Chair Rhea had an easy rapportwith the many stakeholders thathe met on Monday, June 1st, whoalso included members of theNYPD and staff from communitybased organizations, and clearlyshowed his interest in hearingwhat they had to say.“My job here today is to hear

your concerns so that when Igo back I can take them intoconsideration,” said Chair Rhea.“This is a great time for publichousing, with new support fromWashington, stimulus funds, andthe need for affordable housingmore pressing than ever.”Crowds gathered in front of

Management Offices as the Chairarrived, and accompanied him onwalks throughout developmentgrounds. Conversations wentbeyond pleasantries to includecomments the Chair solicitedabout how NYCHA can improveservices for residents and provideemployees with the support theyneed. The day’s activities allowedthe Chair to gain insight into theAuthority’s programs serving

public housing families, as wellas its physical assets.At Rutgers Houses on

Manhattan’s Lower East Side, theChair met with Council MembersRosie Mendez and Alan J.Gerson, Citywide Council ofPresident (COP) Chair ReginaldBowman, Manhattan SouthCOP Chair Rose Bergin, andResident Association PresidentMichael Steele before inspectingan energy-efficient boiler roomthere. “Sometimes the best way tosee how things work is to gowhere the ‘guts’ of the operationsare housed,” said Rhea.At the next stop, Bushwick

Houses in Brooklyn, the Chairwas greeted by Assembly MemberVito Lopez, City Council MemberErik Martin Dilan and BoroughPresident Marty Markowitz, aswell as Resident AssociationPresident Gloria Bonilla. He thenvisited an elevator motor room onthe rooftop of one of the build-ings, after which, he viewedCCTV footage with NYPD Hou-sing Bureau Brooklyn BoroughCommander Gerald Dieckman.

At the Queens CommunityHouse, Pomonok Center inFlushing, the new Chair wasgreeted by Department for theAging Commissioner LilliamBarrios-Paoli for a discussion ofsenior services at NYCHAdevelopments. He also metwith Queens COP Chair AnnCotton Morris.In the Melrose section of the

Bronx, at Adams Houses, ChairRhea met with Human ResourcesAdministration (HRA) Commis-sioner Robert Doar and engagedBorough President Ruben Diaz,Jr. and Council Member Mariadel Carmen Arroyo in a spiriteddiscussion about job trainingand placement opportunities atNYCHA’s Resident EmploymentServices satellite office locatedthere. Bronx South COP ChairJohn Johnson and Bronx NorthCOP Chair Herma Williamsjoined Resident AssociationPresident Sylvia Sierra at Adamsto meet the new Chair.

Vol. 39, No. 7 www.nyc.gov/nycha JULY 2009

First-ClassU.S. Postage

PaidNewYork, NYPermit No. 4119

PAGE 3THE BEST YEARS FOR PUBLICHOUSING IN NYC ARE STILL AHEAD

PAGE 220TH ANNUALRESIDENT ART SHOW

NEW CHAIR VISITS FIVE BOROUGHS ONWHIRLWIND, FIRST-DAY MEET-AND-GREET

DAY ONE (from left) NYCHA Board Member Margarita López, Deputy General Manager forFinance Felix Lam, Citywide Council of Presidents Chair Reggie Bowman, NYCHA Chair John B.Rhea and City Council Member Alan Gerson at the Rutgers Houses in Manhattan on ChairRhea’s first day on the job.

From a High-Rise to the Highest CourtSonia Sotomayor, President Obama’sNominee for Supreme Court Justice

By Howard Silver

PAGE 8SUMMER FEEDINGPROGRAM SITES

IF YOU'RE A NATIVE NEW YORKER

OR PERHAPS A FAN OF THE NEW

YORK YANKEES, THE NAME SONIA

SOTOMAYOR MAY HAVE SOUNDED

FAMILIAR TO YOU EVEN BEFORE

SHE BECAME PRESIDENT BARACK

OBAMA’S NOMINEE FOR U.S.SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. In 1995Judge Sotomayor became aslegendary as baseball hall-of-famers for ending a long baseballstrike by ruling against owners infavor of players. According toMs. Sotomayor, the ownerswere trying to destroy the labor

system and the concept ofcollective bargaining. A die-hardfan of the Bronx Bombersherself, Judge Sotomayor tookonly 15 minutes to issue thedirective that led to the settle-ment in the 1994-95 strike andmake baseball history.

Now Judge Sotomayor ismaking headlines again as thePresident’s nominee to replaceretiring Supreme Court JusticeDavid H. Souter. If confirmed bythe U.S. Senate, Ms. Sotomayor,who has more than 16 years ofcourt experience, will becomethe first Latina ever to serve onthe U.S. Supreme Court and thethird woman in U.S. history to

JOHN B. RHEA BEGAN DAY ONE AS CHAIR OF THE NEWYORK CITY HOUSINGAUTHORITY WITH WELCOME REMARKSTO EXECUTIVE AND SENIOR MANAGERS IN A STAFF MEETING FOLLOWED BY A FULL DAY OF FIELD VISITS IN ALL FIVE

BOROUGHS TO BEGIN MEETING AND TALKING TO RESIDENTS, EMPLOYEES, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHER PARTNERS.

form part of the highest court.For the past 11 years, she hasbeen a judge on the UnitedStates Court of Appeals forthe Second Circuit, based inNew York City.

