Meet the "Mayor" of Melrose at the Bronx Food Summit

Tomorrow, Saturday May 1st you can meet me, the "Mayor" of Melrose as well as a bunch of other great Melrose residents, business owners (such as Darada David of PeaceLove Cafe)and Bronxites as well at the first ever Bronx Food Summit at Hostos Community College from 9AM - 5PM.


Please come meet members of the South Bronx Food Cooperative, which is located right here in Melrose, who will be facilitating the following workshop from 11:45am - 12:45pm:


CLASSROOM 462What is a food co-op and why are they important?
South Bronx Food Cooperative
Not exactly sure what a food cooperative is and how it can benefit you and your community?  Come and find out exactly what a cooperative is, how it functions as well as how it is integrated into the very fabric of our communities.  Learn the difference between a cooperative and your traditional bodegas and supermarkets as well as how you can take control of where your food comes from.


And from 2:30pm - 3:30pm you can come and listen to me speak on the following Panel Discussion:


Afternoon Panel Discussion #1:  C-390 STUDENT LOUNGEHealthy Food Now! Exploring Food "Deserts" and Alternative Solutions for Bronx Communities
Moderator:  Paula Lukats, CSA in NYC Program Manager, Just Food
Panelists:  Kim Latimer-Nelligan, Chief Operating Officer, Low Income Investment Fund; Kate Scallion, Food and Fitness Business Development Coordinator, NYC EDC; Ed Garcia, Board of Directors President, South Bronx Food Cooperative; Christina Grace, Manager Urban Food Systems Program, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; Robert Volosin, Chief Operating Officer, Inner City Development 
A food "desert" is defined as a specific area lacking access to healthy food options due to a shortage of supermarkets and places to buy fresh food. In place of supermarkets and places to by fresh  food, there's an abundance of fast food chains, dollar stores and bodegas selling highly processed, poor quality food. Many health care professionals believe there's direct relationship between the lack of access to healthy fresh food, too many fast food chains and obesity and diabetes.  Hear directly from supermarket developers, policymakers, CSA organizers, and Food Coop owners about the issue and the solutions.


or you can attend the following workshop from 2:30pm to 3:30pm and meet Darada David, owner and operator of Melrose favorite, the healthy PeaceLove Cafe:


Afternoon Workshop #5:  CLASSROOM 454Bronx Flavors: The Television Show!
Facilitator(s):  Baron Ambrosia, Culinary Ambassador and host of Bronx Flavor; Darada David, owner of Peace Love Café; Sybil, H.I.M. Italian Restaurant
Have you ever seen the show Bronx Flavor?  Meet Baron Ambrosia, creator and producer of this TV show featuring the many different flavors of Bronx culture and the foods we eat.  Learn about one restaurant that’s keeping it real with fresh, healthy ingredients.

Bronx Food Summit Schedule:

9:00 - 10:00 am: Registration

10:00 - 11:30 am: Opening CeremoniesWelcome
Dr. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Hostos Community College President
Ruben Diaz Jr., Bronx Borough President
Special Guest Remarks

Keynote Speaker
Majora Carter, MacArthur “Genius” Fellow

11:45 - 12:45 pm: Morning Workshop Sessions

12:45 - 02:15 pm: Lunch

2:30 - 03:30 pm: Afternoon Workshop Sessions

3:45 - 04:15 pm: Celebrity Panel Discussion: "Growing Up in the Bronx - Food, Health and Family”
Kurtis Blow
Melle Mel from the Furious 5
Popmaster Fabel from The Rock Steady Crew
Rosa Clemente, Journalist, Radio Host and 2008 Vice Presidential Candidate (Green Party)
Joe Conzo, Hip Hop Celebrity Photographer, Co-Contributor "The Bronx is Burning"
Byron Hurt, Documentary Filmmaker "Soul Food Junkie" and "Beyond Beats and Rhymes"
David Greco, "Godfather of Parmigiana" (Bronx's Little Italy)
Annie Novak, Co-Founder of Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

04:30 - 05:00 pm: ReadNex Youth Squad poetry performance (Lunchroom)

A Neighborhood Unites to Protect One of Its Own

A little over a week ago the cultural soul of Melrose received an eviction notice - Coqui Mexicano, which in less than two years since it opened has become not just a restaurant but a myriad of things to a people as diverse as its offerings.  


