TNMA provides updates on community
BY JASON COHEN
Many Throggs Neck residents
have noticed that local businesses
are gouging prices and some of
them are getting a bad rap on social
media and receiving tickets
from the city.
There is a misconception that
the merchants are responsible for
the increased prices, when it was
the suppliers who were upping the
prices. In order to break even, the
owners had to raise charge more.
Dave Flannery, who has owned
Flannery Hardware Inc. at 3395 E.
Tremont Ave., for 35 years, faced
backlash when people thought his
prices were too high. He bought
gloves and masks, which were expensive,
so he put a small markup.
People were enraged and some
even videotaped him inside.
“His efforts to help the community
backfi red,” said Richard Rosario,
president of the TN Merchants.
“We don’t want anyone price gouging.”
Rosario questions why the shoppers
didn’t ask him why the prices
were higher, instead of mouthing
off. He noted that Flannery has
donated hundreds of gloves and
masks to fi rst responders.
Rosario said another resident
also griped about a dozen eggs being
six bucks at S & W Supermarket,
4028 E. Tremont Ave., but after
speaking with the owner, discovered
they were 18 eggs and organic.
He said they were probably all that
was left, as eggs are fl ying off the
shelves.
The following are other updates
from the Throggs Neck Merchants
Association:
BRONX TIMES R 2 EPORTER,MAY 1-7, 2020 BTR
Throggs Neck Volunteer Ambulance
TNVA Chair Erika Newsome
said the volunteer organization is
available to help during the crisis
and are in need of donations.
Unlike NYC EMS, they can
take people outside of the Bronx, to
places like New Rochelle or Bronxville.
Also, they are no working
10 a.m. to midnight and helping
FDNY if needed.
Due to COVID-19, they missed
a large Bingo fundraiser in March
and a spring health fair in April.
Little League
Throggs Neck Little League
President Frank Eisley told the
Bronx Times the season is delayed
and hopes to begin in June or July,
but it’s looking more like September
or October. Also, they have
plans to hold a round robin softball
tournament with fi rst responders,
EMT, and NYPD.
Mental Health
A Counseling & Psychotherapy,
3612 E Tremont Ave, is offering
video and phone therapy. Founder
and Co-Director Jay Bertin they
have been using Zoom, Factime
and Skype. With rising medical
bills, unexpected funerals, isolation
and depression, the need is
still there.
“It does help,” he said. People
need to talk. It’s certainly been
an adjustment to not have people
come in the offi ce.”
Restaurants
Patrick Caruso from Community
Board 10 sent out an invitation
to all the bars and restaurants
in the CB 10 service area, asking
if they want to be part of CB10 and
TN Merchants initiative of Takeout
Tuesday/Take-out-Today initiative
in order to jump-start business.
These are the participating restaurants:
Applebees, 815 Hutchinson
River Pkwy.;
Cestra’s Pizza, 3617 E. Tremont
Ave.;
Caridad Williamsbridge, 1436
Williamsbridge Rd.;
City Island Diner, 304 City Island
Ave.,
City Island Seafood Shack, 2049
Williamsbridge Rd.,
Crosstown Diner, 2880 Bruckner
Blvd.,
Havana Café, 3151 E. Tremont
Ave.,
Jimmy’s Bronx Café-Acri, 1315
Commerce Ave.,
Jimmy Ryan’s, 3005 Middletown
Rd.,
Legendary Bar & Grill, 3513 E.
Tremont Ave.,
PARQ, 4001 E. Tremont Ave.,
Patricia’s Restaurant, 3883 E.
Tremont Ave.,
Red Lobster, 2049 Bartow Ave.,
Tony’s Pier, 1 City Island Ave.,
Tosca Marquee, 4034 E. Tremont
Ave.;
Vistamar Restaurant, 565 City
Island Ave.
Jay Bertin and Philip Kawesch., owners of A Counseling & Psychotherapy,
3612 E Tremont Ave, which is offering video and phone therapy.
Photo courtesy Jay Bertin
BY JASON COHEN
Local nonprofi ts are coming
together to help serve the
Bronx during the COVID-19
crisis.
The Bronx Community
Relief Effort (BxCRE), World
Central Kitchen, The Bronx
Private Industry Council (The
Bronx PIC) Powered by Here
to Here, Bronx Community
Board 9 and the Relief Access
Program for the Bronx (RAP-
4Bronx) are combining forces
to increase food distribution
and protect local jobs.
This initiative is dishing
out 16,000 meals and hundreds
of grocery bags per day
throughout the Bronx to more
than 61 locations and groups,
including emergency shelters,
community-based organizations,
workers performing
essential frontline roles in
healthcare and transportation
and residents living in public
and subsidized housing. The
team aims to continue increasing
the volume of food handed
out to 50,000 meals daily with
additional funding.
“Since 2010, World Central
Kitchen has been providing
fresh meals to people affected
by disasters both natural and
man-made,” said Nate Mook,
CEO World Central Kitchen.
“We use the power of food to
heal and strengthen communities
in times of crisis and beyond,
and we know that a plate
of food is so much more than
just a meal. We believe our
work in The Bronx, and across
New York City, is a reminder
to the community that someone
cares about them and that
tomorrow will be better.”
The group’s food relief work
has four core components:
Meal distribution: World
Central Kitchen, local restaurants,
Bronx-based catering
company Great Performances
and RAP4Bronx are distributing
fresh meals to high-need
locations across the borough;
Grocery delivery: RAP-
4Bronx, led by York Studios
and in partnership with Bronx
Community Board 9, is delivering
approximately 3,800
bags of groceries per week to
people and sites in need, with
the goal of increasing this volume,
from a distribution base
at Bruckner Commons;
Employing Bronx businesses
and workers: A network
of Bronx restaurants and
distributors is preparing and
distributing these meals and
groceries, keeping many local
workers safely employed. York
Studios is organizing meal
distributions, Great Performances
and Baldor Specialty
Food are providing food and
supplies and meals are prepared
by Great Performances
and seven Bronx restaurants,
including Mott Haven Bar
& Grill, Bronx Drafthouse,
Bricks & Hops, Beatstro, Hudson
Smokehouse, Glenroy’s
Tavern, Bronx Tavern and
Seis Vecinos. World Central
Kitchen is supporting and organizing
this effort;
Strong partnerships with
community-trusted institutions,
including local hospitals,
housing organizations,
college campuses and religious
organizations.
Food set to be delivered to the needy Photo courtesy of RAP4Bronx
“The support from The
Bronx business community
for the people of the borough
in this time of unprecedented
hardship has been huge,” said
Eddie Summers, executive director
of the Bronx Private
Industry Council. “This program
is serving thousands of
meals to Bronx community
members, allowing Bronx
business employees to get back
to work safely, and bringing
food and other emergency supplies
to people who need them.
We look forward to continuing
building on this work to bring
more meals and supplies to
the people of The Bronx.”
Bronx nonprofi ts team up to increase
food distribution and protect local jobs