TAPCo rooftop garden, sound
stage opens with student concert
FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF THE BRONX
Docket No. NN-840/2019
In the Matter of
EMPEROR MURDAUGH
A Child(ren) Under Eighteen Years Alleged to be Neglected by
TONYA BEDWARD
LESLY MURDUAGH
Respondent
NOTICE: PLACEMENT OF YOUR CHILD IN FOSTER CARE MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF
YOUR RIGHTS TO YOUR CHILD. IF YOUR CHILD STAYS IN FOSTER CARE FOR 15 OF THE
MOST RECENT 22 MONTHS, THE AGENCY MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW TO FILE A
PETITION TO TERMINATE YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND TO COMMIT GUARDIANSHIP
AND CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD TO THE AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION. IN
SOME CASES, THE AGENCY MAY FILE BEFORE THE END OF THE 15-MONTH PERIOD. IF
SEVERE OR REPEATED CHILD ABUSE IS PROVEN BY CLEAN AND CONVINCING
EVIDENCE, THIS FINDING MAY CONSTITUTE THE BASIS TO TERMINATE YOUR
PARENTAL RIGHTS AND TO COMMIT GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD TO
THE AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION.
TO: LESLY MURDAUGH
A petition under ARTICLE 10 of the FAMILY COURT ACT having been filed with this Court
alleging that the above-named child(ren) is a neglected child(ren), a copy of said petition being
annexed hereto:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this court 900 Sheridan Avenue, Bronx, New
York 10451, Part 5, on JULY 11th, 2019 at 11:30 oʼclock in the fore noon of said day to answer
the petition and to show cause why said child(ren) should not be adjudicated to be a neglected
child(re) and why you should not be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of ARTICLE 10 of
the FAMILY COURT ACT and why an order of support under Section 235 of the FAMILY COURT
ACT should not be made if the final disposition is an order of placement.
On your failure to appear as herein directed, a warrant may be issued for your arrest.
FURTHER NOTICE: Family Court Act §154 (c) provides that petitions brought pursuant to Articles
4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 of the Family Court Act, in which an order of protection is sought or in which a
violation of an order of protection is alleged, may be served outside the State of New York upon a
Respondent who is not a resident or domiciliary of the State of New York. If no other grounds for
obtaining personal jurisdiction over the Respondent exist aside from the application of this
provision, the exercise of personal jurisdiction over the respondent is limited to the issue of the
request for, or alleged violation of the order of protection. Where the Respondent has been served
with this summons and petition and does not appear, the Family Court may proceed to a hearing
with respect to issuance or enforcement of the order of protection.
STEPHEN G. BYRNES
CLERK OF THE FAMILY COURT
Dated: May 1, 2019
BRONX TIMES R 34 EPORTER, JUNE 7-13, 2019 BTR
FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF THE BRONX
Docket No.: NN-21555-18
NN-21556-18
NN-21557-18
In the Matter of
MEKHI HAWKINS
KAYLA HAWKINS
RAEYANNA DOCKERY
A Child(ren) Under Eighteen Years Alleged to be Neglected by
QUINTIN HAWKINS
Respondent
NOTICE: PLACEMENT OF YOUR CHILD IN FOSTER CARE MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF YOUR
RIGHTS TO YOUR CHILD. IF YOUR CHILD STAYS IN FOSTER CARE FOR 15 OF THE MOST RECENT
22 MONTHS, THE AGENCY MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW TO FILE A PETITION TO TERMINATE YOUR
PARENTAL RIGHTS AND TO COMMIT GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD TO THE
AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION. IN SOME CASES, THE AGENCY MAY FILE BEFORE
THE END OF THE 15-MONTH PERIOD. IF SEVERE OR REPEATED CHILD ABUSE IS PROVEN BY
CLEAN AND CONVINCING EVIDENCE, THIS FINDING MAY CONSTITUTE THE BASIS TO TERMINATE
YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS AND TO COMMIT GUARDIANSHIP AND CUSTODY OF YOUR CHILD TO
THE AGENCY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ADOPTION.
