to which they werenot entitled. Their fraud is allegedto have cost the federal govern-ment more than $130,000.

Three of those arrested wereresidents of New York City Hous-ing Authority developments —Beverly Avery, William Taylorand Thelma Young. Each has beencharged with making false state-ments concerning their income,which resulted in reduced rents totheir public housing apartments.Each faces a maximum penalty offive years in prison.

“Federal subsidies are a crucialcomponent of New York’s effortsto provide affordable housing tothe needy. This office will contin-ue to identify and prosecute thosewho take advantage of these pro-grams for their own gain at the ex-pense of those who often are des-perately in need of assistance,”said U.S. Attorney James B.Comey. Commissioner Gill Hearnadded, “The lesson these defen-dants and others would be wise tolearn is that, with so many needyNew Yorkers on long wait lists foraffordable public housing, theCity will not be deceived into pro-viding apartments to people whodo not qualify for the scarce sub-sidized housing.”

Eleven separate criminal com-plaints were made against the 12defendants who included nineparticipants in the federally fund-ed leased housing program ad-ministered by the New York CityHousing Authority, known asSection 8. Eight of these defen-dants — Wanda Alexander, Vi-vian Carter, Elaine Davis, Kim-berly King, Tammie O’Neal,Calvin Powell, Debo RahPriester, and Pamela Reddick —face a maximum of 10 years inprison. With the exception ofDavis and Powell, all of theabove were charged with con-cealing income from NYCHA.Davis and Powell were chargedwith illegally subletting Davis’Section 8 apartment.

DOI ANNOUNCES12 MORE ARRESTSFOR FRAUD

(Continued on page 5)

great turnout from the kids andtheir parents.”

Ms. Fitzgibbon explained thatthe children were chosen only af-ter an extensive applicationprocess. Applications included anessay written by the children ex-plaining what they hoped to getout of the program, and a letter ofrecommendation from a teacheror community center staffer. Thencame an interview at City Hall.

The program encouragesparental involvement. Once achild is accepted parents mustsign a “contract” promising thatthe child will miss no more thanthree classes, that the instrumentwill be properly maintained andreturned at the end of eight weeks,that the student will be respectfuland courteous during allH.A.R.M.O.N.Y activities, andthat the parent will attend at leastone parent/teacher conference.

One of those parents was Tam-my Futch of Patterson Houses inthe Bronx, who said she waspleased and excited that her nine-year-old daughter, DarleniqueWhitley, had been accepted intothe program.

“I’m trying to keep my kids

busy, take them out of the projectsand get them involved in some-thing else,” said Ms. Futch, who isthe mother of three girls and twoboys.

Claire Johnson and her hus-band Nehemiah Johnson, whohave lived at Queensbridge Hous-es North for 18 years, were alsoenthusiastic about the program.

Their nine-year-old daughterMartine is taking the drums. “Wedon’t know what it might lead to.Only God knows,” said Ms. John-son. Martine added, “I want toplay for my church.”

Organizers thanked the MusicFor Youth Foundation and SamAsh Music for their contributionsto the program.

The NYCHA “Not Wanted” List

In this issue we continue our editorial policy of publishing the namesof individuals who have been permanently excluded from our pub-lic housing developments. Listing the proscribed persons is part of

the effort to keep residents informed of NYCHA’s ongoing efforts toimprove the quality of life for all New Yorkers in public housing and toallow for the peaceful and safe use of our facilities. Here follows a listof the people excluded after hearings were held on October 31, No-vember 21 and 28, and December 12, 19, and 27, 2001 and January 2,2002. REMEMBER, IF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE PERSONSON HOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTY, PLEASE CALLYOUR MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR THE POLICE! THIS LISTIS PROVIDED TO ALL POLICE SERVICE AREAS.

Prohibited as of October 31, 2001Cory Flowers Case 3580/01 formerly associated with the third

floor of 67-34 Parson Blvd., Pomonok Houses,Flushing, Queens

Jules Desselle Case 3584/01 formerly associated with the firstfloor of 159-06 109th Avenue, South JamaicaHouses, Jamaica, Queens.

Chris Poquee Case 3582/01 formerly associated with 464 FountainAvenue, Cypress Hill Houses, Brooklyn.

Johney Smalls Case 3586/01 formerly associated with theeleventh floor of 350 East 143rd Street, MottHaven Houses, the Bronx.

Martin Lasalle Case 3588/01 formerly associated with theeighteenth floor of 1385 Fifth Avenue, TaftHouses, Manhattan.