Ms. Sotomayor, who is ofPuerto Rican descent, was bornin 1954 and grew up in the NewYork City Housing Authority's(NYCHA's) Bronxdale Houses.Bronxdale Houses, located in theBruckner section of the Bronx,has 28 seven-story buildings with1,496 apartments. Bronxdale ishome to approximately 3,500residents. A modern, high-techCommunity Center opened itsdoors on the grounds of thisdevelopment back in 2007, andoffers educational and recre-ational activities for children andadults of the development andthe surrounding community.

Ms. Sotomayor was raised inpublic housing by her mother,who worked as a nurse at amethadone clinic to support Ms.Sotomayor and her brother,Juan. At the tender age of eight,Ms. Sotomayor was diagnosedwith diabetes and just oneyear later her father, a factoryworker, died of a heart condi-tion. She is no stranger toadversity, but she did not letthese challenges deter her fromreaching her goals.

Judge Sotomayor attendedCardinal Spellman High School,a private Catholic school in theBronx, and was later acceptedinto Princeton University, whereshe graduated with honors ata time when the school hadjust begun to accept femalestudents. She then went on tostudy law at Yale Law School,where she was editor of theschool's law journal. Her inspira-tion to pursue a career in lawcame from reading Nancy Drewdetective novels and watchingepisodes of Perry Mason, adefense attorney, on TV.

(Continued on page 10)(Continued on page 5)

Judge Sonia Sotomayorspeaks at Pace UniversityGraduation Ceremony

Photo Credit: Pace University

By Heidi Morales

ONCE AGAIN, THE RUTGERS

HOUSES COMMUNITY CENTER

ON MANHATTAN’S LOWER EASTSIDE WAS OVERFLOWING WITH

THE DRAWINGS, PAINTINGS,PHOTOGRAPHS, COLLAGES, MURALS

AND SCULPTURESOF THEHUNDREDS

OF NEW YORK CITY HOUSING

AUTHORITY (NYCHA)RESIDENTSWHOSE WORK WAS SELECTED FOR

THE 20TH ANNUAL RESIDENT

ART SHOW EXHIBIT.“To all of the young artists who

are here today, your friends andfamilies, you should be veryproud,” said NYCHA Chair JohnB. Rhea at the Youth AwardsCeremony which was held at theCenter on June 4th. “Pleasedon’t lose that sense of wonderand excitement.” The Chairprefaced his comments by sayinghe was “blown away,” by thecreativity of the work.Three professional artists served

as judges, making their selectionof the 375 artworks for the exhibitfrom an incredible 800 submis-sions. These submissions reflectedthe work of many of the 6,000NYCHA residents who partici-pated in the Harborview VisualArts program at 60 CommunityCenters throughout the City,under the guidance of 28Harborview artist-consultants.NYCHA Vice-Chair Earl

Andrews, Jr. also spoke,commenting that he was privi-leged to attend the awards cere-mony for senior artists held earlierin the week. Mr. Andrewsencouraged the youth to continueto express themselves throughouttheir lives as they have withtheir art.NYCHA’s Department of

Community Operations DeputyGeneral Manager Hugh Spencethanked his staff, includingHarborview Visual Arts ProgramCommunity Coordinator William

2 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALJULY 2009

BecomeA FDNY FireProtection Inspector

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF NEWYORK CITY (FDNY) IS LOOKING

FOR CANDIDATES TO BECOME

FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTORS.Becoming a Fire ProtectionInspector will give you a realopportunity to make a positiveimpact in the lives of others — aswell as your own. Applicationssubmitted by New York CityHousing Authority (NYCHA)residents will be fast-trackedfor consideration.A Fire Protection Inspector

conducts inspections of premises to ensure that they are incompliance with all rules, regulations and requirements of the NewYork City Administrative Code regarding life and fire safety.The kinds of inspections you would perform may include: inspec-tions of sprinkler/standpipe systems, carbonated gas systems andextinguishing systems. If assigned to District Office Headquartersyour responsibilities may include: inspecting for permits governingthe storage of flammables and combustible mixtures and compressedgasses; if assigned to the Public Safety Unit you would performsafety inspections on hotels and office buildings; in the Field PublicCommunications Unit you would handle and address complaintsfrom the public and private sectors. Other responsibilities mayinclude representing the FDNY at the New York City Board ofStandards and Appeals; conducting inspections of buildingconstruction; completing and issuing violation forms, orders and/orsummonses; testifying in court when required; reviewing,formulating and amending the New York City Administrative Code;or working with the Fireworks Safety Group to conduct safetyinspections and monitor all fireworks shows throughout the City.

Salary and BenefitsThe starting salary for a Fire Protection Inspector is $33,291 for

the first year and $38,285 after two years of service. In addition, youwill receive excellent health and pension benefits with domesticpartner coverage, two weeks of vacation a year to start, overtime anda 35 hour work week with paid holidays.

