GJONAJ VISITS P.S. 108 ART SHOW Elder abuse awareness & support
Councilman Mark Gjonaj was delighted to participate in the P.S.
108 Black History Month Art Show, view the display of amazing
pieces of artwork and announce the winners of the poster contest.
All proceeds of the event will go towards a District 11 college
(Above) Councilman Gjonaj (c) was excited to announce the winners.
Photo courtesy of Councilman Mark Gjonaj’s Offi ce
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR ARCH 15-21, 2019 101
BY: HEALTHY SENIORS CLICC
Depression is more than
just feeling sad or blue. It is
a common but serious mood
disorder that needs treatment.
It causes severe symptoms
that affect how you feel,
think, and handle daily activities,
such as sleeping, eating,
and working.
When you have depression,
you have trouble with
daily life for weeks at a time.
Doctors call this condition
“depressive disorder” or
“clinical depression.”
Depression is a real illness.
It is not a sign of a weakness
or fl aw. You can’t “snap
out of” clinical depression.
Most people who experience
depression need treatment to
get better.
Depression is NOT a normal
part of aging. In fact,
studies show that most older
adults feel satisfi ed with their
lives, despite having more
illnesses or physical problems.
However, important
life changes that happen as
we get older may cause feelings
of uneasiness, stress,
and sadness.
There are many symptoms
associated with depression,
and some will vary depending
on the individual.
However, some of the most
common symptoms are listed
below. If you have several
of these symptoms for more
than 2 weeks, you may have
depression.
• Persistent sad, anxious,
or “empty” mood
• Feelings of hopelessness,
guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Irritability, restlessness,
or having trouble sitting still
• Loss of interest in once
pleasurable activities, including
sex
• Decreased energy or fatigue
• Moving or talking more
slowly
• Diffi culty concentrating,
remembering, making decisions
• Diffi culty sleeping, earlymorning
awakening, or oversleeping
• Eating more or less
than usual, usually with unplanned
weight gain or loss
• Thoughts of death or suicide,
or suicide attempts
• Aches or pains, headaches,
cramps, or digestive
problems without a clear
physical cause and/or that do
not ease with treatment
• Frequent crying
Remember, with treatment,
most people will begin
to feel better. Expect your
mood to improve slowly. Feeling
better takes time, but it
can happen.
If you are thinking about
harming yourself, tell someone
who can help immediately.
• Do not isolate yourself.
• Call your doctor.
• Call 911 or go to a hospital
emergency room to get immediate
help, or ask a friend or
family member to help you.
Call the toll-free, 24-hour
National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (1-
800-273-8255) or 1-800-799-
4TTY (1-800-799-4889).
Brought to you by Montefi
ore Medical Group,
R.A.I.N. and the Hartford Institute
for Geriatric Nursing
@ NYU, based on National Institute
on Aging materials.
BY GENE DEFRANCIS
Back in the day the word
neighbor meant something
special. To many it still does
but more people need to understand
the term. It’s more
than someone who lives next
to or near to you. It’s someone
who is a part of your community.
Your concerns and
pressure outside of your front
door is their concern.
Neighbors are not necessarily
family and not necessarily
friends. But their is a
trust and respect that comes
with the word. Arguments
you may have with your children
or music you play your
neighbor hears. Who comes
in and out of your house and
how you maintain the front
of your home your neighbor
sees. If you smoke or cook
your neighbor smells it.
They are a part of your
life. And here in Allerton
we celebrate the diversity in
our community and how well
our neighbors work together
and communicate. Now every
so often someone moves
into the neighborhood and
doesn’t fully understand how
we work. Allerton is like no
other community and that’s
what makes it so special and
my favorite place to live.
Popular media may have
you believe that Muslims
only talk to other Muslims.
Our Americans of color only
talk to people that share their
skin color. Latinos only talk
with Latinos. Europeans only
talk with Europeans. Asians
only talk with Asians. That’s
not our culture here. Many of
us here in Allerton are here
for many generations and
have assimilated to the American
culture. Many are mixed
races. We are neighbors. We
are united.
