Pair launch Kickstarter to save neon sign
Sign is from Palomba Academy of Music, 64-year-old shop in Williamsbridge
BY JASON COHEN
While the Bronx continues
losing small businesses
to COVID-19, two photographers
are trying to save an
iconic store sign from facing a
similar fate.
Palomba Academy of Music
at 974 E. Gun Hill Rd. had been
in Williamsbridge for 64 years
but was forced to close. With a
bright red neon sign displaying
its name, husband and wife
James and Karla Murray are
attempting to salvage this and
started a Kickstarter earlier
this month. So far it has raised
$3,660 of its goal of $5,500.
“Through our outreach efforts,
we have found a permanent
home for Palomba’s historic
25-foot, two-color neon
signage designed in 1956 by
Milton Grauer of the famous
Grauer Sign Co. of the Bronx,”
they stated on the Kickstarter
page. “The historic signage will
be displayed at the American
Sign Museum in Cincinnati,
Ohio. Unfortunately, there is no
museum in New York City willing
to take or display the large
and heavy signage.”
The couple are architectural
and interior photographers
and multimedia artists
based in New York City. For the
past 25 years, they have focused
their lens on the streetscape
through portraits of storefronts
and shop owners.
They are working with Let
There Be Neon, an iconic NYC
neon shop, to document the
process. The Murrays created
a short fi lm, “Saving a Historic
Neon sign in NYC,” where they
interviewed owner Michael
Palomba about operating a
family-owned music shop and
school and why he was forced
to close.
Bronx River High School student gets academic honor
BRONX TIMES R 18 EPORTER,OCTOBER 2-8, 2020 BTR
Palomba told them, “A great
music school involves more
than teaching the right notes,
the correct techniques or the
best music. It starts with great
teachers who not only train
but care, inspire and nurture
their students.”
In fact, many of the students
at Palomba have gone on to rewarding
careers as performers,
music educators and studio
musicians including Grammy
Award winning drummer,
Will Calhoun of In Living
Colour, bassist Ron Long and
drummer/percussionist Leroy
Clouden who has played on the
Tony Award winning “Bring in
‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk.”
The costs of removing the
neon sign and transporting
it 675 miles from the Bronx to
Cincinnati is quite expensive.
The Murrays explained that if
these were normal times, both
Let There Be Neon and the
American Sign Museum would
typically donate money to help
relocate the sign. But since
these businesses have also been
affected by COVID-19, they are
also in need of support.
“Any additional funds raised
in the campaign will help pay
for the costs of fi lming, editing
and producing our documentary,”
the pair said. The largest
risk we have in this project is
meeting our tight deadline we
need to adhere to for fi lming the
process of removing the neon
tubes and porcelain enamel
from the facade of the Palomba
Academy of Music storefront
and transporting it to
Cincinnati, Ohio as this must
all be done in October before
the colder weather potentially
sets in the northeast.”
An effort is being made to salvage the famous neon sign at Palomba Music. Photo by Jason Cohen
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A student at a Westchester
Square high school was recently
recognized for achieving
academic excellence.
Back in July, Bronx River
High School student Kayla
Pagan received public acclaim
from the National Society
of High School Scholars
(NSHSS). The Society is an esteemed
organization that recognizes
top students who have
demonstrated “outstanding
leadership, scholarship and
community commitment.”
“On behalf of NSHSS, I am
honored to recognize the hard
work, sacrifi ce and commitment
that Kayla has demonstrated to
achieve this exceptional level
of academic excellence,” said
NSHSS Founder and Chairman
Claes Nobel. “Kayla is now
a member of a unique community
of scholars — a community
that represents our very best
hope for the future.”
NSHSS President James
W. Lewis and Nobel, a senior
member of the family that established
the Nobel Prizes,
formed NSHSS in 2002. Pagan
and other lifetime members of
the Society gain access to invaluable
resources like scholarships,
internships, international
study and peer networks
that allow them to “develop
their strengths and pursue
their passions.”
“We are proud to provide
lifetime membership to young
scholars to support their
growth and development,” said
Lewis. “We aim to help students
like Kayla build on their academic
success by connecting
them with unique learning experiences
and resources to help
prepare them for college and
meaningful careers.”
There are currently more
than 1.5 million Society members
in over 170 countries
worldwide. For more information
about NSHSS, visit www.
nshss.org.
Kayla Pagan, a student at Bronx River High School, which operates at Lehman’s campus, was recognized
for academic excellence. Photo courtesy of Inside Schools
/www.nshss.org
/www.nshss.org
/nshss.org