Hiring RequirementsIn order to be appointed as a Fire Protection Inspector, you must be

18 years of age; hold a valid New York State motor vehicle driver’slicense; complete the pre-employment process consisting of acomprehensive background investigation; have a high schooldiploma or equivalent; and have three years of satisfactory full-timeexperience in one or a combination of the following:—Design, installation, operation, repair, testing or inspection of

fire suppression and/or extinguishing systems and/or refrigeration,air-conditioning or oil-heating systems; or—The formulation, enforcement or implementation of safety

standards and programs in the manufacture and/or storage ofmaterials which are potential fire hazards; or—The inspection of facilities for compliance with fire and

building codes and other safety inspection standards and the enforce-ment of these codes and standards;—Service as a Certified Fire Safety Director; or—Thirty semester credits from an accredited college or university

in fire science technology; fire protection engineering; chemical,mechanical, environmental, electrical or marine engineering, orchemistry; or—A certificate of completion from an approved union-sponsored

plumbing inspection program or satisfactory completion of a courseof study in plumbing from an accredited trade/high school and twoyears of satisfactory full-time experience in general plumbing.

How to Become a FDNY Fire Protection InspectorInterested New York City Housing Authority residents should

call NYCHA’s Department of Resident Employment Servicesat (718) 250-5904. For more information, visit the FDNY website,www.nyc.gov/fdny.

Michael R. Bloomberg

MAYOR’S MESSAGE OVER 200 RESIDENTS RECEIVE AWARDSAT 20TH ANNUAL RESIDENT ARTS SHOW

ESTABLISHED 1970 • CIRCULATION 200,000

Published monthly by the NewYork City Housing AuthorityDepartment of Communications

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

nyc.gov/nycha

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

John B. Rhea....................................................................................ChairEarl Andrews, Jr. .....................................................................Vice-ChairMargarita López ...............................................................Board MemberVilma Huertas............................................................................SecretaryDouglas Apple ..............................................................General ManagerSheila Greene ........................Director, Department of CommunicationsEileen Elliott ...................................................................................EditorHeidi Morales......................................................Editor, Spanish EditionHoward Silver ....................................................Editor, NYCHA BulletinTischelle George.......................................................Online News EditorDeborah Williams..................................................................Staff WriterPeter Mikoleski, Leticia Barboza.........................................Photography

If you are interested in placing an advertisement in the Journal, please callour marketing representatives in the Office of Business and RevenueDevelopment at (212) 306-6616.The inclusion of any advertisement in thisJournal does not constitute any endorsement by the Housing Authority ofthe advertiser or its products or services or any other representation by theHousing Authority with respect to such products or services.

The Housing AuthorityJournal

By Eileen Elliott

Lucero, who has been running theprogram from the beginning, aswell as all of the Center Directorsand artist-consultants. “We hope todo more programs like this,” Mr.Spence said, as he thankedNYCHA’s Board—the Chair,Vice-Chair and Member MargaritaLópez, for supporting the program.Before the actual awards werehanded out the NYCHA YouthChorus performed an upliftingmusical selection, under thedirection of Larry Matthew andCarrie Jones.NYCHA Creative Arts

Manager Juan Santiago calledeach artist up to the front of theroom to receive a medal fromChairman Rhea.One of those artists, eight-year-

old Juan Rodriguez of Ft.

NURTURING TALENT NYCHA Vice-Chair Earl Andrews,Jr. (left) and Chair John B. Rhea with a young artist awardee.

Independence Houses in theBronx, who won an award for agroup mixed media project,said his favorite thing aboutcreating the piece was, “Wecould do it all together and helpeach other.”Consultant Carlton Murrell

taught at Pomonok Houses inQueens and at Breukelen andSheepshead Bay in Brooklynover the past year, his ninth yearwith program. “I like the factthat people have something tosay, to express, to create fromthe heart,” Mr. Murrell said ofhis experience teaching.The art was on display from

June 2nd through the 19th.

Inspired—When Joanne Smitherman wasjust a young girl her mother used to get frus-trated with her because she didn’t take muchinterest in their community. But with age andmotherhood Joanne’s carefree attitude soonchanged. “I was walking past Kingsbridgeand 161st Street and someone handed me a

leaflet,” Ms. Smitherman said. “There was infor-mation about a community meeting that evening. I decided toattend. That was my very first community meeting.”That was just the beginning of what would turn into years of

community involvement. “The very first organization I joined wasback in 1960 — The National Welfare Group. I would attend ralliesand sit-ins and sure I got arrested but I never went to jail. I rememberbeing inspired by listening to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., theReverend and Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and ReverendJesse Jackson. Listening to them taught me the importance of infor-mation sharing and communication,” said Ms. Smitherman.

Community InvolvementShe moved into Highbridge Gardens in the Bronx 50 years ago,

raised five children there and has served three terms, eachconsisting of three years, as the Bronx South Council of President(COP) District Chair. You could hear the seriousness in her voice asshe told me, “I was always a boisterous person when it came togetting my point across. I would attend all the Tenant Associationmeetings and spoke regularly about the changes needed inHighbridge Gardens and other developments in the South Bronx.I guess that’s probably why, back then, I was approached by threemembers who sat on the Council of Presidents and asked to run inthe upcoming election as Bronx South Council of PresidentsDistrict Chair.”She was a little hesitant at first because she didn’t really know

much about the position, but nonetheless decided to run.Ms. Smitherman had previously held the position of HighbridgeGardens Resident Association Secretary and Resident AssociationPresident and now with certainty in her voice she said,“I figured that I could help change things because in my eyessomething more needed to be done.”

