Talk Bronx New York

Angry parents protest the closing of schools at a Department of Education hearing at Brooklyn Tech High School.

 Over the objections of thousands of protesters, the city Education Department’s panel voted early Wednesday morning to close 19 failing city schools.

After more than eight hours of testimony, the Panel for Educational Policy gave the go-ahead shortly after 3:00 a.m.

The four panel members representing the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan voted against most of the closings.

Mayor Bloomberg’s eight appointees along with the representative from Staten Island supported the decision.

At the beginning of the hearing, Schools Chancellor Joel Klein defended the proposals.

“The sad reality is that the schools we must close tonight are not meeting the standards,” he said, barely audible over boos from the crowd.

At one point he left the stage for several minutes, and the crowd interrupted testimony, repeatedly chanting, “Where is Klein?”

Only after he returned did the crowd allow testimony to continue.

Renee Donaldson holds up a sign as she yells against the closing of schools. Read more..

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Pope’s Visit To New York Could Aid Businesses 

During Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York, thousands will converge on city streets, outside churches and the hallowed stadium home of the Bronx Bombers, creating both logistical challenges and economic benefits.

The gathering will create security issues and traffic snarls but also inject millions into the city’s anemic economy, said Helana Natt, executive director of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce.

“The economy is tight right now,” she said. “So it’s a great opportunity when you have tourists and people in the metro-New York area coming to see the pope, who are going to turn around and spend money in the city.”

While the visit will help generate business, it may come at a cost to the city. Some agencies, including the police and sanitation departments, will have to pay costly overtime pay.

“It will cost a significant amount of money but we don’t have a final estimate,” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said last week after revealing thousands of officers will work overtime on the pope’s security.

Tuesday, police officials didn’t return calls.

Department of Sanitation workers, who typically aren’t scheduled to collect garbage Sundays, will earn overtime for cleanup after the Mass at Yankee Stadium, an agency spokesman said, adding that the exact cost hasn’t been tallied.

Benedict arrived in Washington, D.C., yesterday. He touches down Friday at Kennedy Airport. While here, Benedict will visit Ground Zero and hold Mass at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion Jr. said Benedict holding Mass at Yankee Stadium is a fitting send-off to the closing ballpark.

“I can’t think of a better way to mark the final year at Yankee Stadium than with a visit from Pope Benedict,” he said.

Eateries like the Heidelberg Restaurant, at 1648 Second Ave., are ready for an expected crush of customers after Benedict attends services at St. Joseph’s Church at East 87th Street, a few blocks away.

“I’m sure people will be coming by for a beer and Weisswurst,” said Eva Matischak, the restaurant owner.

Matischak said rumor has it that Weisswurst — veal sausage — is the pope’s favorite. She tried but failed to stock up on Papst-Bier, or Pope Beer, which features the pontiff on the bottle’s label.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said having the pope visit the city outweighs any possible problems. That includes possible protests over the clergy sex abuse scandal or picketing Catholic school teachers seeking better pay and health benefits, he said. “If there wasn’t a protest, we’d be in the wrong city,” he said. “A major leader is coming to our city — we should get ready.”

 SOURCE: NewsDay.com Read more..

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