Willie Sanchez Case 3589/01 formerly associated with the sixthfloor of 197 Gordon Street, Stapleton Houses,Staten Island.

Andy Delvalle Case 3590/01 formerly associated with theseventeenth floor of 350 East 143rd Street,Mott Haven Houses, the Bronx.

Prohibited as of November 21, 2001Victor Moreno Case 3662/01 formerly associated with the first

floor of 18 Avenue V, Marlboro Houses, Brooklyn.

Naquone Taylor Case 3692/01 formerly associated with the twelfthfloor of 3025 West 32nd Street, Coney IslandHouses, Brooklyn.

Prohibited as of November 28, 2001Eduardo Medina Case 3739/01 formerly associated with the twelfth

floor of 90 Avenue D, Riis Houses, Manhattan.

Zelda Sands Case 3742/01 formerly associated with the secondfloor of 530 Olmstead Avenue, Castle Hill Houses,the Bronx.

Natasha Collins Case 3764/01 formerly associated with the firstfloor of 27-25 1st Street, Astoria Houses,Long Island City.

James Griffin Case 1942/01 formerly associated with the thirdfloor of 740 East Gun Hill Road, Gun Hill Houses,the Bronx.

Shammon Cook Case 3803/01 formerly associated with the first floorof 1239 Stanley Street, Pink Houses, Brooklyn.

Prohibited as of December 12, 2001 Ray Smith Case 3318/01 formerly associated with the tenth

floor of 709 FDR Drive, Wald Houses, Manhattan.

Prohibited as of December 19, 2001Stacy Hall Case 3875/01 formerly associated with the third

floor of 60 Moore Street, Borinquen Plaza,Brooklyn.

Yusef Harrison Case 3894/01 formerly associated with the fifthfloor of 54-64 Rutgers Street, Rutgers Houses,Manhattan.

Andre Oviedo Case 3894/01 formerly associated with the firstfloor of 456 Richmond Terrace, Richmond TerraceHouses, Staten Island.

Prohibited as of December 27, 2001Omar Greatheart Case 3999/01 formerly associated with the second

floor of 3845 Baychester, Edenwald Houses, theBronx.

Prohibited as of January 2, 2002Josean Martinez Case 1564/01 formerly associated with the second

floor of 300-302 East 138th Street, MitchellHouses, the Bronx.

Ms. Bien King of Gun Hill Houses in the Bronx sent in this photo ofa peregrine falcon that was on the roof of her building. Ms. Kingwrote, “I thought there was a ne’er-do-well on the roof throwing burn-ing paper that was falling past my 11th floor window. I thought to geta photo of him or her. The last thing I expected to see was a predatorbird plucking its prey. What was falling was not paper, but black andwhite feathers from a pigeon. Now that I know that they’re out there, Ilook for and see peregrine falcons just about every day. If you are in atall building, you might see them hunting. They fly very high with theiroutstretched wings curled back just a bit at the tips. A pretty sure sign

it’s a peregrine is that when theyare hunting they do not flap theirwings much. They glide on aircurrents and only flap when theywant to change direction. Upclose, they are unmistakable.They have dark coloring aroundtheir eyes, like a raccoon, an un-forgettable hooked beak, andlong, feather-covered legs.They’re endangered, they’re thefastest bird in the world — theyhave been clocked to attack at upto 220 miles per hour — and theylike tall buildings like mine atGun Hill Houses!”

Please remember that residentsare not allowed on the roofs oftheir buildings, but nevertheless,we thank Ms. King for this greatshot and for thinking of us.

Have you taken a photo thatyou would like to share withJournal readers? Please sendit to:

Eileen Elliott, Editor NYCHA Journal250 Broadway, 12th floor New York, New York 10007.

Include your name, address,telephone number, e-mail ad-dress, and a little backgroundon the photo; or e-mail the pho-to to: elliote@nycha.nyc.gov.

Resident Photo

THE JOHNSON FAMILY Everyone in the Johnson family turnedout for the H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. Program Kick-Off Ceremony at the NewSchool for Social Research. Shown here are (clockwise) Nehemi-ah Johnson, his wife Claire, and their daughters Martine and An-nie. Martine is learning the drums through the program.