Change ComesMs. Smitherman has led the way in the use of Tenant Participa-

tion Activity (TPA) Funds. (See article to the left of this column.)TPA funds are allocated by the U.S. Department of Housingand Urban Development (HUD) specifically for public housingresidents to finance a variety of initiatives that promote communityinvolvement and improvement, self-sufficiency and leadership.Ms. Smitherman submitted 84 proposals for programs thatshe believed would benefit the youth, young parents, students and

The Best Years for Public Housingin NewYork City Are Still Ahead

GREETINGS! I AM TAKING THE

OPPORTUNITY OF USING MY FIRST

COLUMN AS CHAIRMAN TO TELLYOUA LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF, ANDHIGHLIGHT MY PRIORITIES FOR

THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSINGAUTHORITY (NYCHA).First, let me say that I am

grateful to the leadership that hasheld NYCHA together for so manyyears and particularly over the lastfew months. I would like topersonally thank Ricardo ElíasMorales for his stewardship as

interim Chairman. I also want to thank my fellow Board Members, EarlAndrews, Jr. and Margarita López, for their professionalism and unwa-vering commitment to NYCHA.It is an honor and privilege to be entrusted by Mayor Michael R.

Bloomberg with the mammoth job of running this agency. I believe myexperiences have trained me well to take on the challenges—and equally important the opportunities —that NYCHA faces at thiscritical juncture.I’ve spent 20 years in the private sector competing in high perfor-

mance environments where customer service was the key to success. Iintend to bring that same energy, drive and customer focus to servingNYCHA residents each and every day.Both residents and staff can count on me to ask for your opinion often

and to act on what you tell me. In fact, during my first few weeks asChair, I asked NYCHA’s employees to fill out an anonymous,confidential questionnaire to help me get a better sense of what thereal underlying issues are at the HousingAuthority. I also had a chanceto meet with residents, staff, elected officials and police officersat NYCHA developments in each borough my first day on thejob and found the many conversations we had to be very helpfuland informative.Having grown up in a large city where access to education, jobs, and

quality, affordable housing in safe neighborhoods were of concern tomany residents, I understand the challenges many NYCHA residentsconfront every day.Though I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, I’ve lived in NewYork City

for most of my adult life—in both Brooklyn and Manhattan—andunderstand the unique make-up of our city and the tremendous vibrancythat exists as a result of ethnic and cultural diversity. NYCHA adds tothat richness in so many communities in all five boroughs.NYCHA has been and will continue to be an important part of the

affordable housing equation as it is a critical means for lower income,immigrant and minority communities to have an opportunity to gainstability and begin building better lives for themselves.NYCHA is also an economic engine and our community programs

are critical to the neighborhoods in which we operate. I intend to nurturethem to ensure we are doing all we can to support the communitiesNYCHA residents are committed to building. We will also useNYCHA’s economic clout to help residents secure jobs and buildbusinesses wherever possible.This is a great time to be taking over the leadership of NYCHA. As

we celebrate our 75th year—our diamond anniversary—it is ener-gizing to know that the Administration in Washington is committed tomoving toward full funding of public housing once again and hasshowed its commitment by providing NYCHA with $423 million infederal stimulus funding to make critical capital improvements. It isexciting to pick up the newspaper and to read stories celebrating famousNYCHA alumnae, like Supreme Court Justice nominee, SoniaSotomayor. It reminds all of us at NYCHA that the people we serveevery day share the same aspirations as all Americans—to providetheir children with a safe and secure place to grow and pursuetheir dreams.NYCHA has a tremendous legacy to reclaim. We will work

diligently to ensure that every single unit of public housing is preservedfor future generations. I say this with the deepest sense of commitmentbecause I believe there is no nobler cause than to serve the community.The best years for public housing are still ahead.

John B. Rhea

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 3JULY 2009

DEBORAH’S DIARY By Deborah WilliamsDOLLARS AVAILABLEFOR RESIDENTEMPOWERMENTPROGRAMSEACH YEAR THE U.S. DEPARTMENTOF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOP-MENT (HUD) PROVIDES PUBLIC

HOUSING AUTHORITIES AROUND THE

COUNTRY WITH MONIES FOR EACH

FEDERALLY FUNDED DWELLING UNIT

TO BE USED FOR RESIDENT EMPOW-ERMENT PROGRAMS. To utilizethis funding, recognizedResident Association Presi-dents must submit proposalsto the New York CityHousing Authority (NYCHA)through their DistrictCouncil of Presidents (COP),outlining the program(s)they would like to imple-ment, in accordance withHUD specifications.The Tenant Participation

Activity program, or TPA, is agreat way to encourage resi-dents to get involved andbecome active participantsin the lives of their commu-nities. HUD implemented theTPA program in 2001, andstrictly regulates its funding.Eligible activities includeprograms that help residentsimprove their quality of life,such as leadership trainingand programs which teachbusiness and job-relatedskills. Resident AssociationPresidents submit proposalsto NYCHA and to theirCOP District Chair, andreceive a determinationwithin 30 days.NYCHA is currently working

with all nine COP Districts ontheir program submissions.Many District Councils areholding retreats and semi-nars to facilitate the TPAprogram. The Bronx SouthDistrict held a three-dayretreat in March 2009covering topics such as:Understanding Principles ofLeadership; Recruitment andRetention (of residents intothe Resident Association);and Conducting SuccessfulMeetings and Project Plan-ning. The Bronx North hasscheduled a similar retreat.The Manhattan North Districthas also utilized TPA fundingsuccessfully by implementingthree computer trainingprograms, and using TPAfunds to buy new computers.It is important to remember

that the TPA program isresident-driven. It is up toResident Associations and theirCOP Districts to initiate theprocess. NYCHA is, however,very happy to provide technical

