FREE GRATIS M ipB'HHum iBttttiiiiiiiii iiiiyu iiiiiiiiiiiu u im am iim n ify y iiM iiiiiiiiiHi ........................... . TRI-LINGUAL ?nriiii»iii«y»ioiiiiiiiiiBBii»miiiHiiiiiiwiii»»h»HiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiBiiiiiiiiiiiiyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil Wr.1 22 Mo 2 S lim m er 1QQQ Inside This Issue: No Land For Schools And Recreation?........P .ll Happy Birthday ICC! ......................... P.2 O Festa De Aniversario Do ICC .... P.15 La Fiesta De Cumpleafios De ICC—.....P.20 Work Begins At Riverbank Park .... P.7 Come^aram As Obras No Riverbank Park ..................................... P.18 El Trabajo Comienzaen el Parque Riverbank............................... P.23 New Immigration Assistance Program P.6 Novo Programa De Assistencia Para Imigra^So ............................... P.14 Nuevo Programa De Assistencia De Immigracidn........................... P.19 Children loved the craft table (above) at the ICC's Birthday Party. The celebration also featured a Moon Walk, pinatas, dancing. And what’s a birthday party Little League’s 50th Year! without cake and ice cream! The photograph shows Mike Alban, Head Coach for Hold The Date the Peewee League, introducing Ruppert, the Newark Bears mascot to young children from the Ironbound Little League Peewee Teams. This is the ICC ‘s 50th Year of the Ironbound Little League. Congratulations to all the coaches, the players and 30th Anniversary the parents who over the years have participated in the Ironbound Little League. Thank you for all you Dinner Dance do for Ironbound children. _____October 8,1999_____ Dramatic Dance Week of the Young Child The Spirit Dance liturgical dancers contributed It was that time of year again. The one week each greatly to this year’s Ecumenical Service. The eco- year when the Week of the Young Child is celebrated justice sabbath was held at St. James Church. Those all around the city of New ark. In Ironbound, teachers on the planning committee included members of St. and children from the Ironbound Childrens ’ Center James Church, St.Stephans' United Church of Christ, held their traditional parade around the block. The First Congregational UCC of Westfield, Trinity Childrens ’ Center held its 30th Graduation Ceremony Reformed Church, Wolff Memorial Presbyterian on June 25, 1999 this year. Church, and Lutheran Ministries Grace Community. P. 2 — Summer 1999 — Ironbound Voices Ironbound Community Corporation Holds A 30th Birthday Party! I Ironbound Community Corporation held a 30th Birthday Party on May 16 at the Ironbound Boys and Girls Club to celebrate its 30lh year of operations in the Ironbound community. The Birthday Party featured a Moon Walk, Pinatas, Raffles, Music, Games, and lots of food, especially birthday cake. ICC began in 1999 with the opening of a daycare center needed by families where both parents had to work. The organization has continued to create new programs in response to community needs. Currently, ICC runs programs for people of all ages, from Family Day Care (infants) to Senior Ride, Home Friends, and Meals on Wheels for Senior Citizens. ICC runs an Afterschool and Summer Program for children, an Adult Education Project in conjunction with Essex County College, Family Services and other programs. ICC also has a community organizing project, and a long history of helping residents organize to solve problems in the neighborhood. Thank you to all the businesses who donated either raffle prizes or food for the Birthday Party.. A special thank you to Rev. Peter Winstead, and the Hawkins Street School Choir, who performed during the Birthday Party. ICC will be celebrating its 30th birthday all year, including a gala Dinner Dance, scheduled for October 8, 1999. Mark your calendars! For tickets, call 589-3353. Getting a temporary tattoo was one of the Enjoying themselves: Joseph Della Fave (center), highlights for many of the children who enjoyed ICC's Executive Director, Mary Correia, ICC Staff, Birthday Party. and Rev. Moacir Weirich,, Lutheran Ministries Ironbound Voices — Summer 1999 — P. 3 What Do You Do If Your Essex County College Child Has Asthma? Ironbound Extension Center 432 Lafayette St, Newark by Evin Aksay Do you have a child or know a child who has REGISTRATION: asthma and is under the age of 12? If so, you’ve June - September 17,1999 probably already seen a doctor and received CLASSES BEGIN: Sept 20, 1999 medication. But has your doctor told you what triggers your child’s asthma or talked to you about The following courses are available: how the quality of the air, indoor and outdoors, is Business, Psychology, Accounting, Sociology. affecting your child’s asthma attacks? You may English As A Second Language, And More. have already read all the literature on how to manage or care for your child’s asthma, but there Financial Aid Available To Eligible Applicants. may be more that you can do to improve your Call George Olivo 877-3439 child’s asthmatic condition. Dulce