Page 4 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL March 2003

H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. KICK-OFF CEREMONY(Continued from page 1)

March 2003 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL Page 5

Use and Care Of Your Refrigerator

Since the start of the the New York City Housing Authority’s (NY-CHA’s) Energy Efficient Refrigerator Program in January of1996, a total of 156,716 refrigerators in NYCHA apartments

have been replaced with new energy efficient refrigerators. NYCHAexpects to replace all refrigerators by the end of the year, so if you don’thave your new refrigerator yet, it won’t be long! Here are a few tips tokeep your new refrigerator working at its best.

Don’t Pack Too Much Into Your Freezer!Your freezer works best when it is two-thirds full. Packing too much

into your freezer prevents the cold air from circulating so that your fooddoes not freeze properly. Packing too much into your freezer will alsoprevent the freezer door from closing completely, which will force thecompressor to work too hard and in turn, will eventually cause the re-frigerator to break down.

Defrosting And Cleaning Your FreezerYour freezer is self-defrosting. There is no need for you to defrost the

freezer. If liquids should accidentally spill in the freezer compartmentsimply turn off your refrigerator and wait until the liquids melt thenwipe them up with a dish or paper towel. NEVER try to scrape or chopthe ice with a sharp implement.

Cleaning Your RefrigeratorWhen cleaning your refrigerator always use a mild soap and water

solution or a solution of baking soda and water (1 to 2 tablespoons ofbaking soda to 1 quart of water). NEVER use steel wool or abrasivecleaners to clean any part of the refrigerator.

A Word About Rubber GasketsThe rubber seal around the

door of your refrigerator is calleda gasket. These rubber gasketskeep the cold air in and the hot airout. It is important that you cleanthe rubber gaskets and the metalframe they seal against on a regu-lar basis. Clean spills of stickyjuices and sodas when they hap-pen to prevent the gaskets fromsticking and tearing whenopened.

By following these few use andcare guidelines you will prolongthe life of your refrigerator.

Do you have a maintenance question? Please send it to: Mr.Maintenance, c/o New York City Housing Authority Journal,

New York City Housing Authority, 250 Broadway, 12th Floor,New York, New York 10007.

Editor’s Note: In response to earlier Mr. Maintenance articles,we have received a number of letters from residents about out-standing repairs in their apartments. Please keep in mind that

Mr. Maintenance is here to provide answers to general mainte-

nance issues and procedures in your developments, not to ad-

dress individual residents’ specific problems obtaining repairs

or services. If you are having difficulty obtaining a needed repairor service, please contact your development’s Management Of-fice first. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive atthe development, you should then contact your Borough Man-agement Office. Thank you.

The remaining defendant, San-dra Bernard is charged with con-cealing from NYCHA the factthat she had moved out of her Sec-tion 8 housing and was living inNew Jersey with her husband,with whom she shared three carsincluding a BMW. According tothe complaint against her, Bernardreceived thousands of dollars inrent subsidies for the Section 8housing she no longer occupied.

Mr. Comey praised the Depart-ment of Investigations and Com-missioner Gill Hearn thanked NY-CHA’s Leased Housing and Bor-ough Management Departmentsfor their cooperation, as well asthe Office of the Inspector Gener-al for the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development.

The charges in the Complaintsare merely accusations, and thedefendants are presumed innocentuntil proven guilty. To makecomplaints about someoneripping off the City, call theDepartment of Investigationat 212-825-5959.

MORE ARRESTSFOR FRAUD(Continued from page 3)

RASS SURVEY(Continued from page 1)

this information to help identifyareas that need improvement with-in a development, and to create aFollow-up Plan.

Not all residents will receive asurvey. Last year, 18,610 surveyswere mailed out to NYCHA resi-dents and 5,829 were returned.Those residents who do not re-ceive a survey this year may re-ceive one in the future.

HUD is committed to ensuringthat your public housing authori-ty’s management will not knowwho participated in the survey, orhow individuals responded. Youridentity will remain confidential.Only the overall results of the sur-vey will be shared with PHAmanagement. You should notwrite your name on the survey ifyou receive one. If you haveany questions about the Res-ident Service and Satisfac-tion Survey, call HUD’sREAC’s Customer ServiceCenter at 1-888-245-4860(calls are toll free).

RAVENSWOOD RESIDENTCELEBRATES 103RD B’DAY

CENTENARIAN GENEVIEVE SYRING with City CouncilmanEric Gioia at her birthday party. (Photo courtesy of CouncilmanGioia’s office.)