We succeed in maintaining
our own heritage and identity
while respecting others and
working together. This isn’t a
fantasy, this is a reality that
exists with the majority of the
residents here in Allerton. We
have a beautiful blend in our
community.
Our unoffi cial motto is
“You do you”. As long as it
doesn’t hurt me and as long
as you’re not trying to infl uence
me. “You do you and I’ll
do me”
Allerton is where people
come to meet. That is why
we put international in our
name. And we notice ‘outsiders’
aka people not from Allerton
seem confused or uncomfortable
saying it. Allerton
International Merchants. Our
store owners are from different
heritages. Our residents
are from different heritages.
We are a shining example of
how to respect diversity and
live together.
But don’t get me wrong.
People do feel offended now
and again. When elected offi
cials who are not from our
neighborhood send literature
in another language that
doesn’t represent the entire
community, we feel alienated.
In fact, most residents
in Allerton speak English.
Yet I don’t think Allerton
has 1 percent of our population
from England. But we
do have residents who speak
Albanian, Arabic, Bengali,
Italian, Korean, Mandarin,
Spanish, and not to mention a
plethora of different dialects
from the islands and around
the world.
Some left Allerton because
they weren’t comfortable with
diversity. Others left because
the city put too much pressure
to survive. The latter
is what we as an association
are looking to fi x and help. If
your not comfortable with diversity
then Allerton may not
be the place for you to live.
But know if you live in Allerton
or move to Allerton, your
heritage and culture will be
respected. When you open up
your mind to our way of living
you will learn we are all
unique just like everyone else
but in the end we all want the
same thing. Safe streets and
good schools.
But if you do move to Allerton
there are some things
we don’t tolerate that drive us
crazy. Pick up after your dog.
If you can’t accomplish this
simple responsibility of owning
a dog then perhaps a dog
in the city is not for you. It’s
not just a nuisance it is dangerous
and can transmit diseases.
Be responsible and pick
up after your best friend. Unfortunately
homeowners you
are responsible for the dumping.
We will help you identify
the those violating this basic
rule. But we ask you not to let
it linger and pick it up immediately
so that it does not multiply.
Finally get to know and
spend some time with your
neighbors. Join us Friday,
March 22 for St. Patrick’s
Lucky Bingo Night at the
Sanz Banquet. Book your
seats in advance because eats
are limited. Great prizes and
great opportunity to enjoy a
comfortable night out with
friends and neighbors.
Anniversary Celebration
is Saturday, May 18 Tickets
are $75 and we are honoring
Allerton’s own Steve Costas
new acting commissioner of
DSNY.
Business
Incubator Project
We are looking for energetic
entrepreneurs. No experience
needed. We will teach
you and help you grow. All
you need is the passion to get
started. To schedule an Interview
email AllertonMerchants@
gmail.com.
Want your name etched in
stone for all to see? We will
write you name in the pavers
to help pay for the repaving of
the Allerton Alleyways. Your
contribution of $275 toward
repairing the alleyways will
get you noticed and recognized.
For more information
email us or join our Facebook
page (Allerton International
Merchants Association Inc.)
Also, when you join our
Facebook page refer a neighbor
to our page and we will
enter you into a contest raffl e
to win two tickets to our Anniversary
Celebration at the
Sanz May 18.
Spring has almost sprung
and it time to roll up our
sleeves and remember Mother
Earth this Mother’s Day. On
Saturday, May 11 join us for
our Annual Mother’s Day
Cleanup. Donations greatly
appreciated. We would love to
be able to afford a lift again to
continue removing sneakers
within the 49th Precinct area.
Plant a few fl owers in the area
and just add a bit of color to
our street. We hope you can
take the time to join us.
Your community is your
business.
scholarship.
link
link
/gmail.com