Rosario, 7877-3444, or Isabel Pascual, 465-0947 The Ironbound Children’s Asthma Campaign (ICAC) can help you. The ICAC provides workshops, training, educational material and all the latest medical knowledge on asthma. Ann St. School Wins More importantly, the ICAC wants to educate the children, parents, and teachers of Ironbound to be Blue Ribbon Award! healthy and free of asthma by teaching them how to avoid getting asthma or reducing the occurrence of asthma attacks. We need to stop asthma before Ann St. School has been selected by the asthma stops our children. U.S. Department of Education as a 1999 Blue Ribbon Award Winner, for its excellence in If you want to learn more or get involved leadership, teaching, curriculum, student with the Ironbound Children’s Asthma Campaign achievement, parent involvement, and community call 589-3353. support. “It is a powerful validation of the hard work and commitment that have led to our focus on • How to get rid of bugs without using quality and continuing improvement,” said harmful chemicals that trigger asthma Principal Joseph Maccia. attacks. Ann St. is the first Newark School to win the Blue Ribbon Award. • How to earn money while helping your community by becoming an Asthma Buster Ann St. School boasts the highest test scores and learn how to train and educate others on in Newark, a 17% mobility rate, which is low for an how to help prevent and care for their urban school, and 80 % of its students are reading at child’s asthma. or above grade level. On June 16, Ann St. received a citation from the Newark City Council. • Join a research team to study how much air Congratulations to Ann St. Schools students, staff, pollution trucks and buses contribute to your parents and teachers! neighborhood. P. 4 — Summer 1999 — Ironbound Voices New Developments Overcrowd Streets And Schools Residents Attend Community Planning Meeting According to information from the Central Planning Board, more than 400 units of housing have been developed in Ironbound in less than a year. Those units would house an estimated 600 children, the size of a new school. But there is no land reserved to build a new school. Meanwhile, the existing schools in Ironbound are overcrowded, some by over 100% (see chart on p. 8). On April 27, 1999, residents got a chance to talk about their concerns about development in the community, and to comment on the proposed Land Use Maps to be adopted by the Newark Central Planning Board. The meeting, held at Centro Orensano on Lafayette St., was hosted by the Ironbound Community Corporation. A professional Lito Miranda, Ironbound resident, leads a group planner was on hand to answer technical questions discussion of the city's new Land Use Maps at the that residents might have about the Land Use Maps community planning meeting. and the designations: Residential 2 (R2), Industrial 3 (13), Business (B), and Mixed use (M) rarely, if ever, meet with the public. The Land Use maps and the zoning ordinance, the part of the “It was really a daunting task, for a group of Masterplan which developers are concerned about, ordinary people to review the Land Use maps. is being redone quickly. But the maps leave out two People did the best they could, and certain common big things which residents feel are essential to their concerns emerged,” said Joseph Della Fave. quality of life: parks and open space, and land for “Everybody expressed concern over the need for the construction of new schools. less density, not more, and the lack of any available land for schools and parks. It was also the group’s consensus that the locations for schools and “Not all development is good,” said Martha parks should be reserved on the Land Use map now, Lamar, a planner who is working with the ICC. before all the land is grabbed up for development.” “You have to look both at the quality of what is being developed and the overall impact on, and cost to, the community.” The City of Newark agreed to ask non-profit groups to hold ward meetings after non-profits criticized the city’s planning process for not Another big problem with the Land Use involving community residents. City officials are maps for Ironbound was the designation of very writing a new Masterplan for Newark. While the very large areas as Ml (mixed, allowing residential public comes to monthly Masterplan workshops, and clean industrial development. “This is a the actual work is being done by consultants, who continued on p. 6 Ironbound Voices — Summer 1999 — P. 5 Neighborhood Clean Up A Success! New Jersey Waterwatch organized a neighborhood clean up at the Chestnut St. Little League Field. Shown above are some of them any people, of all ages, who participated. The group painted the structures at the field to cover the graffiti. If you see yourself in t his photo, you get a pat on the back. Good work everybody! Community Planning Meeting continued from p. 5 zoning category that didn’t exist before.” It is not “This is an important process,” said Joe