Melrose residents have long enjoyed frequenting Coqui Mexicano, or Coqui as it is affectionately known by locals, not just for the deliciously healthy and affordable food which they offer (yes - it sounds like an oxymoron that a Puerto Rican/Mexican fusion establishment can be considered healthy but alas it is achieved through the use of high quality ingredients, including the use of olive oil in all recipes instead of the lard and artery clogging oils that other restaurants in the area use) but they also come for the live music which spontaneously, without warning just comes together or for the free literacy project which Danisha, the coqui aspect of the name, started to combat the dearth of bookstores in our area.


Coqui also is a community dining room where friends converge and discuss anything from politics to love and just life in general so it was with great shock to the residents and family - for all who come here are considered to be part of an extended family, that they were on the verge of losing their beloved restaurant. 


This past Friday, April 23rd, patrons including Henry Weinstein, owner of the beloved "Old Bronx Courthouse" and Fred Connelly of Real Estate Financing, Inc. (REFI) and members of the South Bronx Food Cooperative all converged to raise funds for Coqui and was organized by the Bronx Defenders (the non-profit 501 (c)(3) public defenders located in Melrose) who are always fighting for the underdogs of the South Bronx.  For an organization always representing the little guys they truly were there, en masse, vowing that all will fight for the survival of Coqui Mexicano.  


Just as positive things are happening in the neighborhood with residents of Jardines de Seline moving in (the first development with mixed, low and middle-income units), the 400 middle-income apartments of the 700 unit Boricua Village called Northrose scheduled to begin occupancy beginning June 2010 through August 2010 and Courtlandt Corners, another massive project of 343 units of mixed, low and middle income units as well beginning occupancy around October 2010 residents are concerned that this may be a sign of things to come otherwise known as the dreaded "g" word: gentrification.  Many were quick to comment that it all seems too big of a coincidence that they receive the eviction notice just when almost a 1,000 new units are about to come online within the next 6 months and not to mention that business had picked up at Coqui considerably.


In the meantime, locals will continue to rally alongside Coqui Mexicano and fight to make sure cultural gem of Melrose remains open and for those of you who have yet to taste what it's all about, come on down and step into our kitchen. 


Oh and don't forget to sign the online petition! It literally takes less than 1 minute to do so!


Where:
Coqui Mexicano
871 Brook Avenue (where Third Avenue meets 161st Street and Across from the Old Bronx Courthouse)
Bronx, NY 10451
718-450-3477


When: 
Mon-Fri, 7:30AM to 6PM
Sat, 8AM - 6PM
Sun, CLOSED

Proud Owners, Diego and Danisha

Henry Weinstein, owner of the Old Bronx Courthouse

speaks with Diego

Check out this book by a former trial chief of the Bronx Defenders available at a great price only from Amazon.com.
By purchasing this book through Amazon.com via welcome2melrose you are supporting this great blog you've come to love!

Fresh, Organic Produce at The South Bronx Food Co-op

If you haven't checked out the South Bronx Food Co-op (SBxFC for short) maybe these pictures will entice you to walk in through their doors.  Farm fresh organic produce is delivered straight from the farm to SBxFC every Wednesday.  Remember...you DON'T have to be a member to shop there so come on in (although being a member does have its benefit such as discounts on all purchases)!  Also, if you work for a school or any institution or restaurant you should contact them for bulk ordering.  SBxFC does team up with local organizations and businesses to bulk order which passes on the savings to you because they are a non-profit organization. For those who are currently on public assistance and receiving food stamp benefits, SBxFC DOES accept Food Stamps and EBT so no one should have to go without healthy food!

For more information 

Call 718-401-3500 or 718-401-3502

Email: info@sbxfc.org

Or why don't you just drop by at 3103 Third Avenue at the corner of East 158th Street.

There are many ways to get there via public transportation thanks to Melrose being so well served by rail, subway and bus:

Train -			Take the 2 or 5 train to 149th & Third Avenue. Walk north on Third Avenue to 158th St.
Bus -			Take the BX #55, BX#15 or BX#21 to 158 and Third Avenue
			Take the BX #6 to 161st Street.
			Take the BX #2 or #41 to 156th/157th & Melrose walk down to Third
Metro North -
			Take the Harlem Line (blue train) local to Melrose Avenue, Walk east to 158th St.

