A Bronx Christmas Story (Kind Of)

We’re going to start this holiday edition of Bronx Breakdown with a heart-warming, feel-good story about Scott Lebron, a sophomore at Discovery High School on the Walton Campus in Kingsbridge Heights who anxiously delivered a thoughtful letter to a well-known public figure during a Christmas event earlier this month.

No, he didn’t submit a Christmas wish list in a letter to Santa Claus. In fact, the letter doesn’t mention the holidays at all and it was written more than a year ago following a visit from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

Along with numerous other elected officials, nonprofit leaders, news reporters and “green” development advocates, Diaz made a point to stop by and see what was going on in the bustling, photosynthesizing classroom of special ed science teacher Steve Ritz. At Discovery, Ritz was generating big-time buzz through an urban farming project designed to teach kids life science through hands-on horticulture.

The students were learning how to grow their own plants and vegetables on vertical gardens in the classroom. The project and the gardens exploded into what has become the Bronx Green Machine, a nonprofit program that teaches high school students like Scott not only how to grow nutritious food in a classroom (or anywhere for that matter), but how to “green” the roofs of buildings as well as other environmentally-friendly construction skills. The program has garnered local and even national attention.

In any case, in the fall of 2010, it brought Diaz to Discovery, which, as Ritz often points out, sits in the shadow of the long-vacant Kingsbridge Armory. (Ritz believes he could feed hungry Bronxites and put them back to work by turning the Armory into some of kind of massive urban farming center. Mayor Bloomberg, are you listening?).  He spoke to Ritz’s students and urged them to keep up the good work. Scott, then just a ninth grader, was brought to tears by Diaz’s words and it inspired him to write the borough president a letter.

In it, he thanked Diaz for coming to speak with his class and said it “inspired” him to keep working hard to fulfill Ritz’s vision of growing food to feed the poor.

“The Bronx and people like me are always getting and hearing negative comments,” he wrote. “You are right! We need to do something about it.”

Scott goes on to say how he wants to show that good things and good people come from even the Bronx’s toughest neighborhoods.

“We will start in Discovery and spread across campus. We will plant trees, grow food and say not to bad people and dangerous things. We will make safe parts for neighbors and families.”

And finally: “Thank you for helping us believe we can achieve.”

For more than a year, the letter, dated Nov. 12, 2010, stayed with Scott as he continued to work with Ritz and the Bronx Green Machine. And then, the perfect opportunity came for him to hand-deliver it — the borough president’s Christmas tree lighting event earlier this month. Dressed in his best suit, Scott went down to Borough Hall, delivered the letter to Diaz and got his picture taken with the borough president, his inspirational hero.

Like all of Ritz’s kids, Scott is a special ed student, which means he needs more help getting through school than other students. Many students like Scott fall through the cracks, don’t graduate and end up contributing little to the betterment of the borough. But the light turned on for Scott last fall, through Ritz’s program and Diaz’s words. He’s excelling in school and now he’s on the road to success and achievement.

So, for all the doubters out there, Scott says: “We’re going to show them.”

Here’s the full-text of the letter:
Scott Lebron’s Letter to Bronx BP

Apologies
I need to take this opportunity to apologize to one of our of our most loyal supporters over the years, Freilich Jewelers, for an enormous editing error in the latest print edition of the Norwood News. In the Gift Guide, which we have revised online, we inaccurately described some of their merchandise. The truth is Freilich Jewelers is an absolute gem at 312 E. 204th St. in Norwood and has arguably the best selection of fine jewelry in the Bronx and an incredibly knowledgeable sales staff that will help you find exactly what you need this holiday season or whenever you’re shopping for something special for a loved one. Stop by. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Reader Comment of the Week
Some harsh criticism for police from reader Nancy Garcia who lives near Grand Avenue and Fordham Road, where senseless acts of violence have dominated the storyline this fall.

“I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, the police does nothing but arrest young kids for smooking weed, they don’t go after the know drug dealers, who occupy the apartments and buildings. cut out the supply and there is no sale. The young boys are there biggest collar and they are statisfied. they don’t live in the community so they have no clue what so ever is going on.”

What You Should Do This Weekend
Spend time with your families and maybe do some last-minute shopping at Freilich Jewelers or any other local business.

Happy Holidays from the Norwood News!