described very well,” said Ms Lamar. “There are a Della Fave. “The community has to raise its voice lot of questions about what kind of things are about the Master Plan, because the future of the allowed, and what they can look like. For example, neighborhood, and its children, is at stake.” what height is allowed? These questions should be For more information, contact Ironbound answered before this is passed. Otherwise it will Community Corporation, 589-3353. lead to many problems in the future.” For Those With Arthritis: The report from the Planning Meeting was given to Kathleen Kelly, from the City’s Planning Office. Ms. Kelly said she would present all the * Mountainside Hospital presents PACE (People reports from the meetings in the Wards to the With Arthritis Can Exercise). The program begins consultants, Mayor James, and Deputy Mayor A1 Sept 15, Wednesdays, 10 to 10:45 AM. The fee is Faiella. $10. Call (732) 283-4300 to register. P.6 — Summer 1999 — Ironbound Voices Work Begins At Riverbank Park On Friday, May 21, 1999, construction work began at Riverbank Park. By coincidence, it happened to be the night that Save The Park At Riverbank (SPARK) held a successful Fundraising Dinner. “We really have got something to toast tonight,” said Manuel Lavin, speaking to the crowd of SPARK supporters gathered at the Spanish Sangria Restaurant. “The work began in the park today. Riverbank Park will be reopened for the community.” It was standing room only at the Riverbank Park The first part of the work includes digging Mural Project Award Ceremony. SPARK has holes for the sports light at the park, putting a fabric produced a mural project book, which is available and clean fill on top of the fields to cover the toxic for a $20 donation. Call 589-2353 to place an order chemicals, redoing all the playing fields, the tennis for a book. courts, basketball court, and playground, and restoring the fence around the park. The repair work for the buildings will be bid as a separate contract. The contractor for the job is Marcellis-Wamer Corporation of Montclair. Dan Dowd, the landscape preservationist hired by SPARK to design plans for the job, will continue to monitor the work to make sure it is done correctly. On April 21, 1999, SPARK received the 1999 Environmental Quality Award for its successful fight to save Riverbank Park. The award is given to “individuals or groups that go above and beyond the call of duty to protect the environment and improve our quality of life.” SPARK received the award for its “extraordinary and successful three Manny Lavin, Begonia Kowet (center) and Maria year fight to save Riverbank Park from being Barreiro accept the 1999 EPA Environmental converted into a private for-profit minor league Quality Award, for SPARK. baseball stadium.” Nearly 20 groups received awards. SPARK also On April 28, 1999, SPARK hosted a gave each group a book of photographs of the reception at the Van Buren St. Library for groups of Riverbank Park murals. (Copies of the book are young people who painted murals for the available for $20). construction fence at Riverbank Park. County A SPARK representative spoke recently at Executive James Treffinger presented Community the New Jersey Historical Society. Riverbank Park Service Awards to each group, thanking them for is now on the National Register of Historic sites. “helping to restore Riverbank Park” and urging “that See companion article on P. 12. they remain patrons of the park in the future.” Ironbound Voices — Summer 1999 — P.7 Oliver StStudent Gardeners On June 2, 1999, the Garden Club of Madison, in partnership with the Oliver Street school, and the Greater Newark Conservancy (GNC) sponsored a flower barrel planting in front of Oliver St. School. The plants were generously donated by the Garden Club. The flower barrels were originally donated by lronbound Bank. The barrels were planted by the preK and kindergarten classes from the school. Where will IronbouncTs kids be going to school? All of Ironbound’s schools are overcrowded! School Name Existing Current Over Capacity % Capacity Enrollment Ann Street 579 1,096 89% Hawkins Street 422 624 48% Lafayette Street 643 753 17% Oliver Street 570 735 29% South Street 296 327 10% Wilson Avenue 294 854 187% Totals 2,804 4,389 average 57% * from Newark Public School District Five Year Facilities Management Plan, March 3, 1999 P. 8 — Summer 1999 — lronbound Voices New Immigration Assistance Program The Ironbound Community Corporation 3) You are a lawful permanent resident child (ICC) is lending yet another helping hand to the of US citizen parents; or community. It has developed an Immigration 4) You have qualifying military service. Assistance Program to assist permanent residents with the naturalization and citizenship process as After the initial application is complete well as offer referrals and guidance to non- (including photos and fingerprints), there is an documented residents. interview with an INS officer who will also ask questions about US History/Civics as well as test On April 27, 1999, working with the English proficiency (reading and writing). Portuguese American Congress (PAC), ICC helped organize a naturalization drive at the Portuguese PAC is offering US History/Civics/English Sports Club where 74 people took the first step to classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8 PM becoming US citizens, 34 volunteers lent assistance. at the Portuguese Sports Club to assist applicants in preparing for their interview. To sign up for classes, You may apply for naturalization if: call 589-1133. 