(Continued on page 10)

(Continued on page 5)

Bronx South Council Of Presidents Chair and Mott HavenResident Association President John Johnson, City CouncilMember Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Assistant Police ChiefEdward Delatorre of PSA #7, Bronx District Attorney RobertJohnson and former Bronx South Council of Presidents ChairJoanne Smitherman, now Bronx South Vice-Chair, at the COPInstallation Ceremony held at the Mott Haven CommunityCenter on May 26th.

In MemoriamPolice OfficerOmar J. EdwardsFebruary 4, 1984 —May 28, 2009

The New York City HousingAuthority would like toextend its condolences to thefamily, friends and colleaguesof Police Officer Omar J.Edwards. On May 28th, the25-year-old Officer, who had served with the HousingBureau’s Manhattan Impact Response Team for two years,was shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity whileattempting to arrest a man who he caught breaking intohis car.

A service was held for Officer Edwards on June 4th atOur Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church inBedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Officer Edwards is survived by his wife, Danielle, twosons, Xavier and Keanu, his mother Natalia Harding, hisfather Ricardo Edwards, a brother, Alfonso Williams,grandmothers Maria Burkett and Maria Edwards,grandfather George Harding, aunts, uncles, cousins andfriends and colleagues.

In this issue we continue publishing the names of individuals who havebeen permanently excluded from our public housing developments.The purpose of this list is to keep residents informed of the HousingAuthority’s ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life for all NewYorkers in public housing and to allow for the peaceful and safe useof our facilities. What follows is a partial list of the people excludedafter hearings were held on March 25, and April 1 and 8, 2009. For afull list of the “Not Wanted” visit NYCHA’s Website atnyc.gov/residentscorner. Please note: These exclusions are basedon NYCHA’s Administrative Hearing Process and should not beconfused with the Trespass Notice Program under MayorBloomberg’s Operation Safe Housing Initiative.

REMEMBER,IF YOU SEE ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ON

HOUSING AUTHORITY PROPERTY, PLEASE CALLYOUR MANAGEMENT OFFICE OR NYCHA’S

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT AT (212) 306-8595.

Prohibited as of March 25, 2009Joseph Kennedy Case 312/09 formerly associated with the fourteenth

floor of 111 Bridge Street, Farragut Houses,Brooklyn.

Prohibited as of April 1, 2009Messiah Sosa Case 1963/09 formerly associated with the second

floor of 224 York Street, Farragut Houses, Brooklyn.

Eliyah Bussey Case 3/09 formerly associated with the secondIshiyah Bussey floor of 445 Fountain Avenue, Cypress Hill Houses,John Pope Brooklyn.

Makai Jackson Case 2014/09 formerly associated with the thirdFloyd Johnson floor of 12-50 Redfern Avenue, Redfern Houses,

Far Rockaway.

Angel Chapman Case 1977/09 formerly associated with the thirteenth floor of 131 Belmont Avenue, Seth Low/Glenmore Houses, Brooklyn.

Kevin Stokes Case 2279/09 formerly associated with the tenthfloor of 60 West 104th Street, Douglass Houses,Manhattan.

Corey Watson Case 2290/09 formerly associated with the twelfthfloor of 1191 Park Place, Albany Houses,Brooklyn.

Kimberly Smith Case 904/09 formerly associated with the thirdfloor of 94 Centre Mall, Red Hook East Houses,Brooklyn.

Jose Hernandez Case 1490/09 formerly associated with the sixteenthfloor of 3150 Broadway, Grant Houses, Manhattan.

Jonathan / Case 0156/09 formerly associated with the secondJonathon floor of 225 Hoyt Street, Gowanus Houses,Fernandez Brooklyn.

Reno Smith Case 2321/09 formerly associated with the seventhfloor of 93 Lewis Avenue, Roosevelt Houses,Brooklyn.

Tara Almon Case 2310/09 formerly associated with the thirdfloor of 56 Roxbury Street, Mariner’s HarborHouses, Staten Island.

Prohibited as of April 8, 2009Jon Smith Jr. Case 2091/09 formerly associated with the second

floor of 155-11 71st Avenue, Pomonok Houses,Queens.

Darnell Case 2115/09 formerly associated with the thirdThompson floor of 11 Bridge Street, Farragut Houses,

Brooklyn.Victor Corporan Case 2116/09 formerly associated with the firstChristopher floor of 75 LaSalle Street, Grant Houses,Brown Manhattan.Anita Jenkins Case 1393/09 formerly associated with the firstJonee Williams floor of 717 East 108th Street, Breukelen Houses,

Brooklyn.

For a full list of the “NotWanted”visit NYCHA’s website atnyc.gov/residentscorner.