Great selections, all organic.

Organic fruits are available as well.

Center Yourself with Yoga - Exclusively From The South Bronx Food Co-op

As part of the South Bronx Food Co-op's mission to empower locals on healthy eating habits and better their health, yoga is provided 3 times a week. So not only are you benefiting your body but you are also doing some good for your mind.

Most people think of yoga as simply sitting in a lotus and chanting mantra but it is more than that. The word itself means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India and that union is that of the mind, body and spirit. Yoga has a rich tradition that goes back over 5,000 years and while most of the time it was pretty much confined to the Eastern world but over the last 50-60 years it was slowly introduced to Westerners through people such as Swami Satchitananda who was the opening speaker at Woodstock back in 1969.

According to WebMD, some of the benefits of yoga are:

• Flexibility
• Strength
• Posture
• Breathing (can increase lung capacity due to the deep breathing that yoga involves)
• Can reduce stress
• The ability to better concentrate and focus
• Heart benefits are also one of the benefits from Yoga as it can help lower blood pressure and heart rate which is a benefit for people with hypertension. In fact, this is one of the leading benefits discussed and demonstrated by Dean Ornish, MD the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. Considering that many residents in Melrose and the South Bronx are obese and are at high risk for heart disease this a major plus for our communities.

So that being said, come over to the South Bronx Food Co-op and not only learn how to eat right but also go and participate in one of their yoga classes.

Classes are currently as follows:

Tuesdays at 3:30PM (In Spanish)

Thursdays at 6:30PM (English)

Saturdays at 11:00AM (English)

Suggested donation for yoga classes is $10.00 and all classes are held at:

La Casa de Felicidad

3097 Third Avenue at East 158th street, directly across from the co-op

Spotlight: South Bronx Food Co-op - A Healthy Way of Eating For All

With an alarmingly high percentage of obese and overweight residents in the South Bronx, The South Bronx Food Co-op is a beacon in Melrose to the rest of the surrounding neighborhoods. Located at 3103 Third Avenue @ East 158th Street in Melrose, the Co-op offers a variety of fresh organic produce, whole grains, hormone-free meats and dairy products as well as eco-friendly household and person products.

No longer do local residents have to travel into Manhattan to go to Whole Foods to obtain basic organic food and green products that are good for the environment. With the South Bronx Food Co-op, on a smaller scale, you have everything that they offer and more because they will special order certain items. But that is not all what the Co-op offers.

The Co-op is a community run and founded organization that dedicates itself to be the green alternative to for profit supermarkets in the local area. They contract with local farmers to bring in the freshest produce and products from as locally as possible to minimize the carbon footprint of our eating habits. Along with these principles they also provide services such as cooking classes, nutrition education (workshops run by healthcare professionals from Montefiore Hospital), health screens, fitness workshops (including three yoga classes with one in Spanish).

Although you do not have to join the South Bronx Food Co-op to benefit from what they offer, if you join you get a discount on all prices in the store. All products are labeled with two prices, one for members and another for non members which is considerably lower. Membership fees are also very reasonable for all economic situations. Senior Citizens and those on certain types of public assistance can join for $40.00; Students for $60.00; Families of 2 or more $80.00 and $120.00 for just regular folks. Note: you must provide ID to prove you qualify for the discounted membership fees and also know that these fees are ONLY ONE TIME FEES and can be PAID IN $10.00 INSTALLMENTS. This makes it attractive to all residents who desire to make a change within themselves, their families and their communities by affording them the opportunity to pay such a low installment.

As a member of the Co-op you are required to work 3 hours every 4 weeks which really isn't much considering that time is money after all and by working just 3 HOURS every 4 weeks you are helping keep prices down.

For more information visit their website, call 718-401-3500, email at info@sbxfc.org or just simply drop by and say hello at 3103 Third Avenue between East 158th and East 159th Streets right here in the Heart of Melrose. Slowly but surely with the likes of the South Bronx Food Co-op and healthy eating alternatives such as PeaceLove Cafe, Melrose and the rest of the South Bronx is eating to a healthier future.

A big Melrose THANK YOU to the South Bronx Food Co-op for providing us with a healthy alternative to eating right!