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Community Corner

Bed-Stuy, The Year in Review: Who and What Made Headlines in 2010

A year in review: Whistleblower cop spurs an investigation in 81; first female boys basketball coach leads team to PSAL championship, and Lena Horne bids us goodbye.

As the final days of 2010 draw near, we reflect upon the year's biggest headlines, including the BP oil spill, WikiLeaks, the earthquake in Haiti, volcano ash blanketing Europe, The World Cup in South Africa, the list goes on and on.

But for all the national and international headline news, let us not forget the major events taking place right here in our own backyard.

So in the spirit of year-end reviews, we now take a look at the top stories that occurred right here in Bed-Stuy:

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#10
In February 2010, local hangout and beloved coffee shop Bread-Stuy was shut down due to owing $20,000 in back taxes. The Lewis Avenue hangout had become a welcomed staple in the neighborhood. Residents were shocked and so lobbied immediately to get their eatery back up and running. Neighbors donated more than $10,000, and even a neighboring restaurant, Peaches, hosted a super bowl party to raise funds for the cash-strapped coffee shop. Locals claimed that Bread-Stuy has become engrained into the community, even calling the owner, Lloyd Porter, "the unofficial mayor of Bed-Stuy." Due to the campaign, Bread-Stuy has been reopened and is still in business at 403 Lewis Avenue.

#9
CoreLogic, a business analytics firm, released a study tracking the fallout of the national mortgage crisis and ranked Bedford-Stuyvesant fourth as the worst in the nation for mortgage fraud. CoreLogic analyzed 7 million loans from 2005 to 2010.  Local authorities have acknowledged the problem, and last year, Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes created a special unit to go after mortgage scammers. CoreLogic's report found loan fraud had increased since early 2009 as con artists migrated toward quickly selling distressed homes, a practice known as "flipping," ripping off millions of people through government loan programs.

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#8

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the year was the tornado that touched down in Brooklyn and Queens September 16th, destroying hundreds of homes, cars and trees, costing millions in property damage and killing one person. Luckily, no one in Bed-Stuy was killed, but the twister did uproot several trees (and lives) along Bed-Stuy's borders. The roofs of seven homes in Bed-Stuy were destroyed by the storm along Quincy Street, sending 14 people to the emergency room. The next few days after the storm were filled with uncertainty for some but frustration for most, as roads and transportation were disrupted for some weeks to follow.

#7

As the "Green Revolution" continues to spread across the country, many communities are creating community gardens or farmers markets where locals can buy produce fresh from the growers. Bed-Stuy was no different, touting the Hattie Carthan Community Farmers Market on Clifton Place and Marcy Avenue. One of the more notable things about the market was that it also accepted food stamps, which helped expand the market to residents who otherwise could not afford organically grown produce. But on November 1st, tragedy struck. The market was set on fire, destroying $15,000 worth of equipment. The Fire Department called the blaze suspicious and ruled it as arson. Vice President of the market, Yonette Fleming was determined to keep going before the season was over, reopening a week later with borrowed equipment. "The work we're doing is for food justice, so we really have to be strong and move against all odds," said Fleming about reopening.  The market is at 363 Clifton Pl. and is still accepting donations; you can contact them at (718) 638-3566.

#6

Two sports teams from Bed-Stuy dominated the city and national championships this past year: On March 5th, at Madison Square Garden, Boys and Girls High School boys basketball team won the New York Public Schools Athletic League championship. The victory made the team's coach, Ruth Lovelace, the first woman to ever lead a boy's basketball team to a title in New York City. Also making headlines was a chess team from Bed-Stuy. The team went up against some of the most prestigious and well-funded private schools in the country. And still, this team of scrappy, chess-obsessed pre-pubescents from I.S. 318 in Bed-Stuy found a way to sweep the national championships, winning every division—sixth, seventh, and eighth grade—that they entered. "Some years you expect to win, some years you don't," said Assistant Principal John Galvin. "Our seventh and eighth grade teams were just clearly outclassing everyone else." He had his doubts about the sixth grade team, though.  "We weren't sure if we were going to bring them," Galvin admitted, "but we said, 'Hey, let's give it a chance.'" They proved worth the gamble.

#5

Four-month-old died from facial burns and severe smoke inhalation after she was pulled from a burning building on December 23rd. The fire started on the first floor of a vacant apartment at 521 Greene Avenue in the early afternoon. Reportedly, the fire was caused by one of the young children in the building who was playing a lighter or matches. The young Vaughn was sleeping when the fire erupted. According to the New York Post, the mother says she ran outside in the middle of the confusion when the fire first erupted, thinking someone else had grabbed her baby. When she discovered the infant was still inside, the woman and her male companion tried to rush back in, but were forced back by the firestorm. It was later discovered that there were fire alarms in the dwelling, but none of them were working. Residents and neighbors were heartbroken by the unfortunate incident that could have been avoided with a little fire safety education.

#4
One of the more shocking and disheartening stories in the city was that of four-year-old Marchella Pierce, who was found dead in a Bed-Stuy apartment on September 2nd. The girl was "shockingly malnourished," weighing in at just 18 pounds when she was found at her mother's "grossly inadequate" apartment. The Mother, Carlotta Brett-Pierce, was arrested not only for child negligence and cruelty, but on drug charges as well. District Attorney Charles Hynes stated that, "Between July 12th and September 2nd, 2010, Brett-Pierce tied Marchella to her bed, battered her with household items, deprived her of food and water and force-fed her over-the-counter medications, including Claritin and Diphenhydramine."  The case caused much controversy over the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) own lack of oversight. The case also drew parallels to the tragic death of Nixmary Brown, who was beaten to death in 2006 by her neglectful, drug-addicted parents and who, consequently, lived close to Pierce.

#3

Remember the off-duty police officer who shot a gun out of a crook's hand during an attempted robbery at a beauty salon? P.O. Feris Jones, who gets her hair done once a month at Sabine's Hallway on Franklin Avenue, had just sat down in one of the tiny salon's three chairs on Saturday, October 23 when the crook busted in and told everyone it was a stick up. With a calm collectiveness acquired from 20 years on the force, Officer Jones shot the pistol out of the criminal's hand. The perp, Winston Cox, 19, was later apprehended and charged with attempted murder and robbery. Officer Jones later was promoted to detective by Mayor Bloomberg himself.

#2

But it's not always a good day at the NYPD, particularly not with some of the officers of the 81st Precinct, including the former Deputy Inspector Steven Mauriello. In February, news broke about an investigation into the policing tactics of Mauriello who was cited for manipulating crime statistics to improve the precinct's record. This came as no surprise to Bed-Stuy residents who have made claims for years that the local police have always been a little crooked. The NYPD handed down internal charges to five officers from the precinct, including Mauriello. The story was broken by Officer Adrian Schoolcraft who also secretly was recording conversations inside of the precinct.

#1

On Sunday, May 9th, 2010, the world said goodbye to Lena Horne. The sultry actress and jazz singer – who was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant – broke ground for many African-Americans as the first actress to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio and eventually achieve international fame as a singer. Horne lent her voice to those oppressed by decades of racism, and never apologized for who she was nor was she known to mince her tongue. She was the epitome of great beauty and grace. Horne died at age 92 and was mourned at New York's St. Ignatius Loyola Church. Her funeral was attended by thousands, including actress Vanessa Williams, former Mayor David Dinkins and her grandaughter, actress Jenny Lumet. Lena Horne is remembered as a great icon who will live forever in the hearts of Bed-Stuy residents as a woman with true grace, conviction and style.

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