THENYCHANOT WANTED LIST

4 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALJULY 2009

NEW YORK CITYHOUSINGAUTHORITYBoard MeetingSchedule

Notice is hereby given thatthe New York City HousingAuthority’s Board Meetingstake place every otherWednesday at 10:00 A.M.(unless otherwise noted) inthe Board Room on the 12thFloor of 250 Broadway, NewYork, New York. The meetingsfor the remainder of theCalendar Year 2009 areas follows:

July 8, 2009July 22, 2009August 5, 2009August 19, 2009September 2, 2009September 16, 2009September 30, 2009October 14, 2009October 28, 2009November 10, 2009(Tuesday)November 25, 2009December 9, 2009December 23, 2009

Please note that these datesare subject to change.Any changes to the scheduleabove will be posted onNYCHA’s Website atnyc.gov/nycha and in theNYCHA Journal to the extentpracticable at a reasonabletime before the meeting.These meetings are open tothe public. Pre-registrationof speakers is required.Those who wish to registermust do so at least forty-five(45) minutes before thescheduled Board Meeting.Comments are limited tothe items on the agenda.Speakers will be heard inthe order of registration.Speaking time will be limitedto three (3) minutes. Thepublic comment periodwill conclude upon allspeakers being heard or atthe expiration of thirty(30) minutes allotted bylaw for public comment,whichever occurs first. ForBoard Meeting dates andtimes, and/or additionalinformation, please visit ourWebsite at nyc.gov/nychaor contact us at (212)306-6088. Copies of theagenda can be picked upat the Office of the Secre-tary at 250 Broadway,12th floor, New York, NewYork, no earlier than 3 P.M.on the Friday beforethe upcoming WednesdayBoard Meeting. Any personrequiring a reasonableaccommodation in order toparticipate in the BoardMeeting should contact theOffice of the Secretary at(212) 306-6088 no later thanfive (5) business days beforethe Board Meeting.

West Nile VirusMosquito TreatmentThe New York City Housing Authority will be treatingall of the catch basins located on Housing Authoritydevelopments to reduce the mosquito population in aneffort to minimize the transmission of the West Nile Virus.These applications will take place between May andOctober of 2009. One or more of the following pesticideswill be used:

-Vectolex CG, EPA Reg. No. 73049-20, ToxicityCategory– ”Caution”

-Summit B.t.i. Briquets, EPA Reg. No. 6218-47,Toxicity Category– ”Caution”

-Altosid XR, EPA Reg. No. 2724-421, ToxicityCategory– ”Caution”

Contact names and numbers for this application are:

NYC Housing Authority:

-Cal Bruno, Deputy Director, 718-707-5281available from 9:00AM - 5:00PM

-Jamal Rashid, Technical Resource Advisor,718-707-5808 available from 8:00AM–4:00PM

-NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation,Region 2, Bureau of Pesticide Management –718-482-4994

-National Pesticide Telecommunications Network–1-800-858-PEST

Inquiries concerning symptoms of pesticide poisoningshould be directed to the Poison Control Center –1-800-222-1222.

seniors in Highbridge Gardens and several other South Bronxdevelopments. She was successful in bringing 67 of the 84 proposedprograms to fruition.“I was able to accomplish this because I got my Resident Associa-

tion Presidents to come to the monthly meetings and their attendancemade their development eligible for TPA funds.” In return, together,“My Resident Association Presidents and I were able to get telephoneequipment installed at [Resident Association Offices in] a fewdevelopments; at Adams Houses karate classes were held; MitchellHouses was host to an Adult Leadership and Entrepreneurshipprogram; Mott Haven Houses offered Entrepreneurship and YoungParent Leadership programs; Highbridge Gardens held its firstIntergenerational program where seniors and youth attendedBroadway shows that included “The Color Purple”; Patterson, MillBrook and Butler held College Tours to several Historical BlackUniversity/Colleges; Claremont Village and Teller Avenue offeredexercise and arts-and-crafts programs. There were mentoring andhousekeeping programs offered as well,” Ms. Smitherman saidproudly. In addition, Ms. Smitherman, said she is responsible forgetting more of NYCHA’s Executive Staff to attend the monthly COPmeeting where she distributed informational packets. “I always keptmy Vice-Presidents informed about everything thing I was doing,”said Ms. Smitherman.

Time to Step DownIt’s been nine years since the day Ms. Joanne Smitherman was

voted in as Bronx South Council of Presidents District Chair.Nine years of being the voice of residents and advocating for herneighborhoods and now its time “to step back and give someoneelse a chance” said Ms. Smitherman. “That’s why I decided not torun for District Chair again. It’s only fair. The new Bronx SouthCOP District Chair is Mr. John Johnson and he is a very capableperson. He was my Vice-Chair for several years so I know firsthandthat he will do a good job.” Ms. Smitherman is now 76 years youngand has a few health concerns that must take priority. Yet, she is stillthe President of Police Service Area #7 Community Board and willactively participate in their National Night Out Against Crime.While she might not hold the demanding job of Bronx SouthCOP Chair she will hold the position of Vice- Chair, “I will still bethere to see that NYCHA does what it’s suppose to do in terms ofcommunicating with its residents.”

On behalf of NYCHA, I would like to thank you for all yourservice and dedication to your community. It’s people like you whomake NYCHA a better and more enjoyable place to live. Thanks!