1) You have been a lawful permanent If you or someone you know would like to resident for five years; become a US citizen and needs assistance with the 2) You have been a lawful permanent application process and/or would like to volunteer, resident for three years, have been married to a US please call Ana at 589-3353. citizen for those three years and continue to be married to that US citizen; Ironbound Community Corporation’s Naturalization Campaign ____I would like to become an American citizen. Please sign me up for one of your upcoming naturalization drives in (circle) September or December. ____I would like to volunteer at a Naturalization Drive in (circle): June, September & December. Name____________________________________ _ _ Address______________________________________ City_________________State_____ZipCode Tel- ( )_______________________ Return to: Ana Esteves, c/o ICC, 51 Me Whorter St., Newark, NJ 07105. Ironbound Voices — Summer 1999 — P.9 Important Neighborhood Updates “Timebombs” on Chestnut St. ? two existing transfer stations nearby, and consolidate them all into one giant operation. There are many The following are excerpts from a letter questions relating to this proposal: written by Ironbound resident David Schnegelberger to Mayor James: * Do they have a permit to operate a transfer station, which they seem to be doing now? The City of Newark plans to install two fuel tanks of 10,000 gallons each behind Firehouse #27, * What kinds of materials will they be dealing with? located at Chestnut St. and Elm Road. To have tanks of that size installed in a residential area is an * How many trucks will come through those outrageous idea for the following reasons: tiny local streets near Avenue A ? How will they get 1) It would create hazardous conditions through the rest of Ironbound? South St ? Pacific? McCarter Highway? because wherever fuel tanks are located so close to homes the residents are living close to a time bomb. There is an application at the DEP for this 2) The traffic situation would be atrociooups eration, and Waste Management has spoken to the because there are six streets merging into one City of Newark. “We need to let the officials know central area As it is, there is traffic confusion.. If that we do not want these additional trucks through firetrucks were to be refueling, and waiting to be our streets,” said Joe Nardone, from the ICATW. refueled, just imagine what traffic confusion that would create. Swimming Pool: Treading Water 3) The neighbors in this area have not been Work on the swimming pool which is being told of this plan, and I believe such a drastic move built on Rome and St. Charles St. has been at a should be advertized. standstill due to a dispute between the contractor and 4) Tanker trucks that would refuel these the City of Newark over how the work has been done proposed tanks would create a still more hazardous so far. “The work should be correctly done,” said one condition. resident. “We don’t want to have the pool open, and 5) Such an idea would surely reduce the then close again because something was not right in property values of those living in close proximity to the construction.”Groundbreaking for the new the “timebombs”. swimming pool took place years ago. The pool is a Editor’s note: This location is also across replacement for the Wilson Ave. Bathhouse, which the street from the Chestnut St. Little League Field, was demolished over community objections. where hundreds of children play baseball on a daily Bids are expected to go out shortly for the basis during the baseball season. For more work on the fields. information, call 589-3353, or contact the office of the Mayor 733-6400 or East Ward Councilman.Amador 733-3665. Brill St. Block Group Continues The Brill St. Area Block Association continues its monthly meetings at Trinity Church. Giant Garbage Transfer Station At Each month, residents from the area of Fleming Ave., Ave A? Brill St. and Hawkins St. get an opportunity to talk Ironbound residents fought the siting of a with the Police Captain for the East Precinct, as well sludge transfer facility on Avenue A - and won. But as to address other issues of concern. The meetings now Waste Management wants to use the site as a are open to anyone in that area. For dates, contact garbage transfer facility. They want to close down Maria at 589-3353. P. 10 — Summer 1999 — Ironbound Voices