In this edition of MetroFocus, Sandy’s long-lasting impact on Lower Manhattan, and what still needs to be done. Rick Karr reports from the southern tip of the island, where Sandy’s flood-waters met vulnerable infrastructure last October. Rafael Pi Roman follows up on what happened and what needs to be done in the greater New York area with Wall Street Journal reporter Laura Kusisto. Kusisto discusses lessons the city and its landlords should have learned from Sandy.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey hasn’t opened a new bridge since 1931, but $2.8 billion is about to change that. Mike Schneider talks to Martin Robins, director of the Alan Voorhees Transportation Center and Former Executive Director of NJ Transit about the upcoming changes and why it took so long.

On this week’s Listening In segment, we take you to The New York Times where the “Energy for Tomorrow” Conference looked at building sustainable cities.

You may have heard versions of the story of the O.K. Corral, but have you heard the story of the woman behind the story? Ann Kirschner, University Dean of the Macaulay College Honors College, joins Pi Roman to discuss her new book, “Lady at the O.K. Corral.”

And a visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to see what makes their cherry blossom festival so special.

The iconic giant who once towered over tourists at the Jersey Shore now waits for Barnacle Bill’s arcade and mini golf to reopen in Ortley Beach. It’s one of many projects New Elevations Construction has underway.

“There’s 40,000 properties in 100 miles of the storm that really need our service. Most of our customers, they’ve been calling. My phone’s been ringing off the hook, please come help us,” said New Elevations owner Michael Sikorski.

Around the corner, homeowner Peg Gallagher is forced to rebuild. Three homes landed in her backyard.

“It’s depressing to be here. It was such a beautiful place and it’s totally depressing,” Gallagher said.

There are about 2,000 homes in Ortley Beach. Mayor Tom Kelaher says Sandy damaged every house here and at this point more than 100 homes need to be demolished.

Read more on the NJ Today website.

Public Housing took quite a hit from Superstorm Sandy and housing officials are already thinking about ways to improve resiliency.

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism students Jon Gerberg and Kristen Reed visited a public housing complex called Alfred E. Smith Houses on the Lower East Side to assess the damage days after the storm. Gerberg and Reed found many residents chose to stay in their apartments. The family they spoke to were collecting water to flush toilets and navigated through dark hallways with flashlights.  According to Cecil House, General Manager of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the Smith Houses residents weren’t the only ones.

“In NYCHA alone we lost power, heat, hot water to 423 buildings affecting 80,000 residents across the city,” House said. As of December 21, 2012, NYCHA reported in a press release that all Sandy impacted building had been restored. However, remediation and renovation continued for months, according to House.

House stated that even as of late April, 24 of NYCHA’s developments were operating off of mobile boilers for heat and hot water.

One major lesson learned from the storm, according to House,  is the importance of evacuation of residents in flood-prone areas. When residents choose to stay in their apartments, House said that it can be “very difficult for the Housing authority and other agencies to address the need that gets built up after the storm.”

As far as preparing for the upcoming storm season, House said that emergency temporary boilers were in place at some locations.  Coordinating with community organizations would also be a key part of the New York City Housing Authority’s next storm response.

“For NYCHA ourselves, we’re primarily a landlord and we’re not in a position, given the challenges that we have with federal funding, to address and staff up to maintain, to address all of the issues that our residents might have in the light of a storm as significant as Hurricane Sandy,” House said. “[S]o partnering with others is going to be critical for us.”

Long term, NYCHA plans to upgrade facilities to make them less prone to flooding “Today, our boilers, our electrical switch gears are all in our basements—exposed,” House said. “[…]We’re working to elevate those systems.”

In this edition of MetroFocus we report from New Jersey and New York on what’s ahead for the region six months after Sandy.

NJ Today’s Lauren Wanko reports from Ortley Beach in Ocean County, NJ where business owners and residents are still struggling to repair and reopen as summer approaches.  In New York City, the focus is on public housing. We take a look back with an excerpt from a story reported by Jon Gerber and Kristen Reed last November. Two Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism students take us inside the Smith Houses on the Lower East Side when the lights were still out. Host Rafael Pi Roman follows up with an interview with New York City Housing Authority General Manager Cecil House about what’s ahead for the agency and its tenants, and lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy.