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 5JULY 2009

UTILIZE THE CITY’S COOLINGCENTERS DURING HEAT

EMERGENCIESIf you begin to feel sick or disoriented duringa Heat Emergency, there are “COOLINGCENTERS” throughout the city that you can useto get relief. Some are even located inNYCHA developments.

Call 311 during the next Heat Emergencyto find the location of a Cooling Centernear you.

DEBORAH’S DIARY By Deborah Williams

Ms. Sotomayor worked as anAssistant District Attorney forNew York District AttorneyRobert Morgenthau and forseveral years litigated cases for aprivate law firm until that big daywhen she was nominated to sit onthe U.S. District Court for theSouthern District of New York. Atage 40, Ms. Sotomayor becamethe youngest judge in theSouthern District of New Yorkand the first American of PuertoRican descent to hold thisposition. In 1992 she wasconfirmed to serve as a U.S.Circuit Court Judge becoming thefirst Puerto Rican woman to serveas a federal Judge in New York.Then in 1998, President BillClinton nominated her for a seaton the second highest court inAmerica, the U.S. Court ofAppeals in the Second Circuit, aseat she currently holds.

During a lecture in 2002, JudgeSotomayor said, “My familyshowed me by their example howwonderful and vibrant life is andhow wonderful it is to have aLatina soul. They taught me tolove America, to value its lessonthat great things could beachieved if one works for them.”

President Obama said hewas looking for “a qualifiednominee with legal and real worldexperience, as well as an appreci-ation for the impact of courtdecisions on everyday life.” TheU.S. Senate now has to holdconfirmation hearings and decidewhether Sonia Sotomayor's courtexperience and humble back-grounds make her the best choicefor U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Highest Court(Continued from page 1)

The CCC has changeditsname.TheCentralizedCallCenter is now the CustomerContact Center. The tele-phone number remains thesame. Call (718) 707-7771to schedule maintenanceappointments between thehours of 4AM and midnight,and 24/7 for maintenanceemergencies.

CustomerContact Center

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6 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALJULY 2009

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 7JULY 2009

8 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALJULY 2009

Mill Brook Houses 50th Anniversary

The NewYork City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA’s) Mill Brook Houses, located in theMott Haven section of the Bronx, celebrated its 50th Anniversary on May 26, 2009.Mill Brook Houses consists of 1,252 apartments in nine, 16-story buildings on 12acres between East 135th and 137th Streets, and Brook and Cypress Avenues. It ishome to 2,965 residents.

Mill Brook Houses takes its name from the Mill Brook which was once an importantwaterway, running through the Morrisania Estate, from East 170th Street to the EastRiver, roughly along the course of what is today Brook Avenue.TheMorrisania Estatewas originally owned by the Morris family, beginning in 1670. In 1840 GouverneurMorris, Jr., son of the famous Gouverner Morris (January 31, 1752 – November 6,1816), allowed a railroad to be built across the property.The estate was purchased bythe neighborhood’s namesake, Jordan Mott, for his iron works in 1849.

Mill Brook Houses has a strong resident association whosemembers have traveled toboth Albany andWashington to advocate for increased government subsidy for publichousing. Mill Brook has traditionally hosted Father’s Day Basketball Tournaments,with teams from nearby NYCHA developments competing. A successful resident-initiated “College Bound” program has introduced high school youth to variouscolleges. A proclamation issued by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was presented toNYCHA residents and staff at the development to commemorate the occasion of thedevelopment’s anniversary.

The historical photos and captions are from the LaGuardia andWagner Archives.

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 9JULY 2009

Old law tenement building at 631 East135th Street in the South Bronx,February 24, 1953, part of the 12 acresite for Mill Brook Houses.

NYCHA staff and residents gathered at Mill Brook Houses to commemorate the development’sanniversary. From left, front row, are NYCHA Vice-Chair Earl Andrews, Jr., Melvina R. Smith, ResidentAssociation President P. Jamerson, Bronx South District Council of Presidents Chair John Johnson,Manager Allison Williams, Sylvia Arroyo, and Carem Cintron (holding sign). Also shown here (not inorder) are: Ada Robinson, Shirley M. Greene, Lottie Chaney, Joyce Coleman, Clevester Hemphill,Assistant Superintendent Anthony Henry, Salli Harrison, Ivan Vargas, Ana Velasquez, Bronx BoroughDirector Michael Cornelius, Supervisor of Caretakers Nathaniel Calhoun, Borough Administrator TrevorBaptiste, Superintendent Linden Sinclair, and Bronx Borough Deputy Director Peter Edwards.

Mill Brook residents indoctrination, July1959. Residents apparently learningthe “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of living in aNYCHA development.

NYCHA Celebrates 75Years of Public Housing

Mill Brook Houses in 1959.

