Editor’s note: The Bronx Breakdown, a re-imagined and re-invigorated version of what we once called “Friday News & Notes,” consists of (1) a subjective breakdown of the week’s biggest and most intriguing news stories, (2) tidbits and newsbits we’ve come across and thought you should know about (3) a youtube clip and (4) recommendations for things to do in the Bronx this weekend. So settle in, grab a cup of coffee or a Bronx Brewery Pale Ale and enjoy the Breakdown.

Councilman Takes a Stand for Fellow Pastors
As you can probably tell by the photo to your right, Bronx City Councilman Fernando Cabrera is taking the city’s efforts to prevent churches (and other religious organizations) from worshiping inside school buildings very seriously and very personally.

In an interview today, he called New York’s exclusionary policy “ridiculous” and vowed to do everything in his power to overturn it legislatively.

Just to give you a little refresher: On Monday, the United States Supreme Court, with its inaction on an appeal brought by Bronx Household of Faith, a small evangelical congregation that has met at PS/MS 15 in University Heights for the past decade, essentially upheld the city’s position that allowing worship services on school property amounted to a violation of the Constitution’s separation of church and state doctrine. (For more background, click here.)

It leaves at least 60 city churches, and, according to Cabrera, at least some Jewish and Muslim groups, homeless, come Feb. 12. (The city originally said churches would have to cease worshiping, Jan. 1.)

Cabrera made a few interesting points during our interview today.

(1) Out of the 50 biggest school districts in the United States, according to a survey by the Alliance Defense Fund which is representing Bronx Household, New York City is only one that has a policy excluding worship services at its school buildings.

(2) One of the arguments made by the city for preventing worship in schools (during off-hours, when students aren’t around) is that students will get confused and see the schools as favoring a certain religion. But, Cabrera points out, what about the public schools that are housed in former Catholic schools where religion is often literally ingrained in the very walls of the buildings? Isn’t that just as confusing? (On a side note: I visited PS/MS 15 to get a sense of Bronx Household for an article I wrote about this subject back in June. If I hadn’t know there was a worship service going on inside, I would have never known the school was being used for church. Also, most parents at PS/MS 15 had no idea the school was being used for church on Sundays and those that did thought it was a great idea.)

(3) Some 10,000 different groups use city school buildings for everything from Boy Scout gatherings to AA meetings, but 60 churches can’t use them for an hour or two of praying and singing once a week when nobody else is using the space? That sounds like the definition of discrimination. (Side note: The city’s policy basically allows for all of the elements of a so-called “worship service,” including prayer meetings, bible study and the singing of religious songs, but not all of them together and not if it’s considered a “worship service.” Churches could conceivably apply for permits to do each of these aspects of worship service, individually, and circumvent the policy all together. Who’s going to police these things and define who’s holding a worship service and who’s not? A government bureaucrat? Or some kind of religious scholar?)

(4) Cabrera started getting all historical on me at one point, talking about how the Constitution’s reference to separation of church and state was designed to prevent the state from imposing one religion on everyone and saw no parallels with allowing worship services at state-sponsored schools. Appeals court judges, ruling against Bronx Household, said the worship services “transformed” school buildings into churches, which could be seen as state-sponsored religion. But Cabrera didn’t buy it, saying the policy amounted to persecution and that the pilgrims came to America to escape that type of persecution. He added: “If we don’t know our history then we’ll be hysterical.” (Not quite sure what that meant, but I liked how it sounded.)

On Wednesday, Cabrera, a pastor who founded New Life International Outreach Church on Morris Avenue, turned the steps of City Hall into a makeshift church as he introduced a City Council resolution that would formally support state legislation that would amend the law preventing worship services in school buildings. Cabrera said the outpouring of support at the rally on Wednesday showed that the city’s clergy are fired up in opposition to the city’s policy.

“The only thing that this has done is awaken a sleeping giant,” he said.

Larry Seabrook is Celebrating Freedom This Weekend
A judge declared a mistrial in the federal corruption case against east Bronx Councilman Larry Seabrook after jurors said they couldn’t said they remained deadlocked after a week of deliberation. Prosecutors said they would re-try the case against Seabrook who stood accused of directing more than $1 million in taxpayer funds to family, friends and his own pockets. But for now, Seabrook, who once “accidentally” expensed a $158 bagel, remains a free man and a Bronx elected official.

Jogging Path to Nowhere
Anne Marie Garti, a fierce advocate for a jogging path next to the Jerome Park Reservoir in Kingsbridge Heights (you go, girl, we say), says she now has more evidence that the DEP’s plan to build outside of the fence was ill thought out. I’ll let her explain (from an e-mail):

In 2004, the DEP committed to building a pathway around the Jerome Park Reservoir. We assumed it would be built next to the water. After all, when the reservoir first opened in 1906, there was a pathway next to the water – just like at Central Park. And that’s where it is depicted in the Jerome Park Conservancy’s plan for the future of the reservoir.

However, the NYC DEP and the Department of Parks have been trying to force the running path outside of the DEP’s security fence, where it would intrude on existing public space and the aesthetic integrity of this historic resource. This “amenity” would end up ruining what we already have – taking space away from the community, instead of adding to it. In addition, there simply is no room for a “running track” all the way around the reservoir, near the street. The Lehman College parking lot takes up all of the space along the southeast section of the reservoir, and there is only enough room for the existing sidewalk along the southern and southwestern section.

Ignoring this reality, the Parks Department has been promoting a plan to build a running track one-third of the way around the reservoir – and then just stop. I call it “the running track to nowhere.”

On November 16, 2011, Lehman College made a presentation at the Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee meeting. They stated that the running path cannot go through its parking lot.

The city should stop trying to force the running track where it doesn’t belong and where we don’t want it. They should simply put it where they promised it in the first place: inside of the security fence, next to the water. Anything else is an absurdity.

The Battle of the Bronx Turns into Massacre
With less than five seconds in Manhattan College’s absolute destruction of Fordham University (81-47 final) in the “Battle of the Bronx,” the closest you’ll get to a big-time college hoops rivalry in the Boogie Down, a Manhattan reserve slowly rolled the ball toward Fordham’s players. The message was clear and humiliating for Rams nation: Better luck next time, boys, maybe you should use this ball to practice a little harder. Here’s highlights, courtesy of Manhattan College

Mad Love for Sal
Bunch of great wishes for Sal Calces who we wrote about in this space last week, including this comment by Jimmy H:

Wow….hard to believe Sal is leaving the old neighborhood. I lived on Rochambeau Avenue, just around the corner from Sal’s when he took over the pizza shop back in 1980. From the very first week he was there I was purchasing one of his slices. I remained in the neighborhood until 1995 and usually bought my pizza from Sal. Then in the late 90′s when I was dating a girl from the neighborhood there were quite a few times I would stop by Sal’s for a slice or two. He was surprised to see me coming back for his pizza.

Through all of the years I received nothing but special attention from Sal, as the article says, he treated everyone as if they were part of the family. They say that all good things must come to an end, and all I can say is I wish Sal all the best to him and his family on his retirement.

What you should do this weekend:
Check out our Out&About section for a bunch of holiday events this weekend, including the Holly Jolly Trolley ride tomorrow.

Enjoy the Bronx! We’ll be back next week.