Dr. Harold Koplewicz of the Child Mind Institute talks to Pi Roman about a new project to make mental health care for children a higher priority and about how to respond to children’s questions about the Boston marathon bombings.

The New York Executive Director of the Nature Conservancy Bill Ulfelder joins Pi Roman to talk about “LEAF”, a growing program that takes urban students to the wilderness and helps them become environmental leaders.

And Pi Roman takes a trip to Manhattan’s new Museum of Mathematics to see what’s making math fun.

Watch the individual MetroFocus segments below and stay up to date on MetroFocus news from the New York region on Twitter.

Public Housing Recovering Slowly From Sandy’s Wrath

Host Rafael Pi Roman follows up with an interview with New York City Housing Authority General Manager Cecil House about what’s ahead for the agency and its tenants, as well as lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy.

National Campaign Highlights Barriers to Children's Mental Health Care

MetroFocus talks to the Child Mind Institute's Dr. Harold Koplewicz about the organization's upcoming children's mental health campaign.

Environmental Leaders of the Future

The Nature Conservancy's New York Executive Director Bill Ulfelder discusses the ways in which the Conservancy is adapting to a changing world.

A Museum All About Math

The new National Museum of Mathematics at Madison Square Park hopes to teach students, parents, and teachers about the wonders of math.

Forced indoors by rain, Gov. Chris Christie and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan took over a seafood restaurant in Highlands for a press conference.

Donovan announced the federal government is releasing today the first $1.8 billion in HUD assistance to New Jersey homeowners, renters and businesses.

“I am committed — this president is committed — to come back as often as we need to come back, rain or shine, until this town, this shore, this state and this entire region are rebuilt better, stronger than they were before the storm,” Donovan said.

The HUD money comes on top of $600 million already spent by FEMA in New Jersey, and $700 million by the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Gov. Christie said phase one of returning to normalcy is over. Today begins phase two.

Continue reading on the NJ Today website.

In this edition of MetroFocus, we report from New Jersey and New York on what’s ahead for the region six months after Sandy.

NJ Today’s Lauren Wanko reports from Ortley Beach in Ocean County, New Jersey where business owners and residents are still struggling to repair and reopen as summer approaches.  In New York City, the focus is on public housing. We take a look back with an excerpt from a story reported by Jon Gerber and Kristen Reed last November. Two Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism students take us inside the Smith Houses on the Lower East Side when the lights were still out. Host Rafael Pi Roman follows up with an interview with New York City Housing Authority General Manager Cecil House about what’s ahead for the agency and its tenants, and lessons learned from Superstorm Sandy.

Dr. Harold Koplewicz of the Child Mind Institute talks to Pi Roman about a new project to make mental health care for children a higher priority and about how to respond to children’s questions about the Boston marathon bombings.

The New York Executive Director of the Nature Conservancy Bill Ulfelder joins Pi Roman to talk about “LEAF”, a growing program that takes urban students to the wilderness and helps them become environmental leaders.

And Pi Roman takes a trip to Manhattan’s new Museum of Mathematics to see what’s making math fun.

In this edition of MetroFocus: political corruption in Albany and New York City and why the voters aren’t reacting.  Reporter Andrew Grossman of The Wall Street Journal and City Limits editor-in-chief Jarrett Murphy join host Rafael Pi Roman for a discussion of the latest news about a long-running New York State scandal.

As the six month mark approaches after Superstorm Sandy, the Robin Hood Foundation has distributed 100% of the $50 million raised at a star-studded 12-12-12 concert for Sandy relief. NJ Today reporter Brenda Flanagan takes us to Eatontown, NJ where money from the fundraiser built new homes for victims of the storm. Pi Roman follows up with the Robin Hood Foundation’s David Saltzman about how the non-profit managed to distribute the money so quickly and what is being funded across the region.

You may know her best as “Maria” on “Sesame Street” but actress Sonia Manzano is now an author and Pi Roman talks with her in studio about her book for young adults “The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano” life in New York City’s El Barrio in the 1960′s and 70′s and her writing and acting career on “Sesame Street”.