TO: MEKHI HAWKINS
2293 LORING PLACE, PVT HOUSE, 3RD FL., BRONX, NY 10468
A petition under ARTICLE 10 of the FAMILY COURT ACT having been filed with this Court alleging that
the above-named child(ren) is a neglected child(ren), a copy of said petition being annexed hereto:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before this court 900 Sheridan Avenue, Bronx, New York
10451, Part 10, on JUNE 12th, 2019 at 9:30 oclock in the fore noon of said day to answer the petition
and to show cause why said child(ren) should not be adjudicated to be a neglected child(re) and why you
should not be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of ARTICLE 10 of the FAMILY COURT ACT
and why an order of support under Section 235 of the FAMILY COURT ACT should not be made if the
final disposition is an order of placement.
On your failure to appear as herein directed, a warrant may be issued for your arrest.
FURTHER NOTICE: Family Court Act §154 (c) provides that petitions brought pursuant to Articles 4, 5, 6,
8 and 10 of the Family Court Act, in which an order of protection is sought or in which a violation of an
order of protection is alleged, may be served outside the State of New York upon a Respondent who is not
a resident or domiciliary of the State of New York. If no other grounds for obtaining personal jurisdiction
over the Respondent exist aside from the application of this provision, the exercise of personal jurisdiction
over the respondent is limited to the issue of the request for, or alleged violation of the order of protection.
Where the Respondent has been served with this summons and petition and does not appear, the Family
Court may proceed to a hearing with respect to issuance or enforcement of the order of protection.
STEPHEN G. BYRNES
CLERK OF THE FAMILY COURT
Dated: May 1, 2019
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The rooftop soundstage and
garden at The Theater Arts
Production Company School
(TAPCo) is offi cially open for
business!
Councilman Ritchie Torres
joined principal Ron Link in
cutting the ceremonial ribbon
on the roof at 2225 Webster Avenue
during its inaugural concert
on Friday morning, May
31.
It was there that students
debuted their outdoor careers
at TAPCo, commissioning the
soundstage with outstanding
performances of ‘Run Freedom
Run,’ ‘Lean on Me,’ and
‘When the Saints Go Marching
In’ as well as many more
exciting hits.
More than just being used
for performances, the rooftop
also encompasses rows of gardening
plots for the school’s
gardening club and could even
end up growing organic vegetables
for the TAPCo cafeteria.
The room connected to the
roof will also be converted into
a television studio for students
to produce content and record
the outdoor performances
with robotic cameras that are
soon to be installed.
Link also explained that
the rooftop would be open for
community use in the upcoming
months.
Due to safety regulations,
part of the rooftop couldn’t be
utilized as a soundstage but
Link and TAPCo still plan to
spruce up the unused section,
likely with the assistance of
the school’s gardening club.
Torres said that securing the
funding for TAPCo to build a
The TAPCo Jazz Band performs during the rooftop opening.
Schneps Media/ Alex Mitchell
rooftop soundstage would be
one of his proudest legacies to
leave when his fi nal term in
the city council concludes.
The project’s origin dates
back to 2015, when Torres
announced the allocation of
$750,000 for the garden and
soundstage.
That number grew to $2.5
million with additional support
coming from the 92nd
Street Y, as well as AT&T.
Since that time, TAPCo students
had created and submitted
designs of the rooftop to
Torres’ offi ce with help from
the 92nd Street Y.
“I was so taken by the vision
and the passion of the
students that I couldn’t help
but say ‘yes’,” said Torres. The
councilman also mentioned
how he strictly instructs his
staff to never guarantee a fi -
nancial allocation during a
proposal, but this was simply
too compelling to turn down.
Torres also commended Assemblyman
Victor Pichardo
for helping steer the soundstage
project in the right direction.
“We have to think of the
arts not as an afterthought
but as an essential element of
public education,” said Torres.
He also mentioned how
TAPCo, and schools like it,
also deserve equal amenities
to the most privileged schools
TAPCo’s rooftop. Schneps Media/ Alex Mitchell throughout the city.