10 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNALJULY 2009

Douglass Houses Seniors’ Tile Art OnPermanent Display in India and ChinaTHE NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN

AHMEDABAD, INDIA, STOP BY THEKANORIA CENTRE FOR THE ARTSAT THE UNIVERSITY THERE TO

SEE WHAT THE SENIORS FROM

THE NEW YORK CITY HOUSINGAUTHORITY’S (NYCHA’S) DOUGLASSHOUSES’ SENIOR CENTER IN

UPPER MANHATTAN HAVE BEEN

DOING. Twenty-two ceramic tilescreated by 21 NYCHA seniorshave crossed the oceans and arenow on permanent exhibit,affixed to a courtyard wall at theKanoria Centre—along withtiles created by artists fromsome 40 countries, as part ofThe Tile Project: Destination,the World.Sponsored by the TransCul-

tural Exchange Program inBoston, which is funded by theUnited Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organi-zation, the Tile Project has onegoal: to unite the world throughinnovative art. Between 2004and 2008 over 100 artists eachcreated 22 tiles that are currentlybeing installed at 22 sites aroundthe globe. Not headed to India inthe near future? Then maybe youcan stop by the Ku Art Center inBeijing, China where the seniorsalso have tiles on display.Douglass Senior Center Director

Floyd Cohen spoke enthusiasti-cally about the exhibits, and theeffect participating in the programhas had on the Douglass seniors.“The seniors are so happy,” hesaid. “One of our best artists islegally blind; others are strokevictims who are partially para-lyzed, one has had polio sincechildhood. They feel so impor-tant now that the tiles are postedon the Internet (see last para-graph) and relatives who don’tlive in this country can see them.It gives them such a feelingof accomplishment.”The seniors became involved

when one of the artists Barbara“Babs” White, came to theCenter with a piece of paperdescribing the Tile Project. ArtsCoordinator Jennifer Wade, anart-therapist and consultantwith NYCHA’s HarborviewVisual Arts Program, got on thecase, contacted the TransCul-tural Exchange in Boston andreceived the go-ahead for theNYCHA seniors to participate.Ms.White, who decorated one

of her tiles with an image fromher synchronized swimmingteam, commented that “thecamaraderie that developedbetween the seniors trying to geteverything done in time wasreally great.”

FIRED UP (left to right) Douglass seniors Barbara “Babs”White, Mary Givens, Doris Walton, Artist-Consultant JenniferWade, Gretchen Marshall, Delores Bedford, and AurelinaFernandez with tiles for a work-in-progress to be installed at theNew York Aquarium.

“It was three weeks from thetime we learned about the programuntil the tiles were shipped byovernight mail to China, first, thenIndia. The seniors worked day andnight,” Mr. Cohen said. “Usuallythey come in from 1:00 PM to4:00 PM, but some seniors startedcoming in at 9:00 AM and wekept the kiln fired up pretty late.”Seniors first drew their designs

on the tiles, then painted them withspecial glaze made to withstand the1800 degree temperature of theCenter’s kiln, which is used by theceramics group that meets theretwice weekly.“We got the tiles to India with

one hour to spare; bubble wrapped,hand-delivered and everything,”Mr. Cohen continued.The tiles were installed in

Beijing inAugust 2008 and in Indiain October 2008 but the photosonly recently became available onthe Internet for the India site.“A lot of light; a lot of strength

was brought out in the seniors. Itwas great to see their creativepotential come through and to see

their work on an international site.I’m just amazed by it all,” saidMs.Wade.“It’s beautiful,” said Aurelina

Fernandez, who is 76 years old, andhas been coming to the Center forseven or eight years. “It makes mehappy. You feel like you’re doingsomething and it’s pretty whenyou’re finished.”The seniors are currently

working on tiles with a marinetheme for the New YorkAquarium and there are hopes oftiling the Center’s exterior with agarden theme.Four elected officials have

contributed funding for the seniorarts program at Douglass: SenatorBill Perkins, Assembly MemberDaniel O’Donnell, City CouncilMember Melissa Mark-Viveritoand Manhattan Borough PresidentScott Stringer.The tiles can be viewed at

www.transculturalexchange.org byclicking on “Senior Center Project”under “Education.” Better yet, asMs.White said, “We really must goand visit.”

NEW CHAIR VISITS BOROUGHSAt Polo Grounds in Harlem,

the Chair met with CouncilMember Inez Dickens followinga visit to the development’s state-of-the-art ATTAIN computerlab. The children there wereobviously excited about meetingNYCHA’s 21st Chair who clearlyenjoyed helping one youngboy with his computer-basedmath exercise.The Chair ended his day

in West Brighton, Staten Island,where he strolled throughnew housing construction at

Markham Gardens, a mixed-income community beingdeveloped by a private manage-ment team on the site of aformer housing development. AtMarkham he visited with the firstreturning former Markham resi-dent Milagros Arroyo, who wasecstatic to be “back at home.”When asked about Day One,

Rhea said, “This was a great startbut I’m ready for tomorrow.” Tofind out more about NYCHA’snew Chair, read the Chair’sMessage in this paper on page 3.

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DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTEMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS

assistance and has already met with all nine COP DistrictChairs to explain the process and provide guidance. NYCHAwill also provide appropriate guidance to residents in estab-lishing Resident Associations for those developments whichdon’t have them.NYCHA encourages its Resident Associations and COP District

Councils to take advantage of this valuable opportunity tohelp public housing residents in your community enrich theirlives. Whether your Resident Association chooses to proposeleadership development programs, education, job-training,computer, or household safety programs, there is no time likethe present to get the ball rolling. Speak with your ResidentAssociation President today about how you might be able toimplement programs in your development or to find out aboutprograms already planned for your community.

By Eileen Elliott

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At the Polo Grounds ATTAIN Lab in Manhattan

THE HOUSING AUTHORITY JOURNAL 11JULY 2009