And meet the fish mongers of Manhattan, a multi-generational fish tale from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism student, Salima Koroma.

Watch the individual MetroFocus segments below and stay up to date on MetroFocus news from the New York region on Twitter.

Sandy Victims Get Homes Thanks to 12-12-12 Concert Proceeds

The Robin Hood Foundation has provided modular home rentals to those displaced by the storm, from money raised during a concert for Hurricane Sandy victims.

NY Corruption Scandals Raise Questions About Transparency and Reform

Two separate cases involving bribery and corruption resulted in arrests of politicians.

Sonia Manzano: From Actress to Author by way of Sesame Street

Author and actress Sonia Manzano speaks to MetroFocus anchor Rafael Pi Roman about her book, "The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano."

Web Extra: The Young Lords

Sonia Manzano’s novel, The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, is a young girl’s coming of age story set in New York City’s “el Barrio” neighborhood in the late 1960s. This was a time when the city’s Puerto Rican - or “Nuyorican” - community was beginning to feel its strength and make political demands.

Robin Hood Foundation Delivers on Promise to Sandy Victims

To date, the Robin Hood Foundation has raised a total of $70.5 million to aid Superstorm Sandy victims.

The Fishmongers of Manhattan

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism's Salima Koroma reports on a third generation Italian fishmonger family and the unlikely financial success of the seafood business.

In the six months since the US’ second-costliest storm swept out of the tri-state area, the Robin Hood Foundation has been knee-deep in the Sandy response effort. MetroFocus’ Rafael Pi Roman spoke to Robin Hood’s Executive Director David Saltzman, who explained, “Robin Hood’s mission is simple: we fight poverty in New York City.  But when Sandy hit, we knew we had to help our neighbors in need.”

Within weeks after the storm hit, Robin Hood board members recruited a star-studded line-up to headline the 12-12-12 Concert, which benefited the foundation’s Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.  The concert raised over $35 million in ticket sales alone reported USA TODAY, while the Nielsen Company found the event the “most widely distributed live musical event in history, accessible to nearly two billion people worldwide on television, radio and the Internet.”

To date, the Robin Hood Foundation has raised more than $70 million to aid Superstorm Sandy victims.  “[E]very single penny of that has been allocated,” says Saltzman.  ”Our donors wanted to make sure people like Mary had roofs over their heads, they wanted to make sure that people were fed, that people had their medicine.”

Among Robin Hood’s grantees are Team Rubicon, a group of returned military veterans who utilize their skills to serve relief efforts and the Henry Street Settlement, which provides emergency food and supplies to people in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.  After over 20 years of partnering with poverty-fighting organizations in New York City, the non-profit has also widened its reach to distribute relief funds to affected areas in New Jersey and Connecticut.

Locations of Robin Hood-funded programs

And as for Robin Hood’s impact beyond the United States?  Saltzman reports that after the 12-12-12 concert, “[T]here was an international community of caring.  260,000 people from all 50 states and 90 countries around the world donated to our Sandy relief effort.”

In this edition of MetroFocus: political corruption in Albany and New York City and why the voters aren’t reacting. Reporter Andrew Grossman of The Wall Street Journal and City Limits editor-in-chief Jarrett Murphy join host Rafael Pi Roman for a discussion of the latest news about a long-running New York State scandal.

As the six month mark approaches after Superstorm Sandy, the Robin Hood Foundation has distributed 100% of the $50 million raised at a star-studded 12-12-12 concert for Sandy relief. NJ Today reporter Brenda Flanagan takes us to Eatontown, NJ where money from the fundraiser built new homes for victims of the storm. Pi Roman follows up with the Robin Hood Foundation’s David Saltzman about how the non-profit managed to distribute the money so quickly and what is being funded across the region.

You may know her best as “Maria” on “Sesame Street” but actress Sonia Manzano is now an author and Pi Roman talks with her in studio about her book for young adults “The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano” life in New York City’s El Barrio in the 1960′s and 70′s” and her writing and acting career on “Sesame Street”.

And meet the fish mongers of Manhattan, a multi-generational fish tale from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism student, Salima Koroma.