The Bronx Ink

Marcos Vargas, 19, was a depressed school dropout lacking confidence and purpose in life. Thanks to an organic-only diet – prompted by a ad on TV – and the wise advise of his social worker, Vargas now owns a high school equivalency diploma and studies digital music production at Hostos Community College.

Read his profile on the New York Times’s Neediest Case.

An car accident involving a school bus injured 14 children and Wayne Barret, the 48 year-old bus driver. All were treated at the Linstead Hospital in Jamaica, Queens. According to Barret, the accident happened as he was trying to avoid another car.

Nashema Williams, a four year old girl from Bronx Street Basic School was one of the most serious victims of the crash. She was brought to the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew.

Today is the fifth anniversary of the infamous Sean Bell police shooting in Queens. On November 25th 2006 the unarmed 23 year old man was killed as policemen fired 50 bullets towards him. Bell was to get married a few hours later.

As this New York Times article explains, the event reminded New Yorkers of other high profile shootings such as the death of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. In 1999 the African peddler was killed among the 41 bullets that the police shot at him.

In both cases the police thought the men had a gun.

Here is an interactive map of the police shooting on Sean Bell, as Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly described it.

Up to sixty families living on Bailey Ave in Kingsbridge have been out of gas since October, 21st. Today, for Thanksgiving, residents had to find alternatives to cooking for their families. Some deciding to go elsewhere, others having to order food from nearby restaurants.

“We definitely don’t have the flexibility,” said tenant Andrea Thomas.”If we were thinking about do it here and there now we don’t have any options, we definitely have to go elsewhere.”

Hundreds of families started queuing early this morning along the Yankee stadium, hoping to get one of the 1,200 supermarket vouchers worth $25 distributed by the New York Yankees and White Rose.

Several public officials spoke out about hunger in the Bronx. City Councilwoman Annabel Palma brought up a recent study from New York Coalition Against Hunger, asking Congress not to cut fundings for food stamps.

“I’m deeply troubled by the Coalition’s findings that one in four children in New York City go hungry because their families cannot afford to feed them,” Palma said.

Several parents complained at a toy gun vending machine outside a bodega on Brook Ave in Mott Haven, a neighborhood where crime has recently gone up.

The machines, labeled “HEAVY FIRE”, sells half a dozen of different plastic guns such as assault rifles and handguns for only 50 cents.

“Kids see the guns in a gumball machine and they think it’s okay to buy guns,” said Kelly McKinnon, a 40 year-old mother of three. “I’ve never heard of something so crazy.”

In a recent Fiat 500 TV ad, Bronx native singer and actress J-Lo appears driving through the blocks of her hometown. The 42 year-old then says: “Here, this is my world. This place inspires me to be. To be tougher. To stay sharper. To think faster.”

But according to The Smoking Gun, the 42-year-old never set foot in the Bronx for the filming and sent a double instead.

Dianna Gutierrez of Chrysler Group LLC defended the superstar in a statement: “One does not need to be in a specific location to be inspired or continue to be inspired.”

The Claremont section of the Bronx has the highest car accident and death rate in New York City, with 46 dead or injured in the area between 200o and 2006.

“It’s become a speedway for people to zoom through. That has had deadly results.” said Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan.

Now dozens of blocks near Crotona Park have a 20 miles per hour cap. The Slow Zone includes nine speed bumps and 28 signs reminding residents of the new speed limit.