One century and three years ago Genevieve Syring was born inBrooklyn to Irish immigrant parents from Dublin and CountyCork. Today Ms. Syring lives at Ravenswood Houses in Queens

and looks forward to her regular visits to the Ravenswood Senior Cen-ter, where she celebrated her 103rd birthday on February 25, 2003. NewYork City Council Member Eric Gioia brought flowers and Ms. Sy-ring’s friends and neighbors paid tribute to the 23-year NYCHA resi-dent. Ms. Syring’s love of people, music and life in her corner of theworld has established her as a colorful figure of stability in the Long Is-land City community. As she often says, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Soon after moving to Ravenswood when she was in her mid-80’s,Ms. Syring, who had never received an education beyond the seventhgrade, decided to attend college classes. “She was always an avid read-er,” said her daughter, Barbara, who now lives with her mother inRavenswood after having relocated from Florida. Ms. Syring has twograndchildren and three great-grandchildren, courtesy of Barbara, andthe centenarian’s son, James, a film editor who lives in Denver. This isthe family raised by a woman who was widowed in 1947 and workedall her life as a secretary. After the Great Depression of the 1930’s,which remains in Ms. Syring’s memory as a defining phase of life,work was a great blessing.

“She did not have an easy life as a child,” said Barbara, who has re-tired from her career in special education. “She remembers that her fa-ther had one suit and one pair of shoes, which he shared with a relativeso that they could each look presentable when searching for work.”

“Genevieve Syring should be an inspiration to all of us. As a longtime community activist who has attended Ravenswood Senior Centerfor many years, Ms. Syring’s fortitude and example deserve our recog-nition. I look forward to celebrating her 104th birthday next year,andam honored to represent her and Ravenswood in the New York CityCouncil,” said Council Member Gioia.

To be sure, there are many decades of memories, which Ms. Syringshares with her younger brother, who is 93, but her alert mind is verymuch focused on the present. – Allan Leicht

To Report Dangerous Dogs

Call NYCHA’s Dog Hotline: 1 (888) 895-3647

Page 6 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL March 2003

March 2003 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL Page 7

TRIBUTE TO FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICANPOLICE COMMISSIONER BENJAMIN WARD

In honor of African-American History Month, the NYC Police Museum and the New York Police De-partment (NYPD) Guardians Association paid tribute to the extraordinary life and career of BenjaminWard (1926-2002), former Chief of NYCHA’s Housing Police (which later merged with the NYPD) from

1978 to 1979. Commissioner Ward’s outstanding 40-year career as a civil servant began in 1951 as the firstAfrican-American patrolman assigned to Brooklyn’s 80th Precinct, and was capped by his rise to the top po-sition as New York’s first African-American Police Commissioner, from 1984 to 1989. Between those twomilestones, Commissioner Ward held leadership positions as NYC Traffic Commissioner, NYS Correction-al Services Commissioner and Commissioner of the NYC Department of Correction.

Former colleagues, friends and family members of Commissioner Ward praised the remarkable personal andprofessional qualities responsible for his historic contributions. Tributes were delivered by former Mayors DavidDinkins and Ed Koch, NYC Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and the daughter of Commissioner Ward,Ms. Mary Ward. The Authority was well represented by Chairman Tino Hernandez and many Executive Staffmembers including Vice-Chair Earl Andrews, Jr. and Board Member JoAnna Aniello. An uplifting musical mo-tif was provided by the NYCHA Youth Choir.

The museum exhibit, which chronicles Commissioner Ward’s career, was presented in conjunction with theAuthority and other agencies distinguished by his service. In the above photo (l-r) are: Ninfa Segarra, Exec-utive Director of the NYC Police Museum; Ms. Mary Ward; former Mayor David Dinkins; Vice-Chair-man Earl Andrews, Jr. and Chairman Tino Hernandez. In front is Tremaine Ward, age 9, future standardbearer and grandson of Commissioner Ward – Howard Silver

Page 8 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL March 2003

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SPEAK OUTAGAINST

FRAUD ANDCORRUPTION!

If you or anyone in your fam-

ily is aware of any fraud or

corruption committed against

the New York City Housing

Authority (“NYCHA”) by any

NYCHA employee, contrac-

tor, vendor, or resident, we

urge you to call the NYCHA

Inspector General (“IG”) at

212-306-3355 or the Depart-

ment of Investigation (“DOI”)

at:

212-3-NYC-DOI

or

212-825-5959.

The IG and DOI rely on NY-

CHA employees, residents

and people who do business

with NYCHA, and the public

at large to report fraudulent

and corrupt activity they see

or hear.

Visit NYCHA’s Web site at:

www.nyc.gov/nycha